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2011 Revelation Perth International Film Festival: Official Lineup

By Mike Everleth ⋅ June 17, 2011

2011 Revelation Perth International Film Festival skyline poster

The 14th annual Revelation Perth International Film Festival is, once again, packed to the gills with worldwide wonderful, weird and revelatory filmmaking. The fest runs this year on July 14-24.

The highlight of the festival is the once-in-a-lifetime live performance of Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, which will be performed on July 17 at 7:15 p.m. American animator Brent Green will be traveling Down Under to provide the live musical score and narration for his emotional, live-action animated tale about undying love and creation. He will also be accompanied by band mates and foley artists, Mike McGinley, John Swartz, Donna K and Drew Henkels.

Some other films to look out for at the fest will be the Australian premiere of Zach Clark‘s terminally twisted Vacation!, a black comedy about four girls on a debauched weekend of drinking and drugging that ends horribly for all involved; Marie Losier‘s acclaimed The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye, the documentary about body and soul modification artists Genesis P-Orridge and the late Lady Jaye; and Jason Eisener’s bloody retribution flick Hobo With a Shotgun.

There’s also a ton more documentaries, like Shut Up, Little Man!, William S Burroughs: A Man Within and Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods; cult thrillers, like Radio Free Albemuth, Kill List and Small Town Murder Songs; and even an animated kids film, Komaneko: The Curious Cat.

There are also lots of short film programs and special programs. Of extra special note is the unique collaboration with the Chicago Underground Film Festival. CUFF founder Bryan Wendorf will be in attendance at Revelation with a selection of short films that have screened throughout his fest’s 18-year history, plus he will attend various panel discussions.

The above highlights are only a tiny fraction of the immense festival this year. The full lineup of films screening is listed below, but please visit the official Rev Fest website for more info.

July 14

7:30 p.m.: Fire in Babylon, dir. Stevan Riley. This documentary recalls the improbable journey of the West Indian cricket team of the ’70s that — in the face of racism, civil unrest and apartheid — became global champions.

July 15

6:30 p.m.: Matchmaking Mayor (Nesvatbov), dir. Erika Hníková. This documentary profiles the retired Czech Republic general turned mayor who admonishes the largely single population of his town to marry and reproduce.
Screening with:
On Her Shoulders, dir. Caro MacDonald, Kylie PlunKett, Poppy Smith

7:30 p.m.: “Revel-8”
The Filmmaker challenge: Shoot a Super 8 film in-camera on one reel lasting just 3 and ½ minutes.
The Composer challenge: Compose a music soundtrack without even meeting the director.
The Audience challenge: Sit side-by side with 20 nervous filmmakers who haven’t seen or heard their films and 20 nervous composers who want to know if they’ve got it right!
Prizes to be awarded on the night include Best Film, Best Music Soundtrack, Best Super 8 Cinematography and Audience Choice Award.

8:15 p.m.: Radio Free Albemuth, dir. John Alan Simon. An adaptation of the first Philip K. Dick novel dealing with spiritual/religious experiences. A writer tells the story of a record producer who receives broadcasts in his dreams from an entity called VALIS.
Screening with:
Augustine Confessions, dir. Giovanni Lorusso

9:30 p.m.: Dragonslayer, dir. Tristan Patterson. This documentary chronicles the life of Josh Sandoval, a skateboarder who lives outside of society, aimlessly drifting from suburb to suburb.

11:00 p.m.: Kill List, dir. Ben Wheatley. Two hit men with a past they’d rather forget take on a brutal new contract that pushes them to the edge of sanity.
Screens with:
The Kiss, dir. Ashlee Page

11:00 p.m.: Vampires, dir. Vincent Lannoo. A mockumentary that exposes the life of a family of Northern European bloodsuckers.

