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2013 Revelation Perth International Film Festival: Official Lineup

By Mike Everleth ⋅ June 10, 2013

Hand tossing a film reel on the Revelation Perth International Film Festival

The 16th annual Revelation Perth International Film Festival, which runs July 4-14, is jam-packed with eclectic cinematic goodness featuring over 130 films from all over the world on a wide variety of subjects — from music documentaries to kid-friendly animated films to oddball comedies to experimental short films and tons more.

Opening Night: Tom Putnam’s Burn is a searing documentary about firefighters working in the once great American city on the decline: Detroit.

Closing Night: It’s the annual “Revel-8” film competition where filmmakers are given one roll of Super 8 film with which they have to make an in-camera edited mini-masterpiece that will be paired up with an original soundtrack. The theme for this year is “Phobia.”

Underground Film Journal highlights: The absolute must-see of the fest is Don Swaynos’ debut feature film, the esoteric and hilarious comedy Pictures of Superheroes, in which a professional cleaning woman gets trapped in a surreal job cleaning after a neurotic businessman and his semi-existing roommate. (Read the Underground Film Journal review.)

Other films to be on the lookout include the world premiere of Richard Wolstencroft’s documentary The Last Days of Joe Blow, a profile of the male adult film star; Zach Clark’s feel-good (?) Christmas comedy White Reindeer; the controversial documentary The Act of Killing by Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn & Anonymous that re-enacts murders committed by Indonesian death squads; Peter Meitler’s metaphysical documentary The End of Time; Dan Browne’s epic experimental short film memento mori; and Jeffrey Schwarz’s profile of the late, world’s greatest transvestite in I Am Divine.

Special Event: Italian progressive rock group Goblin will perform their live soundtrack to one of the greatest horror movies of all time: Dario Argento’s 1977 masterpiece Suspiria. There are three chances to catch this once-in-a-lifetime performance on July 10-11.

In addition, there are just tons of great movies screening this year, so please check out the full film lineup below. For more information, visit the official Revelation Perth International Film Festival website.

July 4

7:00 p.m.: Burn, dir. Tom Putnam. This documentary profiles the firefighters of Detroit.
Screening with:
The Big Game, dir. Dominic Gill

July 5

4:30 p.m.: The Perverts Guide to Ideology, dir. Sophie Fiennes. Philosopher Slavoj Zizek muses on the subjects of cinema, psychoanalysis and dreams.

5:30 p.m.: Hatred, dir. Reza Dormishain. A young woman attempts to flee Iran through Turkey.

6:30 p.m.: Gimme the Loot, dir. Adam Leon. Two ambitious graffiti artists plan to tag the Mets’ baseball stadium.
Screening with:
Agophobia, dir. Benjamin Ross Hayden

7:00 p.m.: Burn, dir. Tom Putnam. This documentary profiles the firefighters of Detroit.
Screening with:
The Big Game, dir. Dominic Gill

7:15 p.m.: Pictures of Superheroes, dir. Don Swaynos. A professional cleaning woman gets dumped by her boyfriend then begins working for a neurotic businessman.
Screening with:
Roy and Betsie, dir. Stuart Willis

8:30 p.m.: Muscle Shoals, dir. Gregg “Freddy” Camalier. This documentary recounts the history of the small music studio that produced classic songs such as “Brown Sugar,” “Mustang Sally,” and “Freebird.”

9:00 p.m.: Pieta, dir. Kim Ki-Duk. A loan shark’s hired muscle meets his estranged mother for the first time.

9:15 p.m.: Hunter: For the Record, dir. Sam Field. This documentary profiles pioneering Australian hip hop artist Robert Hunter.
Screening with:
Weathered, dir. Shaun Burke

11:30 p.m.: Cheap Thrills, dir. E.L. Katz. A rich husband and wife engage a pair of down-on-their-luck friends to submit to a series of crazy stunts.

July 6

1:30 p.m.: God’s Neighbours, dir. Meni Yaesh. Young Jewish fundamentalists attempt to force their beliefs on their community.

1:45 p.m.: The End of Time, dir. Peter Meitler. An exploration of our perception of time, traveling from the particle accelerator to lava flows in Hawaii to a Hindu funeral rite and othe exotic locations.

1:45 p.m.: London: The Modern Babylon, dir. Julien Temple. This documentary profiles the history and current makeup of the city of London.

