ADELAIDE FILM FESTIVAL 2020

Adelaide Film Festival celebrates and explores Australian and international screen culture with a unique program of screenings, forums, special events and engagement opportunities. One of the boldest and most innovative in the country, AFF is renowned internationally as a platform for exciting new Australian talent.

The SWITCH team have collected the best of the best from this year's festival - check out our reviews below, and make sure you check back throughout the event as we add even more!

BLACKBIRD

Star-studded cast saves generic film

It only flies high thanks to its incredibly strong cast, and although the narrative misses dramatic beats, still packs an emotional punch while adding to the conversation about legalised euthanasia.

HOW TO BUILD A GIRL

Almost fully built

'How to Build a Girl' is an engaging yet average film, but will perhaps disappoint those hoping for something more from Beanie Feldstein's next move.

2067

Muddled sci-fi with an ecological conscience

A well-crafted movie can bring us closer to nature and inspire us to protect it. Despite boasting some scarily relevant themes, the lumpy screenplay of '2067' makes it hard to recommend.

SHIVA BABY

A comedy of discomfort

While it may play out like a psychological thriller at times, it's a witty and fun film that may lack originality, but has plenty of energy and memorable moments that make for a confident debut.

WILD SWORDS

A small-scale but satisfying wuxia mystery

While unlikely to revolutionise the wuxia genre, the film is a satisfying mystery with a handful of sequences that seem almost musical in their graceful choreography and composition.

MY LITTLE SISTER

A moving and sensitive portrayal on the effects of illness

For an emotional, moving and sensitive narrative, this film generally hits the right notes, and even when it doesn't, the calibre of performances make it a worthwhile viewing experience.

THE SURROGATE

Raising heavy yet important questions

While the film has a few hiccups, the package as a whole comes across as a truly moving experience that challenges the audience's morals with really thought-provoking dialogue.

THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF

A strange, joyful examination of an artist and her muse

It's not a black-and-white narrative with a good guy, a bad guy, and a clear-cut scheme. It's a raw yet rich exploration of the messiness of human relationships, their beauty and depravity.