July 16

12:45 p.m.: Small Town Murder Songs, dir. Ed Gass-Donnelly. A Canadian policeman investigates a woman’s mysterious death.
Screening with: The Telegram Man, dir. James F Khehtie

1:15 p.m.: “London Short Film Festival”
Paris/Sexy, dir. Ruth Paxton
This Chair Is Not Me, dir. Andy Taylor Smith
Burn My Body, dir. Fyzal Boulifa
Murmuration, dir. Sophie Windsor Clive & Liberty Smith
Kids Might Fly, dir. Alex Taylor
Until the River Runs Red, dir. Paul Wright

2:30 p.m.: Shut Up Little Man!, dir. Matthew Bate. This documentary explores the original viral sensation: The hilarious and disturbing audio taped arguments between Peter and Raymond — a gay man and a raging homophobe who lived together.
Screening with:
So Long, Kodachrome, dir. Jim Granato

3:00 p.m.: William S Burroughs: A Man Within, dir. Yony Leyser. A documentary about the cult author and beat icon, featuring interviews with Laurie Anderson, Victor Brockris, Diane DiPrima, Gus Van Sant, John Waters, David Cronenberg, Thurston Moore, Iggy Pop, Genesis P-Orridge, Jello Biafra and more.

4:15 p.m.: Tyrannosaur, dir. Paddy Considine. A violent drunkard befriends a nice woman who works at a local charity shop.

4:45 p.m.: Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods, dir. Patrick Meaney. This documentary profiles the popular comic book author, writer of such graphic hits like Doom Patrol, Animal Man and Arkham Asylum.

6:00 p.m.: Fire in Babylon, dir. Stevan Riley. This documentary recalls the improbable journey of the West Indian cricket team of the ’70s that — in the face of racism, civil unrest and apartheid — became global champions.

6:30 p.m.: Sound It Out, dir. Jeanie Finlay. This documentary profiles the only record shop in the Teesside region of the UK, run by two music lovers with an encyclopedic knowledge of classic vinyl.
Screening with:
The Hydey, dir. Lindsay Hallam

7:30 p.m.: Meek’s Cutoff, dir. Kelly Reichardt. Early American pioneers travel westward on a harrowing journey. Starring Michelle Williams and Bruce Greenwood.
Screening with:
Via Gori, dir. George Barbakadze

8:15 p.m.: The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye, dir. Marie Losier. A portrait of industrial music pioneer Genesis P-Orridge and his late wife, Lady Jaye, who subjected themselves to an art project in which they attempted to become a singular pandrogenous entity, Breyer P-Orridge.
Screening with:
Rakkas, dir. Asuman Ozgonul

9:45 p.m.: Eye of the Sandman, dir. MT Cozzola, Jeffrey McHale, Dennis Belogorsky. A one-eyed woman inherits a remote mansion from an unknown relative and is surprised to find a strange man and his son living on the property.

10:00 p.m.: “Drive In Nightmares!”
A special screening of the classic 1974 zombie film The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue aka Let Sleeping Corpses Lie aka Don’t Open the Window aka Non si deve profanare il dei morti, directed by Jorge Grau. Curator Richard Kuipers will introduce the screening and also present some extra surprises.

July 17

11:30 a.m.: Komaneko: The Curious Cat, dir. Tsuneo Goda. A cat attempts to make his own animated movie. Filmed in stop motion animation and perfect for children of all ages!

12:30 p.m.: HN Hermann Nitsch, dir. Daniela Ambrosoli. This documentary profiles Austrian artist Hermann Nitsch who created outrageous performances involving nudity, butchery, food, wine and blood.

12:45 p.m.: The Redemption of General Butt Naked, dir. Daniele Anastasion & Eric Strauss. This documentary profiles the Liberian warlord who led his army — made up mostly of children — into battle naked.

1:30 p.m.: Outrage (AutoReiji), dir. Takeshi Kitano. Two Yakuza clans enter into bloody battle with each other.

2:15 p.m.: Of Dolls and Murder, dir. Susan Marks. This documentary shows the use of the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, dollhouse dioramas that help detectives hone their investigative skills. Narrated by John Waters.
Screening with:
Salome’s Picnic, dir. Victoria Waghorn

3:30 p.m.: Scrappers, dir. Ben Kolak, Brian Ashby, and Courtney Prokopas. Become intimate with two metal scavengers who scour the streets of Chicago looking to turn other people’s scraps into money.

