July 6, 2010 
Blogging the Revelation Perth International Film Festival.
By Simon Miraudo.
It’s here! The Revelation Perth International Film Festival kicks into gear this very week. Oft-isolated West Australian audiences will be treated to their annual sampling of underground documentaries, offbeat narratives, underexposed local pictures and recently excavated exploitation flicks. And we’ll be furiously blogging all about it here from opening night July 8th right until the final curtain falls on July 18th.
Sure, Perth may not be enough of a thriving cultural centre to score all the shiny, big-name film debuts that are bestowed upon the Melbourne International Film Festival or the Sydney Film Festival. But hey, we don’t want ‘em! Considering that WA has been trying to secede from the rest of Australia for the past two hundred years, it’s no surprise that the Revelation line-up seems to intentionally spurn the more mainstream fare featured at MIFF and SFF (yeah, mainstream. We said it).
Program director Jack Sargeant and the whole Revelation crew have put together yet another batch of intriguing, edgy, controversial and entertaining features and shorts. There is bound to be a film waiting for you to unearth during this 10 day festival; at least one film for you to enjoy with your fellow Perthians. Over the next few weeks and months, you might pass in the street someone from the audience of a particularly memorable screening. Although you may not have shared a conversation with them at the time, perhaps you’ll give them a knowing nod; acknowledging that you’re both part of an exclusive group that was privy to an as-yet undiscovered gem. I only hope that I can help you find that special movie over the coming weeks, and I hope you feel free to share the films you’ve enjoyed on this very blog also!
Over the next 10 days, I intend to furiously blog live from Perth, WA. Pending illness, death, or the early onset of insanity, you can expect nightly updates on the entire goings on at Revelation. We’ll feature plenty of interviews with some of the filmmakers and actors involved in various projects, as well as ticket giveaways to some exciting films. As a primer to the festival, here is a selection of movies I’ve been lucky enough to catch early, as well as some of the flicks I’m most excited to check out during the fest.
Ti West’s The House of the Devil is a delicious throwback to the horror films of the late 1970s. Truly chilling, deliberately paced, and with an astounding attention to detail, THOTD is definitely one for horror buffs (or anyone who likes a good scare really). The House of the Devil screens Friday 9th July and Saturday 17th July. Check out my review here!
Director Shane Meadows (This Is England, Dead Man’s Shoes) lightens up with his latest feature. Inspired by This Is Spinal Tap, this hilarious music mockumentary stars Paddy Considine as a failed musician turned roadie on a mission to get young rapper Scorzayzee on stage with the Arctic Monkeys. Le Donk and Scor-Zay-Zee screens Sunday 11th July and Monday 12th July.
Stefan Popescu’s latest is a confronting exploration of identity, set in both suburban Australia and chilly Canada (complete with multiple actors playing the one character). This is one film certain to generate some interesting conversations. Nude Study screens on Sunday 18th July.
THE LOVED ONES
Talk about a school prom gone wrong. Sean Byrne’s heavily buzzed new film won the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. Make sure you catch this local horror film before it sets Australian screens ablaze in September. The Loved Ones screens Friday 16th July. Byrne will conduct a Q&A following the film’s screening.
Paul King, the talented director behind cult British comedies The Mighty Boosh and Darkplace, makes his feature film debut with this dreamy, Michel Gondry-esque road movie. Bunny and the Bull screens Tuesday 13th July and Saturday July 17th.
This WA-produced picture makes its world debut the fest. Tim Lethbridge’s A Day At The Oasis features seven lonely souls who unite for an unconventional speed-dating session in a remote country town. A Day at the Oasis screens Sunday 18th July. Writer/producer Tim Beckett will conduct a Q&A at the conclusion of the screening.
James Franco stars as beat poet Allen Ginsberg in this hotly-anticipated biopic. The film comes from acclaimed documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. It debuted to much acclaim at Sundance earlier this year, and also stars Mad Men’s Jon Hamm. Howl screens Saturday 10th July and Sunday 11th July.
Set to be one of the most talked about films of the festival, Dogtooth tells the story of a couple who consider it normal to keep their children imprisoned in their house. Things, obviously, spiral out of control. The film picked up the Prix Un Certain Regard at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. Dogtooth screens Friday 9th July and Monday 12th July.
If you enjoyed Banksy’s Exit Through The Gift Shop, be sure to check out Jon Reiss’ documentary Bomb It, which similarly tackles the world of street art. Bomb It screens Saturday 10th July and Friday 16th July. Reiss will conduct a Q&A following the film’s screening on the 16th.
Considered one of the most disturbing documentaries of recent years, Barbara Brancaccio’s Cropsey makes its Australian debut at Revelations. The film examines the idea of the urban mythology, specifically focusing on the terrifying titular figure. As the film progresses, the boundary between mythology and reality begin to cross in horrifying fashion. Cropsey screens Wednesday 14th July and Sunday 18th July.
There is a whole slate of exciting music documentaries playing at Revelation this year. We’re most excited for director Jennifer Maas’ Wheedles’ Groove, which digs up the hidden history of funk and soul in Seattle. Wheedles’ Groove will screen Thursday 15th July and Saturday 17th July. Maas will conduct a Q&A following each screening.
Check out the rest of the films on offer at the official Revelation Perth International Film Festival site.
You can follow the fest on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Rev_Film_Fest
And you’ll be sure to see plenty of Revelations action here on the Quickflix Blog, as well as on my personal Twitter account: http://twitter.com/simonmiraudo
Now, let’s get cracking!
Discuss: What films are you looking forward to at this year’s fest? Please feel free to share your thoughts on the films as you see them!
Quickflix 
Hi, I'm Danielle Marland from Perth subcultural guide http://www.sixthousand.com.au – just letting QuickFlix readers know that SixThousand is holding a pre-party for the Bomb It! screening on Fri jul 16, kicking off 5pm. There'll be mini exhibition from Last Chance Studios, Cut & Paste DJs on the decks, stalls from The Butcher Shop, great door prizes and free beer thanks to Gage Roads. Director Jon Reiss will also attend the party. Get yo asses to the Astor!