3:00 p.m.: Burn, dir. Tom Putnam. This documentary profiles the firefighters of Detroit.
Screening with:
The Big Game, dir. Dominic Gill

3:30 p.m.: The Last Step, dir. Ali Mosaffa. A dead man’s ghost begins hanging around the set of his actress wife’s movie set.
Screening with:
In the Shadow of the Water Tower, dir. Lewis Smithingham

4:15 p.m.: A Fierce Green Fire, dir. Mark Kitchell. This documentary traces the history of the environmental movement.

5:15 p.m.: Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, dir. Drew Denicola & Olivia Mori. This documentary profiles cult pop band Big Star that has influenced bands such as the Replacements, Teenage Fanclub and Wilco.

5:45 p.m.: The Final Member, dir. Jonah Bekhor & Zach Math. This documentary follows a museum curator’s quest to acquire his most challenging object yet.
Screening with:
The Boat, dir. Kyle Hedrick

6:15 p.m.: Muscle Shoals, dir. Gregg “Freddy” Camalier. This documentary recounts the history of the small music studio that produced classic songs such as “Brown Sugar,” “Mustang Sally,” and “Freebird.”

6:30 p.m.: Surkhaab, dir. Sanjay Talreja. A woman trained in the art of Judo gets involved in the criminal underworld while trying to visit her brother in Toronto.

6:30 p.m.: Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, dir. Sophie Huber. This documentary profiles the cult character actor.
Screening with:
Hsu Ji Behind the Screen, dir. Thomas Rio

7:45 p.m.: Pictures of Superheroes, dir. Don Swaynos. A professional cleaning woman gets dumped by her boyfriend then begins working for a neurotic businessman.
Screening with:
Roy and Betsie, dir. Stuart Willis

8:30 p.m.: The Deep, dir. Baltasar Kormakur. A fisherman lost at sea fights against all odds to get back home.
Screening with:
Dimensions, dir. Neysan Sobhani

8:45 p.m.: The We and the I, dir. Michel Gondry. Teenagers ride the bus one afternoon in New York City.

9:00 p.m.: Hunter: For the Record, dir. Sam Field. This documentary profiles pioneering Australian hip hop artist Robert Hunter.
Screening with:
Weathered, dir. Shaun Burke

9:30 p.m.: Sunset Strip, dir. Hans Fjellestad. This documentary examines the history of the infamous Los Angeles area.
Screening with:
The Man Who Could Not Dream, dir. Kasimir Burgess

10:30 p.m.: A Field in England, dir. Ben Wheatley. A squad of soldiers flee a bloody battlefield during the English Civil War.

11:45 p.m.: The Human Scale, dir. Andreas Dalsgaard. This documentary examines the effect the urbanization of the world is having on the planet and its people.
Screening with:
Tenera, dir. Natasha Novik

July 7

12:00 p.m.: “FAVourites”
The Door, dir. Richard Termini
Holiday Trip of a Lifetime, dir. Kal Englishby
Choices, dir. Luke Hadley
Scarred, dir. Melissa Smith
I Love You Fish, dir. Michael Becker
Before the Dream, dir. Tim Barretto
Exigency, dir. Byron Wheeler & Tahlia Russell
Home, dir. Tahlia Arakua
Shifting, dir. Natalie Hind

2:00 p.m.: The Act of Killing, dir. Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn & Anonymous. This documentary features former Indonesian death squad leaders reenacting their horrific mass-killings.

2:00 p.m.: The Human Scale, dir. Andreas Dalsgaard. This documentary examines the effect the urbanization of the world is having on the planet and its people.
Screening with:
Tenera, dir. Natasha Novik

4:15 p.m.: Jail Caesar, dir. Paul Schoolman. The story of Caesar before he became emperor is told using real-life prisoners as actors.
Screening with:
Fucking Tors (Damn Girl), dir. Kira Richards Hansen

4:15 p.m.: In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey, dir. James Cullingham. This documentary profiles the legendary American musician.

5:00 p.m.: Facing Mirrors, dir. Negar Azarbayjani. A woman begins driving her husband’s taxi and becomes friendly with a wealthy woman fleeing an arranged marriage.
Screening with:
Faraways, dir. Audrey Lam

6:30 p.m.: Sunset Strip, dir. Hans Fjellestad. This documentary examines the history of the infamous Los Angeles area.
Screening with:
The Man Who Could Not Dream, dir. Kasimir Burgess

7:00 p.m.: The Fifth Season, dir. Peter Prosens & Jessica Woodworth. A rural community is thrown into turmoil by the apocalypse.
Screening with:
Pablo’s Villa, dir. Matthew Salleh

8:30 p.m.: The We and the I, dir. Michel Gondry. Teenagers ride the bus one afternoon in New York City.