3:45 p.m.: Radio Free Albemuth, dir. John Alan Simon. An adaptation of the first Philip K. Dick novel dealing with spiritual/religious experiences. A writer tells the story of a record producer who receives broadcasts in his dreams from an entity called VALIS.
Screening with:
Augustine Confessions, dir. Giovanni Lorusso

5:30 p.m.: Last Days Here, dir. Don Argott & Demian Fenton. This documentary profiles musician Bobby Liebling, who had a promising career as the singer for the ’70s metal band Pentagram, but whose life descended into terrible drug addiction. Can Bobby clean up and relaunch Pentagram again?

7:15 p.m.: Bear Nation, dir. Malcolm Ingram. This documentary examines the gay culture of “bears,” i.e. heavyset men with thick body hair and beards.

7:15 p.m.: Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, dir. Brent Green. Based on a true story, a man builds a patchwork house with a tower reaching up to Heaven as an alternative cure for his wife, who is dying of cancer. The Underground Film Journal’s 2010 Movie of the Year!

8:45 p.m.: Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren), dir. André Øvredal. Film students making a documentary about a bear hunter uncover a colony of massive trolls living in the Norwegian wilderness.

9:00 p.m.: Dragonslayer, dir. Tristan Patterson. This documentary chronicles the life of Josh Sandoval, a skateboarder who lives outside of society, aimlessly drifting from suburb to suburb.

July 18

6:45 p.m.: Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren), dir. André Øvredal. Film students making a documentary about a bear hunter uncover a colony of massive trolls living in the Norwegian wilderness.

7:00 p.m.: Tyrannosaur, dir. Paddy Considine. A violent drunkard befriends a nice woman who works at a local charity shop.

8:30 p.m.: Charlie Casanova, dir. Terry McMahon. A sociopath wrecks havoc at a hotel while his wife and friends are helpless to stop him.
Screening with:
The Stranger, dir. Rodd Rathjen

8:45 p.m.: The Redemption of General Butt Naked, dir. Daniele Anastasion & Eric Strauss. This documentary profiles the Liberian warlord who led his army — made up mostly of children — into battle naked.

July 19

7:00 p.m.: Animation Showcase
My Neighbourhood Has Been Overrun By Baboons, dir. Michael Richards & Cameron Edser
The Show, dir. Rebecca Hayes
Squirrel Away, dir. Mark Sheard
Hairoes, dir. Jesse Emmerson & Gaetan Raspanti
Chat Noir, dir. Khrob Edmonds & Miranda Edmonds
The Comeback, dir. Fiona Dalwood
Nullarbor, dir. Alister Lockhart & Patrick Sarell
Migrating Patterns, dir. Katherne Berger
Camera Obscura, dir. Marta Maia
Polo’s Robot, dir. Peter Lowey
Gus, dir. Andrew Martin
The Confession of Father John Thomas, dir. Elka Kerkhofs & Leigh Ryan
Gristle, dir. Jamie Clennett

7:15 p.m.: Shut Up Little Man!, dir. Matthew Bate. This documentary explores the original viral sensation: The hilarious and disturbing audio taped arguments between Peter and Raymond — a gay man and a raging homophobe who lived together.
Screening with:
So Long, Kodachrome, dir. Jim Granato

8:30 p.m.: Heaven and Earth and Joe Davis, dir. Peter Sasowsky. This documentary profiles the quirky artist and scientist who has done such things as recording the sounds of micro-organisms and encoding Greek philosophy into fly DNA.

9:00 p.m.: Secrets of the Tribe, dir. José Padilha. This documentary profiles the the professionals who studied the Yanomami people, the Amazonian tribe that was believed to have been the world’s last ‘virgin society.

July 20

6:45 p.m.: MARS, dir. Geoff Marslett. Two guys and one gal take off for the red planet and the only way to relieve the tedious boredom of the flight there may be a little romantic entanglement.
Screening with:
Wild Planet (Redux), dir. Brendan Young

7:00 p.m.: Charlie Casanova, dir. Terry McMahon. A sociopath wrecks havoc at a hotel while his wife and friends are helpless to stop him.
Screening with:
The Stranger, dir. Rodd Rathjen

9:00 p.m.: The Advocate for Fagdom, dir. Angelique Bosio. This documentary profiles controversial adult gay movie director Bruce LaBruce.
Screening with:
The Burning Wigs of Sedition, dir. Anna Fitch & Simon Cheffins

9:15 p.m.: Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods, dir. Patrick Meaney. This documentary profiles the popular comic book author, writer of such graphic hits like Doom Patrol, Animal Man and Arkham Asylum.

