Things That Make You Go “Urgh!” – Katherine Berger
The Sydney Underground Film Festival is on this week, and it’s set to be a total ripper.
On the show last Thursday we had Katherine Berger, co-director of the SUFF, to give us the low-down on this year’s line up, including the exciting news that Mr Doodleberger himself will not only be screening new material, but also making a guest appearance in person!
Mr Doodleburger has actually managed to single handedly make Home and Away entertaining through his collection of youtube videos where he dubs over scenes featuring Alf Stewart, making the fictional character’s fathering techniques appear to be slightly more like Fritzl’s (as pictured above). Below is a video by Mr Doodleburger (severe language and content warning).
Kath also filled us in on a bit of a history of the festival, why she got involved in its creation, and what keeps people coming back year after year. As a venue and showcase for the sorts of film you wouldn’t find (or be allowed to screen) in normal cinemas, the festival has a reputation for pushing boundaries, resulting in the creation of fantastic new art, confronting and questioning people’s inhibitions, and of course entertaining the hell out of Sydney’s alternative cinema crowd.
We chatted about some of Kath’s more hotly anticipated flicks, including the touching and powerful avant-gard experimentation Keyhole by acclaimed director Guy Maddin, and a whole host of fascinating documentaries including the pseudo-doco-genre-blending Francophrenia (Or: Don’t Kill Me, I Know Where The Baby Is) which uses repurposed footage shot behind-the-scenes on the set of General Hospital to construct an alternate, semi-fictional narrative.
There’s something for everyone! So long as you’re over 18, dig film a whole bunch and want to have a good time. Otherwise, not so much.
The festival kicks off on Thursday the 6th and goes through to Sunday the 9th of September at the Factory Theatre. Festival details including the full schedule, ticket prices, locations and more can be found on the SUFF website.
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Joel & Rhys