Perth film-lovers, the Luna Outdoor on Oxford Street, Leederville, has another broad selection of outdoor cinema this week, including some live event hosting. Check out the program. For further details or purchasing tickets hit the link.
AFTERSUN – LUNA OUTDOOR PREVIEW EVENT
(7.30PM: Sunday 12 February)
Come to Luna Outdoor to celebrate this perfect summer beach-resort holiday magic of a film on Sun 12 Feb from 6.30pm with summer beats, by RTRFM’s Nicole Filev (The Rounds) and Turkish-style tapas (while stocks last).
Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined filling the gaps between miniDV footage as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.
With captivating performances by Paul Mescal (Normal People, The Lost Daughter), and possibly Britain’s new child star, Frankie Corio, this festival darling which recorded a stellar opening in the UK in 2022 is a delightful 90s flashback for high-quality cinema lovers, with nostalgia for family holidays and those moments that shape us.
With exquisite flashbacks to a blistering summer vacation in Turkey, Frankie sees her father through the eyes of an adult and mother, as she reflects on the special bond she held with him. With a 5-star average and awards potential, this deeply moving film will stay with audiences long after they leave the cinema.
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?
(7.30PM: Mon 13 —Tues 14 February)
A pitch-perfect ballad of emotions, this romantic comedy (from the makers of Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral) follows a filmmaker who decides to document her best friend’s journey toward arranged marriage.
Moving between London and Lahore, this is a story of love, friendship, tradition and iconoclasm. How do you find lasting love in today’s world? For documentary-maker and dating app addict Zoe (Lily James, Rebecca, Darkest Hour), swiping right has only delivered an endless stream of Mr. Wrongs, to her eccentric mother Cath’s (Emma Thompson, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) dismay.
For childhood friend and neighbour Kaz (Shazad Latif, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), the answer is to follow his parents’ example and opt for an arranged (or “assisted”) marriage to a bright and beautiful bride from Pakistan. As Zoe films his journey to marry a stranger, she begins to wonder if she might have something to learn from a profoundly different approach to finding love.
Striking a touching balance between respect for cultural customs and belief in the power of romance, What’s Love Got to Do with It? offers an impassioned take on the notion of love, romance and finding that special someone.
THE ROOM —20th ANNIVERSARY
(7.30PM: Thursday 24 February)
(SOLD OUT!)
THE ROOM IS BACK, with a Live In-cinema intro by Greg Sestero, writer, director and star of Miracle Valley. Except, this event is now SOLD OUT!
MIRACLE VALLEY: A NIGHT WITH GREG SESTERO
LIVE IN CINEMA
(7.30PM: Thursday 16 February)
The thrilling new horror feature Miracle Valley marks the directorial debut of Greg Sestero, the New York Times best-selling author of the Oscar-nominated The Disaster Artist and co-star of the worldwide cult classic The Room. Greg also wrote and produced and starred in Best F(r)iends Volume 1 and Volume 2. As an actor, Sestero was welcomed into the horror genre in 2020 the popular gothic-drama Netflix mini-series The Haunting of Bly Manor, as well as co-starring in the well-received horror-spoof CYST and Infrared which premiered at Luna Leederville, 2020.
Inspired by a true story about a cult hidden within the Arizona desert… An obsessive photographer (Sestero) and his girlfriend (Mariano) are invited to a desert getaway in search of an ultra-rare bird. Plans to capitalize on the discovery while repairing their fading relationship takes a turn when an unexpected and sinister presence forces them to face demons from both their past, present and future.
Miracle Valley is a sharp and unsettling genre directorial debut of Sestero that showcases the storyteller’s twisted and comedic sides, often in the same moment. The film’s many locations underscore a sinister tale of wicked cults and human trafficking that are hidden within all strata of society, before hurtling towards an explosive gut-punch of an ending. *Filmed on location in Arizona, Sedona, Tucson, Patagonia, Bisbee, Lake Powell, Pennsylvania and Iceland.
Greg will be available for book signing and have a selection of merchandise for sale. after the screenings. Hosted by James Palm
WOMEN TALKING
(7.30PM: Fri 17 —Sat 18 February)
Oscar-nominated writer-director Sarah Polley’s fearless adaptation of Miriam Toews’ acclaimed novel grants us access to a tight-knit, cloistered religious colony in which women struggle to recover from an epidemic of abuse. Featuring riveting, emotionally complex performances from a stunning ensemble that includes Oscar nominees Rooney Mara and Jessie Buckley and Oscar winner Frances McDormand, Women Talking is a drama of harrowing revelations, fraught alliances, and the search for grace.
Reeling from multiple counts of sexual abuse, newly uncovered within their Mennonite colony, a group of women gather in a hayloft to discuss how to respond. While the men are away, the women narrow their options down to three: do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. Some fear that any act of defiance will jeopardize their entry into heaven, while others believe they cannot survive without husbands and sons. Some are willing to take any measures to escape the terror of their domestic lives and insist that “the truth is stronger than the rules.”
With her first feature in almost a decade, Polley showcases her unmatched skills as both a screenwriter and a director. The film is at once ferocious in its critique of patriarchal oppression — a critique that clearly extends to our broader, secular culture — while respectful of the beliefs and traditions in which its characters were raised. Though it is suffused with the pain of trauma, a stubborn sense of wonder and quiet joy in community permeate the film. Women Talking ushers us through a journey of rage, grief, wisdom, and hope through to a triumphant, most gratifying conclusion.
FACING MONSTERS
(7.30PM: Sunday 19 February)
Facing Monsters digs deep into the psyche of enigmatic West Australian ‘slab wave’ surfer Kerby Brown, a man whose connection with the ocean runs as deep as his love for his family. This film is far more than just a surfing story. It’s an unapologetic musing into the essence of Kerby and his family as we join them on his quest to ride a ferocious slab wave in the deep Southern Ocean that no one on the planet has surfed before. It’s a film about fear, addictions, and family bonds as we explore what drives Kerby, what anchors him and why he’s obsessed with pitting himself against one of nature’s most intimidating forces.
Directed by Bentley Dean (Contact, Tanna) and produced by Chris Veerhuis (Red Dog: True Blue, Breath) along with executive producers Frank Chidiac, Susanne Morrison and co-producer Sonya Rifici, this suspenseful, action-packed drama unravels Kerby’s inner demons whilst confronting the real-world consequences that his death-defying passion could have on his family.
Featuring stunning cinematography by Rick Rifici (Breath, Blueback), we are right there with Kerby immersed in the ferocity of the Southern Ocean and the thunder of its deadly monsters as he prepares to take on the ride of his life, We become part of Kerby’s journey into the unknown as Facing Monsters transports viewers to places and feelings never before experienced on the big screen.