July 21

6:45 p.m.: All My Friends Are Funeral Singers, dir. Tim Rutili. A fortune teller lives in a remote house with only the ghosts who live in the woods to keep her company.

7:00 p.m.: “Get Your Shorts On!”
George Jones and the Giant Squid, dir. Vincenzo Perella & Dan Osborn
Bingo!, dir. Kelli Cross
Bertrand the Terrible, dir. Karen Farmer
The Billabong, dir. Jeffory Asselin
Telling Our Story, dir. Arnhem Hunter
Someting to Tell You, dir. Pete Gleeson
Light as a Feather, dir. Damien Spiccia

9:00 p.m.: “Celebrating the Chicago Underground Film Festival”
Desktop, dir. Tyler Hubby
Dance Habibi Dance, dir. Usama Alshaibi
The Bats, dir. Jim Trainor
Celebration of Lights, dir. Jesse McLean
Wustenspringmaus, dir. Jim Finn
America’s Biggest Dick, dir. Bryan Boyce
Alla’ te alcanzo (I’ll See You There), dir. Luis Sanchez Ramirez
Light Is Waiting, dir. Michael Robinson (Watch online)
All Ghost Women Play the Theremin, dir. Jerzy Rose
Home, dir. Braden King
l’internationale, dir. Marianna Milhorat

9:15 p.m.: Dragonslayer, dir. Tristan Patterson. This documentary chronicles the life of Josh Sandoval, a skateboarder who lives outside of society, aimlessly drifting from suburb to suburb.

July 22

6:30 p.m.:Soda_Jerk vs. Tony Lawrence”
Short films from the Sydney-based film and video remix artists.

6:45 p.m.: Meek’s Cutoff, dir. Kelly Reichardt. Early American pioneers travel westward on a harrowing journey. Starring Michelle Williams and Bruce Greenwood.
Screening with:
Via Gori, dir. George Barbakadze

8:15 p.m.: Vacation!, dir. Zach Clark. Four urban gals take a trip to the beach, but their weekend of drunken debauchery quickly descends into tragedy. (Read the review)
Screening with:
Everything Is Super, dir. Gareth Davis

9:00 p.m.: Fire in Babylon, dir. Stevan Riley. This documentary recalls the improbable journey of the West Indian cricket team of the ’70s that — in the face of racism, civil unrest and apartheid — became global champions.

10:15 p.m.: Eye of the Sandman, dir. MT Cozzola, Jeffrey McHale, Dennis Belogorsky. A one-eyed woman inherits a remote mansion from an unknown relative and is surprised to find a strange man and his son living on the property.

10:45 p.m.: Hobo With a Shotgun, dir. Jason Eisener. Rutger Hauer stars as a homeless man sick and tired of the violent gangs that have taken over his city. So, he buys a shotgun and starts cleaning the streets by first filling them up with blood.

July 23

11:00 a.m.: Komaneko: The Curious Cat, dir. Tsuneo Goda. A cat attempts to make his own animated movie. Filmed in stop motion animation and perfect for children of all ages!

12:30 p.m.: Scrappers, dir. Ben Kolak, Brian Ashby, and Courtney Prokopas. Become intimate with two metal scavengers who scour the streets of Chicago looking to turn other people’s scraps into money.

1:15 p.m.: The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye, dir. Marie Losier. A portrait of industrial music pioneer Genesis P-Orridge and his late wife, Lady Jaye, who subjected themselves to an art project in which they attempted to become a singular pandrogenous entity, Breyer P-Orridge.
Screening with:
Rakkas, dir. Asuman Ozgonul

2:15 p.m.: “Celebrating the Chicago Underground Film Festival”
Desktop, dir. Tyler Hubby
Dance Habibi Dance, dir. Usama Alshaibi
The Bats, dir. Jim Trainor
Celebration of Lights, dir. Jesse McLean
Wustenspringmaus, dir. Jim Finn
America’s Biggest Dick, dir. Bryan Boyce
Alla’ te alcanzo (I’ll See You There), dir. Luis Sanchez Ramirez
Light Is Waiting, dir. Michael Robinson (Watch online)
All Ghost Women Play the Theremin, dir. Jerzy Rose
Home, dir. Braden King
l’internationale, dir. Marianna Milhorat

2:45 p.m.: All My Friends Are Funeral Singers, dir. Tim Rutili. A fortune teller lives in a remote house with only the ghosts who live in the woods to keep her company.

