Seven new Australian works have been selected for the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival including Ivan Sen’s Limbo and Rolf de Heer’s The Survival of Kindness which will both premiere in Competition. Also selected are drama series Bad Behaviour directed by Corrie Chen; features Hello Dankness from Soda Jerk, Jub Clerc’s Sweet As and Talk to Me from directors Danny and Michael Philippou; and short film Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black).
Australian classic Muriel’s Wedding will screen in the Retrospective program at the festival, which runs from 16 – 26 February 2023.
Screen Australia’s CEO Graeme Mason said, “It’s a real coup for Australia to have such strong representation across a range of categories at this prestigious festival, including new features, episodic drama, short film, and a retrospective. This is evidence of the wide scope of Australian filmmaking talent and the demand for our diverse stories in the international market. It’s the first time an Australian film has been featured in Competition since 2006 and it’s fantastic to have two selected this year.”
“We’re proud to see two feature directorial debuts already gaining fantastic international traction – YouTube sensation RackaRacka with Talk To Me and Sweet As from Jub Clerc – alongside drama series Bad Behaviour which continues a track record of high quality Australian television dramas launching at Berlin. A huge congratulations to all of the teams,” Mason continued.
Ivan Sen’s desert noir Limbo, produced by Bunya Productions and starring Simon Baker, will make its world premiere in Competition. Sen’s first feature film Beneath Clouds screened in Competition in 2002 where it won the Premiere First Movie Award.
Also returning to Berlin is director Rolf de Heer with feature film The Survival of Kindness making its international premiere in Competition. This is de Heer’s second invitation to the Main Competition after Alexandra’s Project in 2003, and his Cannes-winning Ten Canoes (2006) was celebrated at Berlin in 2013.
Four-part drama series Bad Behaviour, set to debut next month on Stan in Australia, will make its international premiere in Berlinale Series. Based on the book by Rebecca Starford, the series is written by Pip Karmel and Magda Wozniak, produced by Amanda Higgs and directed by Corrie Chen.
Creative duo Soda Jerk’s feature Hello Dankness will make its international premiere in the Panorama section after debuting at Adelaide Film Festival last year.
Talk To Me is the debut feature from internet sensation RackaRacka, Danny and Michael Philippou, and produced by Causeway Films’ Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton. The film will make its European premiere in Berlinale Special after its international premiere at Sundance Film Festival this month. It has also been selected for South by Southwest Film Festival 2023.
Nyul Nyul/Yawuru director Jub Clerc’s debut feature, Sweet As, will make its European premiere in the Generation KPlus section after screening at Toronto International Film Festival last year where it won the NETPAC Award for Best Feature Film from the Asia-Pacific Region. Sweet As, produced by Liz Kearney for Arenamedia, also took home the Innovation Award at Melbourne International Film Festival 2022.
Short film Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black) from writer/directors Matthew Thorne and Derik Lynch will screen as part of Berlinale Shorts.
Cate Blanchett will attend the festival for her new film TAR premiering in Berlinale Special, and she will also speak as part of the Berlinale Talents program. Participating in Berlinale Talents this year are Australian actor Eliza Scanlen (Babyteeth) in the Directing discipline, and Australian Nisa East in the Cinematography discipline.