8:30 p.m.: Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, dir. Mike Lerner & Maxim Pozdorovkin. This documentary profiles the controversial Russian punk band whose members were arrested and put on trial for performing on the pulpit of an orthodox church in Moscow.

July 8

3:00 p.m.: A Monster in Paris, dir. Bibo Bergeron. In 1910 Paris, the River Seine floods and the local populace are terrorized by a strange creature.

4:00 p.m.: The Final Member, dir. Jonah Bekhor & Zach Math. This documentary follows a museum curator’s quest to acquire his most challenging object yet.
Screening with:
The Boat, dir. Kyle Hedrick

6:00 p.m.: The End of Time, dir. Peter Meitler. An exploration of our perception of time, traveling from the particle accelerator to lava flows in Hawaii to a Hindu funeral rite and othe exotic locations.

6:15 p.m.: The Perverts Guide to Ideology, dir. Sophie Fiennes. Philosopher Slavoj Zizek muses on the subjects of cinema, psychoanalysis and dreams.

7:00 p.m.: I Am Divine, dir. Jeffrey Schwarz. This documentary profiles the most notorious actress in film history, Harris Glenn Milstead aka Divine, who starred in numerous John Waters films and was on the verge of finding mainstream fame just before she died tragically.

8:00 p.m.: Upstream Color, dir. Shane Carruth. A man and a woman are brought together by a microscopic presence.
Screening with:
Sam’s Gold, dir. Julietta Boscolo

8:45 p.m.: Burn, dir. Tom Putnam. This documentary profiles the firefighters of Detroit.
Screening with:
The Big Game, dir. Dominic Gill

8:45 p.m.: The Last Days of Joe Blow, dir. Richard Wolstencroft. This documentary profiles the male adult film star.

July 9

5:00 p.m.: The Human Scale, dir. Andreas Dalsgaard. This documentary examines the effect the urbanization of the world is having on the planet and its people.

6:30 p.m.: Jail Caesar, dir. Paul Schoolman. The story of Caesar before he became emperor is told using real-life prisoners as actors.
Screening with:
Fucking Tors (Damn Girl), dir. Kira Richards Hansen

6:30 p.m.: Sunset Strip, dir. Hans Fjellestad. This documentary examines the history of the infamous Los Angeles area.
Screening with:
The Man Who Could Not Dream, dir. Kasimir Burgess

7:00 p.m.: “International Animation Showcase”
Butterflies, dir. Isabel Peppard
The Cold Heart, dir. Hannes Rall
Hula Hoop, dir. Tess Martin
Human Meat Factory, dir. Anna Han
I Have Your Heart, dir. Jim Batt
Private Revelations, dir. Wojtek Skowron
Retocognition, dir. Eric Patrick
The Rose of Turaida, dir. Ryan Grobins
Sleight of Hand, dir. Michael Cusack
Suspended Animation, dir. Cam Rossiter
Thinking About, dir. Valentina Sutti
The Wend, dir. Daniel Farah
Whale Story, dir. Tess Martin
When the Clouds Came, dir. Camille Hardman & Yusuke Nagano

8:30 p.m.: The Deep, dir. Baltasar Kormakur. A fisherman lost at sea fights against all odds to get back home.
Screening with:
Dimensions, dir. Neysan Sobhani

8:45 p.m.: Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, dir. Sophie Huber. This documentary profiles the cult character actor.
Screening with:
Hsu Ji Behind the Screen, dir. Thomas Rio

9:00 p.m.: Exposed, dir. Beth B. This documentary profiles eight performance artists who use burlesque as their main form of expression.
Screening with:
Strange Tourist, dir. Joshua Aylett

July 10

3:00 p.m.: A Monster in Paris, dir. Bibo Bergeron. In 1910 Paris, the River Seine floods and the local populace are terrorized by a strange creature.

4:45 p.m.: God’s Neighbours, dir. Meni Yaesh. Young Jewish fundamentalists attempt to force their beliefs on their community.

6:30 p.m.: The Deep, dir. Baltasar Kormakur. A fisherman lost at sea fights against all odds to get back home.
Screening with:
Dimensions, dir. Neysan Sobhani

6:45 p.m.: “Get Your Shorts On”
In the Air, dir. Kimberley West
Goodbye Cruel World, dir. Adrian McFarlane
The Short Shrift, dir. Megan Palinkas
Inner Quality, dir. Ethan Marrell
The Little Astronaut, dir. David Vincent Smith
Ace of Spades, dir. Dennis Simmons
Blue, dir. Keir Wilkins

7:00 p.m.: Suspiria, dir. Dario Argento. Featuring a live score performance by The Goblins. A young woman goes to study at an exclusive dance academy that may be run by witches.