4:30 p.m.: The Advocate for Fagdom, dir. Angelique Bosio. This documentary profiles controversial adult gay movie director Bruce LaBruce.
Screening with:
The Burning Wigs of Sedition, dir. Anna Fitch & Simon Cheffins

4:45 p.m.: Matchmaking Mayor (Nesvatbov), dir. Erika Hníková. This documentary profiles the retired Czech Republic general turned mayor who admonishes the largely single population of his town to marry and reproduce.
Screening with:
On Her Shoulders, dir. Caro MacDonald, Kylie PlunKett, Poppy Smith

6:30 p.m.: MARS, dir. Geoff Marslett. Two guys and one gal take off for the red planet and the only way to relieve the tedious boredom of the flight there may be a little romantic entanglement.
Screening with:
Wild Planet (Redux), dir. Brendan Young

6:45 p.m.: Small Town Murder Songs, dir. Ed Gass-Donnelly. A Canadian policeman investigates a woman’s mysterious death.
Screening with: The Telegram Man, dir. James F Khehtie

8:30 p.m.: Bear Nation, dir. Malcolm Ingram. This documentary examines the gay culture of “bears,” i.e. heavyset men with thick body hair and beards.

8:45 p.m.: Submarine, dir. Richard Ayoade. A 15-year-old romantic wants to lose his virginity, but he’s distracted by his family’s problems.
Screening with:
Waiting for Gorgo, dir. Benjamin Craig

10:15 p.m.: Vampires, dir. Vincent Lannoo. A mockumentary that exposes the life of a family of Northern European bloodsuckers.

11:00 p.m.: Last Days Here, dir. Don Argott & Demian Fenton. This documentary profiles musician Bobby Liebling, who had a promising career as the singer for the ’70s metal band Pentagram, but whose life descended into terrible drug addiction. Can Bobby clean up and relaunch Pentagram again?

July 24

1:00 p.m.: “Flusser’s Death Rattle”

1:15 p.m.: Secrets of the Tribe, dir. José Padilha. This documentary profiles the the professionals who studied the Yanomami people, the Amazonian tribe that was believed to have been the world’s last ‘virgin society.

2:15 p.m.: “Secret Members Screening!”
Only members of Rev Relations can attend this special presentation.

3:15 p.m.: Vacation!, dir. Zach Clark. Four urban gals take a trip to the beach, but their weekend of drunken debauchery quickly descends into tragedy. (Read the review)
Screening with:
Everything Is Super, dir. Gareth Davis

4:30 p.m.: Fire in Babylon, dir. Stevan Riley. This documentary recalls the improbable journey of the West Indian cricket team of the ’70s that — in the face of racism, civil unrest and apartheid — became global champions.

5:15 p.m.: William S Burroughs: A Man Within, dir. Yony Leyser. A documentary about the cult author and beat icon, featuring interviews with Laurie Anderson, Victor Brockris, Diane DiPrima, Gus Van Sant, John Waters, David Cronenberg, Thurston Moore, Iggy Pop, Genesis P-Orridge, Jello Biafra and more.

6:30 p.m.: Sound It Out, dir. Jeanie Finlay. This documentary profiles the only record shop in the Teesside region of the UK, run by two music lovers with an encyclopedic knowledge of classic vinyl.
Screening with:
The Hydey, dir. Lindsay Hallam

7:00 p.m.: Of Dolls and Murder, dir. Susan Marks. This documentary shows the use of the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, dollhouse dioramas that help detectives hone their investigative skills. Narrated by John Waters.
Screening with:
Salome’s Picnic, dir. Victoria Waghorn

8:00 p.m.: LBF, dir. Alex C Munt. A writer returns to Australia for a funeral and embarks on a journey of drunken and sexual excess.

8:30 p.m.: Outrage (AutoReiji), dir. Takeshi Kitano. Two Yakuza clans enter into bloody battle with each other.