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Film & Arts Mackay Inc presents the 12th Mackay International Film Festival with an exciting program of 6 films from Italy, France, UK, Japan, Jordan and Mexico.

TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR ANY SESSION, SELECT 2 AUG AND ALL FILMS, DATES AND SESSION OPTIONS WILL BE SHOWN THEREAFTER

FRIDAY, 2ND AUGUST - 7PM - Opening Night GALA Event

LA CHIMERA

DIRECTOR - Alice Rohrwacher

2023 / Italy / 2hrs 13mins / M / Drama, Romance / Italian with English subtitles

An enchanting romantic adventure, an ethereal spiritual journey and a ripping heist movie like no other, the captivating new fable of lost love follows a young British archaeologist who gets caught up in an international network dealing in stolen Italian artefacts.

Premiering to major success at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Rohrwacher’s rule-breaking, magical film uncovers a world of wonders just below the surface. LA CHIMERA is a mesmerising ode to the fragility of the beautiful things in life, and a cautionary tale about how easily they can be lost.REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED AFTER THE SCREENING
 

SATURDAY, 3RD AUGUST - 2PM

A GREAT FRIEND

Director: Éric Besnard

2022 | France | 1 hr 35 mins | PG | Comedy | French with English subtitles

Vincent is a hyperactive and successful businessman and founder of the largest European dating site. Pierre lives in seclusion in the mountains, accompanied by his dog and distanced from the modern world he has long renounced. When these two polar-opposites unexpectedly cross paths, their encounter disrupts their lives and prompts questions about their radically different lifestyles.

Set against the stunning vistas of the Auvergne-Rhône Alps, this charming odd-couple comedy reveals that, despite fiery arguments and suppressed emotions, their friendship can thrive through differences.SATURDAY, 3RD AUGUST - 4PM

THE OLD OAKDirector: Ken Loach

2023 | UK | 1 hr 53 mins | 15+ | Drama | English subtitles

Imbued with the fiercely humanistic spirit that has defined Ken Loach's filmography, The Old Oak serves as a fitting finale to the remarkable career of the revered British  filmmaker.

THE OLD OAK is the story of a village in the Northeast of England, where the mine closed, and people feel deserted by the system. Many young ones have left and what was once a thriving, proud community struggles to keep old values alive within an atmosphere of growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope. The cheap housing available makes it an ideal location for Syrian refugees that have been accepted by Britain in recent years. How will the Syrians be received? And what will be the future for the last remaining pub in the village, The Old Oak?

SATURDAY, 3RD AUGUST - 6.30PM

MONSTER

Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu

2023 | Japan | 2 hrs 6 mins | 15+ | Drama | Japanese with English subtitles

From acclaimed director Kore-eda Hirokazu (Shoplifters, Broker) comes this complex and intimate family drama with a profoundly moral tale.

When Minato starts to behave strangely, his mother Saori feels there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher may be responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what’s going on. But as the story unfolds through the eyes of the mother, teacher and the child, the truth gradually emerges.

SUNDAY, 4TH AUGUST - 12PM

INSHALLAH A BOY

Director: Amjad Al Rasheed

2023 | Jordan | 1 hr 56 mins | 15+ | Drama | Arabic with English subtitles

The injustices of a patriarchal power system guided by Islamic Sharia jurisprudence are laid bare in this thrilling Jordanian debut. Inspired by real-life experience, Inshallah a Boy delivers a social realist critique of Jordan’s structural oppression of women and girls. The death of Nawal’s husband throws her life into freefall, and she discovers that she must deal with her late husband’s debts, in a system of inequality where she has no control of her life and is forced to take enormous personal and societal risks.

SUNDAY, 4TH AUGUST - 2.30PM

RADICALDirector: Christopher Zalla

2023 | Mexico | 2 hrs 7 mins | 15+ | Drama | Spanish with English subtitles

Set in 2011 in a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption, and violence, RADICAL is based on the true story of an inspiring educator Sergio Juarez, who refuses to let his students be defined by their circumstances, by offering a radical new approach to break through his students’ apathy and unlock their curiosity and their genius. The stark realities faced daily by his students is interwoven with the invigorating optimism brought by Sergio's methods, creating a heartwarming testament to the incredible potential lying dormant within the children.

More information at:
https://filmartsmackay.weebly.com/