7:00 p.m.: Surkhaab, dir. Sanjay Talreja. A woman trained in the art of Judo gets involved in the criminal underworld while trying to visit her brother in Toronto.

8:30 p.m.: Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, dir. Drew Denicola & Olivia Mori. This documentary profiles cult pop band Big Star that has influenced bands such as the Replacements, Teenage Fanclub and Wilco.

9:00 p.m.: Pieta, dir. Kim Ki-Duk. A loan shark’s hired muscle meets his estranged mother for the first time.

9:15 p.m.: A Field in England, dir. Ben Wheatley. A squad of soldiers flee a bloody battlefield during the English Civil War.

9:30 p.m.: Suspiria, dir. Dario Argento. Featuring a live score performance by The Goblins. A young woman goes to study at an exclusive dance academy that may be run by witches.

July 11

6:30 p.m.: Muscle Shoals, dir. Gregg “Freddy” Camalier. This documentary recounts the history of the small music studio that produced classic songs such as “Brown Sugar,” “Mustang Sally,” and “Freebird.”

6:30 p.m.: The United States of Hoodoo, dir. Oliver Hardt. Author Darius James returns to the U.S. following the death of his father and travels the country to examine the culture and practice of African-American art.

8:00 p.m.: Suspiria, dir. Dario Argento. Featuring a live score performance by The Goblins. A young woman goes to study at an exclusive dance academy that may be run by witches.

8:30 p.m.: Pictures of Superheroes, dir. Don Swaynos. A professional cleaning woman gets dumped by her boyfriend then begins working for a neurotic businessman.
Screening with:
Roy and Betsie, dir. Stuart Willis

10:00 p.m.: Interior. Leather Bar., dir. James Franco & Travis Matthews. This fantasy explores what the missing forty minutes cut from William Friedkin’s Cruising in order to obtain an R rating might consist of.
Screening with:
Basilisk, dir. Jay O’Berski

July 12

5:00 p.m.: A Fierce Green Fire, dir. Mark Kitchell. This documentary traces the history of the environmental movement.

6:30 p.m.: Muscle Shoals, dir. Gregg “Freddy” Camalier. This documentary recounts the history of the small music studio that produced classic songs such as “Brown Sugar,” “Mustang Sally,” and “Freebird.”

7:00 p.m.: White Reindeer, dir. Zach Clark. A young widow spends the Christmas season befriending the stripper her dead husband was having an affair with.
Screening with:
The Mailman, dir. Markus Hermansen

July 13

11:30 a.m.: The Act of Killing, dir. Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn & Anonymous. This documentary features former Indonesian death squad leaders reenacting their horrific mass-killings.

12:00 p.m.: “International Animation Showcase”
Butterflies, dir. Isabel Peppard
The Cold Heart, dir. Hannes Rall
Hula Hoop, dir. Tess Martin
Human Meat Factory, dir. Anna Han
I Have Your Heart, dir. Jim Batt
Private Revelations, dir. Wojtek Skowron
Retocognition, dir. Eric Patrick
The Rose of Turaida, dir. Ryan Grobins
Sleight of Hand, dir. Michael Cusack
Suspended Animation, dir. Cam Rossiter
Thinking About, dir. Valentina Sutti
The Wend, dir. Daniel Farah
Whale Story, dir. Tess Martin
When the Clouds Came, dir. Camille Hardman & Yusuke Nagano

1:45 p.m.: “Experimental Showcase”
Cinamnesia, dir. Nicola Walkerden
Die Tapferen Haende Im Chaos Der Zeit, dir. Mika Ela Fisher
Eden, dir. Shinya Isobe
Hermeneutics, dir. Alexei Dmitriev
Journal of an Epidemic, dir. Olivier Mamet
Let Everyone Create Their Own Title, dir. Jason Wen
Long Life (1), dir. Merilyn Fairskye
Memento Mori, dir. Dan Browne
Oohhh to Be in Love, dir. Carolina Hindsjo
Private Relations, dir. Wojtek Skowron
Wap, dir. Dirk De Bryun
The White Coat Phenomenon, dir. Kristin Reeves

2:30 p.m.: The Fifth Season, dir. Peter Prosens & Jessica Woodworth. A rural community is thrown into turmoil by the apocalypse.
Screening with:
Pablo’s Villa, dir. Matthew Salleh

3:30 p.m.: Surkhaab, dir. Sanjay Talreja. A woman trained in the art of Judo gets involved in the criminal underworld while trying to visit her brother in Toronto.

