The Sydney Film Festival 2014 : 4th -15th June.

Once again the Sydney Film Festival is about to launch later this week offering us Sydneysiders and movie going tourists, film enthusiasts and cinema geeks a feast for the senses, and celluloid overload as we seek to cram in as much moving picture entertainment as is humanly possible over a twelve day period.

The Sydney Film Festival again cements its place as the world's longest continuously running film festival now in its 61st year, and judging by this years diverse offering is sure to provide some enticing entertainment for everyone, and will be sure to please. With films from across the globe from Argentina, Australia and Austria to the UK, Ukraine and the USA and just about everywhere in between, there are over 180 screenings over the period from Opening Night on 4th June to Closing Night on 15th June.

There are feature length films, short films, documentaries, retrospectives, classics, animated films, horror films, and many from first time Directors and many being premiered in Australia. There are films in official competition, and of the 180 or so screenings, over 30 are Australian.

You can see this years entries at an number of venues across Sydney, taking in The State Theatre, the George Street Event Cinemas, the Dendy Cinema at Opera Quays, the Cremorne Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, The Art Gallery of New South Wales, and the Skyline Drive-in at Blacktown. There will also be talks and discussions at the George Street Apple Store, and a Big Screen showing all things SFF at the Martin Place Amphitheatre, and don't forget to drop into the Sydney Film Festival Hub for lively talks, presentations, food, drink, pop-ups and perspectives - upstairs and downstairs at Sydney Town Hall throughout the Festival.

Some of the highlights this year would have to be 'Locke', 'The Rover', 'Snowpiercer', 'Calvary', 'The Captive', 'Frank', 'The Two Faces of January', 'Joe', 'Palo Alto', 'Love is Strange', 'The Skeleton Twins', 'Cold in July', 'Night Moves', 'Starred Up', and 'Babylon' amongst a plethora of others. You could also catch a Robert Altman retrospective and seat yourself in front of 'Nashville' or 'M*A*S*H' or 'Short Cuts' or five of his others screening also, and if it's a Classic you're looking for then you could go for 'Rebel Without a Cause' or the original 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'.

With so much to choose from you had better get in quick. You can get more information on all films, session times, locations and ticketing etc. by checking out the official website at : SFF.ORG.AU or you can call 1300 733 733, or you can download the app : SFF 2014 APP and carry it all around with you in your pocket. Tickets are what you would expect to pay for any singular screening at $19.50 but there are bulk deals to be had, and you can package your screening up with dinner etc., and as an added bonus many events are free too!

Have a great film festival, and see as many movies as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-