2009 marks the twelfth year of the epic Revelation Perth International Film Festival in Australia, but this is also the second year it’s being run under the purview of film historian and writer Jack Sargeant, who returns as Program Director. Based on the lineup listed below, it’s a stunning encore. The festival runs July 2-12 and there are a ton of great films to check out.

I can only speak about one of those films from personal experience: the Underground Film Journal’s 2008 Movie of the Year, Altamont Now, directed by Joshua von Brown. I’ve been beating the drum for this underground masterpiece for just about an entire year now and I’m glad the film’s hugely successful 2008 festival run has now spilled over into 2009 at such a great fest like Revelation. It’s only screening once, on July 11, so don’t miss it.

But there’s lots of other great films, too, that I wouldn’t miss were I in Perth. There’s Nina Paley’s festival hit, the animated musical Sita Sings the Blues; and Chusy Haney-Jardine’s Anywhere USA, which has been making the U.S. underground rounds. Plus, there’s some great sounding documentaries like The Seventh Python about “lost” Monty Python member Neil Innes; and Ben Steinbauer’s acclaimed Winnebago Man; as well as Josh Koury‘s hit Harry Potter fan doc We Are Wizards.

But the film I’m most anxious to see is Kenta McGrath‘s documentary Three Hams in a Can, about musicians on tour in Tokyo. I’m a huge fan of McGrath’s short fictional films (Welcome to Pipe Mountain, Hole in the Ground), so I’m real curious what his doc is like. So for all ya’ll who’ll get to see this before me, I’m insanely jealous.

That’s only a few films I’m calling out and there’s even more that sound equally fabulous. Once you get into the meat of the lineup, I think you’ll agree:

July 2
7:00 p.m.: Sita Sings the Blues, dir. Nina Paley. An animated musical that uses the ancient Hindu text The Ramayana of Valmiki to explore modern notions of love and fidelity. (Watch this underground movie online)

July 3
7:00 p.m.: Soul Power, dir. Jeffrey Levy-Hinte. This documentary sheds light on the African music festival that ran concurrently with the famous Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman brawl, “The Rumble in the Jungle.”

7:15 p.m.: American Swing, dir. Jon Hart & Matthew Kauufman. A documentary profile of Plato’s Retreat. The infamous ’70s NYC sex club that was founded by Larry Levenson.

8:45 p.m.: Adventures of Power, dir. Ari Gold. An air drummer dreams of the day when he’ll finally be recognized for his vast talent. Maybe losing his mining job is just the break he’s been hoping for.

9:00 p.m.: Anywhere USA, dir. Chusy Haney-Jardine. A trio of stories in which a man gets beaten by his wife everyday at 2:00 p.m.; an eight-year-old accidentally eats a pot brownie; and a man eating a steak realizes he doesn’t know any black people.

10:30 p.m.: Dead Snow, dir. Tommy Wirkola. A group of medical students vacationing at a snowbond chalet in Norway are attacked by a horde of zombie Nazis.

July 4
1:00 p.m.: Good Dick, dir. Marianna Palka. A video store clerk becomes infatuated with a pretty female customer to the point that he relentlessly pursues her affections, despite her being completely disinterested in him.

1:15 p.m.: Iseta: Behind the Roadblock, dir. Juan Reina. Cameraman Nick Hughes returns to Rwanda many years after he documented the horrific genocide that occurred in 1994.

2:30 p.m.: NYC Foetus, dir. Clement Tuffreau. A documentary profile of Jim Thirlwell, the Australian expatriate who founded the influential industrial music project, Foetus.

3:00 p.m.: Sita Sings the Blues, dir. Nina Paley. An animated musical that uses the ancient Hindu text The Ramayana of Valmiki to explore modern notions of love and fidelity. (Watch this underground movie online)

5:00 p.m.: Soul Power, dir. Jeffrey Levy-Hinte. This documentary sheds light on the African music festival that ran concurrently with the famous Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman brawl, “The Rumble in the Jungle.”

5:15 p.m.: Three Hams in a Can, dir. Kenta McGrath. This documentary follows three musicians — Chris Cobilis, Predrag Delibasic and Stina — as they travel across Tokyo performing their unique brand of electronic music. (Read the underground movie review)

7:00 p.m.: Van Diemen’s Land, dir. Jonathan Auf Der Heide. Based on the true story of eight men who attempted to escape from the penal colony of Macquarie Harbour in Tasmania.

7:15 p.m.: The Seventh Python, dir. Burt Kearns & Brett Hudson. A documentary about Neil Innes, one of the founding members of Monty Python.

9:00 p.m.: darklovestory, dir. Jon Hewitt. A couple try to escape the criminal underworld of Kings Cross, an inner city suburb of Sydney, Australia.

9:15 p.m.: The Fall, dir. Tarsem. An injured stuntman spins wild tales for the benefit of a sick little girl.

10:30 p.m.: “Late Night Wonders and Gothic Nightmares”
A retrospective of the work of Lisa Hammer.

July 5
1:00 p.m.: Saint Death, dir. Eva Aridjis. This documentary profiles a Mexican religious cult in which transvestites, fallen women and criminals worship a female grim reaper.

