46th Festival 1999

1999 was Gayle Lake’s first festival with Gayle Lake as Director. Films included Larry Clark’s Another Day in Paradise, Maijid Maijidi’s Children of Heaven, Bill Condon’s Gods and Monsters, Neil Jordan’s In Dreams, Ken Loach’s My Name is Joe, Tom Tykwer’s Run, Lola, Run and Wim Wenders’ Buena Vista Social Club.

A retrospective of the films of John Cassavettes was presented by US academic and author Ray Carney. A new feature, The Debut Collection, showcased first-time directors from around the world. Future Shock, a screening series programmed by Claude Gonzalez and Richard Kuipers, aimed to shock and provoke.

On the centenary of Hitchcock’s birth, a special restoration screening of his 1929 silent Blackmail was held, as was a presentation of Dorothy Arzner’s 1929 The Wild Party in celebration of the State Theatre’s 70th Birthday. A series of early films from New Zealand was showcased by the New Zealand Film Archive.

A new audience award for Most Popular Australian Film was sponsored by Perpetual Trustees.

The Ian McPherson Lecture was given by David Marr, who spoke on censorship.

Opening Night Film: Limbo (directed by John Sayles)

Closing Night Films: Soft Fruit (directed by Christina Andreef) and Two Hands (directed by Gregor Jordan)

Award Winners

Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films (General):

Love Song, directed by Bruce Currie

Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films (Fiction over 15 minutes):

Flowergirl, directed by Cate Shortland

Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films (Fiction under 15 minutes):

Pentuphouse, directed by Cate Shortland

Dendy Award for Australian Short Films (Documentary):

Original Schtick, directed by Maciej Wszelaki

Yoram Gross Animation Award:

Darwin’s Evolutionary Stakes, directed by Andrew Horne

Ethnic Affairs Commission (EAC) Award:

Your Turn, directed by Greg Woodland

NSW Film and Television Office Rouben Mamoulian Award:

Maciej Wszelaki, director of Original Schtick