4:30 p.m.: Gimme the Loot, dir. Adam Leon. Two ambitious graffiti artists plan to tag the Mets’ baseball stadium.
Screening with:
Agophobia, dir. Benjamin Ross Hayden

4:30 p.m.: Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, dir. Sophie Huber. This documentary profiles the cult character actor.
Screening with:
Hsu Ji Behind the Screen, dir. Thomas Rio

6:00 p.m.: The United States of Hoodoo, dir. Oliver Hardt. Author Darius James returns to the U.S. following the death of his father and travels the country to examine the culture and practice of African-American art.

6:30 p.m.: The Deep, dir. Baltasar Kormakur. A fisherman lost at sea fights against all odds to get back home.
Screening with:
Dimensions, dir. Neysan Sobhani

6:30 p.m.: Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, dir. Drew Denicola & Olivia Mori. This documentary profiles cult pop band Big Star that has influenced bands such as the Replacements, Teenage Fanclub and Wilco.

7:00 p.m.: The We and the I, dir. Michel Gondry. Teenagers ride the bus one afternoon in New York City.

8:00 p.m.: In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey, dir. James Cullingham. This documentary profiles the legendary American musician.
Screening with:
The Earth Wins, dir. Jerry Grayson

8:30 p.m.: London: The Modern Babylon, dir. Julien Temple. This documentary profiles the history and current makeup of the city of London.

8:45 p.m.: Upstream Color, dir. Shane Carruth. A man and a woman are brought together by a microscopic presence.
Screening with:
Sam’s Gold, dir. Julietta Boscolo

11:00 p.m.: I Am Divine, dir. Jeffrey Schwarz. This documentary profiles the most notorious actress in film history, Harris Glenn Milstead aka Divine, who starred in numerous John Waters films and was on the verge of finding mainstream fame just before she died tragically.

July 14

12:00 p.m.: A Monster in Paris, dir. Bibo Bergeron. In 1910 Paris, the River Seine floods and the local populace are terrorized by a strange creature.

12:45 p.m.: “Experimental Showcase”
Cinamnesia, dir. Nicola Walkerden
Die Tapferen Haende Im Chaos Der Zeit, dir. Mika Ela Fisher
Eden, dir. Shinya Isobe
Hermeneutics, dir. Alexei Dmitriev
Journal of an Epidemic, dir. Olivier Mamet
Let Everyone Create Their Own Title, dir. Jason Wen
Long Life (1), dir. Merilyn Fairskye
Memento Mori, dir. Dan Browne
Oohhh to Be in Love, dir. Carolina Hindsjo
Private Relations, dir. Wojtek Skowron
Wap, dir. Dirk De Bryun
The White Coat Phenomenon, dir. Kristin Reeves

1:45 p.m.: White Reindeer, dir. Zach Clark. A young widow spends the Christmas season befriending the stripper her dead husband was having an affair with.
Screening with:
The Mailman, dir. Markus Hermansen

2:00 p.m.: A Fierce Green Fire, dir. Mark Kitchell. This documentary traces the history of the environmental movement.

2:30 p.m.: In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey, dir. James Cullingham. This documentary profiles the legendary American musician.
Screening with:
The Earth Wins, dir. Jerry Grayson

3:00 p.m.: London: The Modern Babylon, dir. Julien Temple. This documentary profiles the history and current makeup of the city of London.

4:00 p.m.: The Perverts Guide to Ideology, dir. Sophie Fiennes. Philosopher Slavoj Zizek muses on the subjects of cinema, psychoanalysis and dreams.

4:30 p.m.: Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, dir. Drew Denicola & Olivia Mori. This documentary profiles cult pop band Big Star that has influenced bands such as the Replacements, Teenage Fanclub and Wilco.

5:30 p.m.: The Final Member, dir. Jonah Bekhor & Zach Math. This documentary follows a museum curator’s quest to acquire his most challenging object yet.
Screening with:
The Boat, dir. Kyle Hedrick

6:30 p.m.: Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, dir. Mike Lerner & Maxim Pozdorovkin. This documentary profiles the controversial Russian punk band whose members were arrested and put on trial for performing on the pulpit of an orthodox church in Moscow.

7:00 p.m.: Exposed, dir. Beth B. This documentary profiles eight performance artists who use burlesque as their main form of expression.
Screening with:
Strange Tourist, dir. Joshua Aylett

8:00 p.m.: “Revel-8”
Filmmakers are given one roll of silent Super 8 film and must shoot a movie on the theme of “Phobia.”