1:15 p.m.: Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans, dir. Dawn Logsdon. This documentary tells the story of 19th century New Orleans, where free slaves received integrated education and were able to hold public office.

2:45 p.m.: FLicKeR, dir. Nik Sheehan. Examining the invention of Brion Gysin: The Dreamachine, a spinning barrel from which emanates a piercing light. The device allegedly induces altered states without the use of drugs.

3:30 p.m.: The General, dir. Buster Keaton. The classic silent film will be projected with a live soundtrack by the band Viola Dana. (Not the actress in the film.)

4:15 p.m.: Van Diemen’s Land, dir. Jonathan Auf Der Heide. Based on the true story of eight men who attempted to escape from the penal colony of Macquarie Harbour in Tasmania.

5:00 p.m.: We Are Wizards, dir. Josh Koury. A look at the phenomenon of “Wizard Rock,” i.e. rock bands who only sing songs about the world of Harry Potter. (Watch this underground movie online)

7:00 p.m.: Chevolution, dir. Luis Lopez & Trisha Ziff. A documentary history of the famous photograph of the revolutionary Che Guevara, which has gone on to become a pop icon.

7:15 p.m.: American Swing, dir. Jon Hart & Matthew Kauufman. A documentary profile of Plato’s Retreat. The infamous ’70s NYC sex club that was founded by Larry Levenson.

8:45 p.m.: Soul Power, dir. Jeffrey Levy-Hinte. This documentary sheds light on the African music festival that ran concurrently with the famous Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman brawl, “The Rumble in the Jungle.”

9:00 p.m.: The End, dir. Nicola Collins. A profile of East London gangsters directed by the daughter of one of them.

July 6
7:00 p.m.: Sita Sings the Blues, dir. Nina Paley. An animated musical that uses the ancient Hindu text The Ramayana of Valmiki to explore modern notions of love and fidelity. (Watch this underground movie online)

7:15 p.m.: Saint Death, dir. Eva Aridjis. This documentary profiles a Mexican religious cult in which transvestites, fallen women and criminals worship a female grim reaper.

8:45 p.m.: Three Hams in a Can, dir. Kenta McGrath. This documentary follows three musicians — Chris Cobilis, Predrag Delibasic and Stina — as they travel across Tokyo performing their unique brand of electronic music. (Read the underground movie review)

9:00 p.m.: Xaviera Hollander: The Happy Hooker, dir. Robert Dunlap. A documentary about the infamous call girl.

July 7
7:00 p.m.: One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur, dir. Curt Worden. This documentary examines the California coastal town that so enthralled author Jack Kerouac.

7:15 p.m.: Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans, dir. Dawn Logsdon. This documentary tells the story of 19th century New Orleans, where free slaves received integrated education and were able to hold public office.Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of New Orleans

8:45 p.m.: The Fall, dir. Tarsem. An injured stuntman spins wild tales for the benefit of a sick little girl.

9:00 p.m.: “Music Camera”
Music videos from Western Australia.

July 8
7:00 p.m.: The Matador, dir. Stephen Higgins and Nina Gilden Seavey. A profile of David Fandila, aka El Fandi, a popular young Matador in Spain. The documentary also examines the history of this controversial sport.

7:15 p.m.: “Animated Eruptions, Exultations and Ordinary Madness”
Gluteus Maximus: The Man Behind Mankind’s Behind, dir. Mick Elliott & Brendan Cook
Reach, dir. Luke Randall
The Cascade and Its Dust, dir. Stefan Pautze
The Not So Great Eugene Green, dir. Michael Hill
Lash, dir. Elka Kerkhofs
The Funk, dir. Cris Jones
Life’s a Witch, dir. Cam Rossiter
Ink, dir. Justine Wallace

8:30 p.m.: The Possibility of an Island, dir. Michel Houellebecq. Based on the director’s own quasi-science fiction novel, a tale about a man and his future clone trying to find meaning in a Godless world.

8:45 p.m.: The End, dir. Nicola Collins. A profile of East London gangsters directed by the daughter of one of them.

July 9
7:00 p.m.: “Get Your Shorts On!”
Layoordoo, dir. Mark Cole Smith
My Uncle Bluey, dir. Britt Arthur
The Daily Grind, dir. David Meadows
The Deep End, dir. Damien Spiccia
The Nappy Tree, dir. Christie Sistrunk
Tinglewood, dir. Alex von Hofman
Victims, dir. Julia Ngeow

7:15 p.m.: “San Francisco’s Doomed”
A retrospective of the films of Danny Plotnick.

9:00 p.m.: The Dead Girl’s Feast, dir. Matheus Nachtergaele. An Amazon village with it’s own saint prepares for an important annual event. If the event fails to run smooth, it could devastate the village’s entire economy.

9:30 p.m.: Winnebago Man, dir. Ben Steinbauer. A documentary about the infamous star of one of the most popular viral videos of all time, the profanity-spewing Winnebago salesman.

