It’s fitting that the Adelaide Film Festival (AFF, October 19-30) runs right up to Halloween, because the grand dame of cinematic showcases in South Australia has always had one eye on the darker side of life. It’s where Snowtown, Justin Kurzel’s staggering serial killer story that haunts the city, had its Australian premiere. As did Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to her box office monster The Babadook, the Van Diemen’s Land-set nightmare The Nightingale.
This year is no different. Pooraka-raised brothers Danny and Michael Philippou’s demonic possession frightener Talk to Me, starring Miranda Otto, is this year’s closing night gala. But let’s not get a severed head of ourselves. Opening weekend presents Australia’s first dropbear movie, Carnifex, by director Sean Lahiff, and video nasty superfan Dick Dale’s Ozploitation shocker Ribspreader. We spoke to both directors.
