SUFF 4 DUMMIES

We don't actually think you're dumb. It's just a gimmicky title to get your attention our dear fleas. We're all friends here. Sometimes you gotta sacrifice some dignity to make it in this business!

Sydney Underground Film Festival is coming up this weekend from the 10-13th. A triumphant showcase of independent and experimental films from across the globe that are separated into three session categories: Features, documentaries and shorts. Each day holding 3 sessions, with four films across the four cinemas located at Factory Theatre. So that is 12 choices for each day (24 on Saturday), so 48 across the weekend.

And so often it can feel daunting to even know what to choose with your time; 72 hours is an awfully long time when you're lost. Since Papa (BF (Boss Flea)) kinda left you in the shopping centre alone last year. We're taking it upon ourselves to give you a lay of the land, as SUFF is about getting uncomfortable, about finding new relationships with that same discomfort, through filmmaking runts, rejects, oddities and rarities, to gather new perspectives from the edgiest corners of Earth.

Point is, you want to be comfortable making the right choices now so you can chill out, and this is something we wanna help you with. Less thinking more feeling fleas. So consider this a quick guide on how to make the most out of SUFF!

You need to stop letting your mind run amuck. Give in, and let the festival take you. So here are three ways you're going to go about it.

1. Random:

I'm telling you, you gotta roll a 4 sided dice (on google) for each session and just let fate decide, or let the roll of the dice dictate how you feel about the choice that has been made for you. Either/or works really.

2. Tally:

What I'm going to do, 'cause I'm smart and pretty freaking awesome actually, and I hope you will, is mark a tally to ensure I am getting the best of both experiences. Since, SUFF divides its program in half, between the ultra-independent and personal and the wildly sardonic and freakish. So keeping count and maintaining a balance between documentary, shorts and features across all sessions: 15 documentaries, 8 short showcases and 25 features (excluding opening and closing night as they stand alone), will help achieve a diversified experience across the festival.

But as it stands in the realm of low cortisol. You choose off straight vibes. No ifs, ands or buts.

Or

3. You just choose from my picks:

Yes, I mean it. No thinking. Let me do it for you.

Thursday 10th:

Opening Night: Tura! because it's Tura Santana, a conqueror of exploitation cinema.

Friday 11th:

Session 1, The Wig, since I want to watch a filmmaker fall into a rabbit hole of cinephiles and find a wig that allows me to alter reality.

Session 2, LSD Factory Shorts, because sometimes it's nice being slapped in the face repeatedly by audiovisual stimulation.

Session 3, Bagworm, a hammer salesman that spirals into insanity after stepping on a nail... I need that in my veins right now.

Saturday 12th:

Session 1, Assets and Liabilities. Because sometimes I feel like a 35 year old trying to talk with the younger people, and it horrifies me.

Session 2, Meat Daddy, it intrigues me how a bold structural choice is going to impact my senses.

Session 3, Starstruck. I haven't seen it and I feel like a fraud.

Session 4, Corey Feldman vs The World. This guy might be the most successful Lolcow in history. His career and personality completely amazes me.

Session 5, Modern Whore. A daring, but not actually daring at all docu-performance film about sex workers.

Session 6, Rubber's Lover. I really want to get into Japanese cyber-body-horror and this feels like my first step in.

Sunday:

Session 1, WTF SYDNEY! SHORTS. I want to see the beautiful and weird parts of Sydney has to offer, because I think we're pretty cool.

Session 2, We Are The Shags. A testament to the beauty of not knowing what you're doing and allowing for every rule to be broken.

Session 3, Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders. The story behind the making of Cruising is so interesting to me and the true story behind it is simply baffling. This is a documentary that should have been made a long time ago.

Session 4, The Furious, Closing night. A balls to the wall martial arts packed action thriller! With a complimentary ice cream! A dream come true Fleas.

So.

I think what I mean by that is, let the feeling guide you. At the end of the day, we are all moved by our own reactions to things. Nothing else can matter. So experience life to the fullest. Go watch Hot Spring Shark Attack and Velocipastor 2 back to back and have the best time of your life (I would join, but I think I would die from laughter... no really). SUFF is about trying new things, and giving things a chance, because you never know what the world is like until you've experienced it.

I hope this actually helps. And I'll see you out there people! Stay weird!

Pick of the Week

• Go to SUFF how many times do I have to say this. I don't care that it's your friends birthday. Bring them too idgaf. For goodness sake its their 20th anniversary! (I am not being paid to say this, I swear on my life)

New Releases - THURSDAY 10th September

• HOPE (Na Hong-jin)
• Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger (Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern)
• Practical Magic 2 (Susanne Bier)
• Runner (Scott Waugh)
• Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie (Cal Brunker)