July 10
7:00 p.m.: “Music for Silents”
Musician Steven Severin will provide live soundtracks to several silent films.

7:15 p.m.: The Seventh Python, dir. Burt Kearns & Brett Hudson. A documentary about Neil Innes, one of the founding members of Monty Python.

8:45 p.m.: Chevolution, dir. Luis Lopez & Trisha Ziff. A documentary history of the famous photograph of the revolutionary Che Guevara, which has gone on to become a pop icon.

9:00 p.m.: “Revel-8 Super 8 Competition”
One-take, one-reel short films by the students of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

10:30 p.m.: Cigarette Girl, dir. Mike McCarthy. In the year 2035, all smokers are forced to live in a special neighborhood called the Smoking Section. In this world, a cigarette salesgirl tries to quit cold turkey, but the mob won’t let her.

July 11
1:00 p.m.: Sita Sings the Blues, dir. Nina Paley. An animated musical that uses the ancient Hindu text The Ramayana of Valmiki to explore modern notions of love and fidelity. (Watch this underground movie online)

2:00 p.m.: Adventures of Power, dir. Ari Gold. An air drummer dreams of the day when he’ll finally be recognized for his vast talent. Maybe losing his mining job is just the break he’s been hoping for.

2:45 p.m.: Anywhere USA, dir. Chusy Haney-Jardine. A trio of stories in which a man gets beaten by his wife everyday at 2:00 p.m.; an eight-year-old accidentally eats a pot brownie; and a man eating a steak realizes he doesn’t know any black people.

4:00 p.m.: We Are Wizards, dir. Josh Koury. A look at the phenomenon of “Wizard Rock,” i.e. rock bands who only sing songs about the world of Harry Potter. (Watch this underground movie online)

5:00 p.m.: Winnebago Man, dir. Ben Steinbauer. A documentary about the infamous star of one of the most popular viral videos of all time, the profanity-spewing Winnebago salesman.

5:30 p.m.: FLicKeR, dir. Nik Sheehan. Examining the invention of Brion Gysin: The Dreamachine, a spinning barrel from which emanates a piercing light. The device allegedly induces altered states without the use of drugs.

7:00 p.m.: NYC Foetus, dir. Clement Tuffreau. A documentary profile of Jim Thirlwell, the Australian expatriate who founded the influential industrial music project, Foetus.

7:00 p.m.: Iseta: Behind the Roadblock, dir. Juan Reina. Cameraman Nick Hughes returns to Rwanda many years after he documented the horrific genocide that occurred in 1994.

7:15 p.m.: Original, dir. Alexander Brondsted and Antonio Tublen. A man who rejects bad loans at the bank for a living gets dumped by his girlfriend and loses his job, which may be the break he needs.

9:00 p.m.: Welcome to North Korea, dir. Linda Jablonska. Following a touring party from the Czech Republic as they travel across North Korea.

9:15 p.m.: Wake in Fright, dir. Ted Kotcheff. This 1971 Australian classic follows the story of a teacher stuck in a rural town with no chance to escape.

10:45 p.m.: Altamont Now, dir. Joshua von Brown. Mark Clark is an investigative journalist who penetrates the underground world of rock revolutionaries who literally live under the ground of the California desert and the site of the notorious ’60s Rolling Stones concert. This is what happens when the youth really stage a revolution. (Read the underground movie review) (Watch Altamont Now streaming online)

July 12
1:00 p.m.: The Matador, dir. Stephen Higgins and Nina Gilden Seavey. A profile of David Fandila, aka El Fandi, a popular young Matador in Spain. The documentary also examines the history of this controversial sport.

1:00 p.m.: Chevolution, dir. Luis Lopez & Trisha Ziff. A documentary history of the famous photograph of the revolutionary Che Guevara, which has gone on to become a pop icon.

2:45 p.m.: Original, dir. Alexander Brondsted and Antonio Tublen. A man who rejects bad loans at the bank for a living gets dumped by his girlfriend and loses his job, which may be the break he needs.

3:00 p.m.: The Dead Girl’s Feast, dir. Matheus Nachtergaele. An Amazon village with it’s own saint prepares for an important annual event. If the event fails to run smooth, it could devastate the village’s entire economy.

5:00 p.m.: The Fall, dir. Tarsem. An injured stuntman spins wild tales for the benefit of a sick little girl.

5:15 p.m.: Good Dick, dir. Marianna Palka. A video store clerk becomes infatuated with a pretty female customer to the point that he relentlessly pursues her affections, despite her being completely disinterested in him.

7:00 p.m.: Xaviera Hollander: The Happy Hooker, dir. Robert Dunlap. A documentary about the infamous call girl.

7:15 p.m.: One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur, dir. Curt Worden. This documentary examines the California coastal town that so enthralled author Jack Kerouac.

8:30 p.m.: The Possibility of an Island, dir. Michel Houellebecq. Based on the director’s own quasi-science fiction novel, a tale about a man and his future clone trying to find meaning in a Godless world.

9:15 p.m.: Welcome to North Korea, dir. Linda Jablonska. Following a touring party from the Czech Republic as they travel across North Korea.