This summer we’re thrilled to be partnering again with Westpac’s Open Air Cinema, to screen a program of extraordinary short films on selected nights of the season.
Set against a backdrop that spans the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and the city skyline, OpenAir has become a staple in the arts and culture calendar.
Each AFTRS presentation will be introduced by part of the crew that made that film, giving you an insight into the past, present and future of Australian film.
Set Menu - 2 Feb
Set Menu tells the story of Frances, who is denied the coveted set menu for dining alone at a famously exclusive restaurant and strikes an unexpected deal with a stranger to access both the menu and a night of peace and solitude.
Screening with A Real Pain, with Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin as two mismatched and estranged cousins who reunite for a tour through Poland to honour their beloved and recently departed grandmother.
Not a Documentary about Jorts - 7 Feb
This short documentary delves into the rejection and reinvention of fashion trends, intertwining personal stories, historical context, and the societal impact of self-expression through style.
Screening with Kneecap, a docudrama set in west Belfast in 2019, chronicling how fate brings ground-breaking Irish-language rap trio Kneecap together and how they then go on to “change the sound of Irish music forever”.
Quiet Night Thought - 10 Feb
Based on a personal love story set during the Great Leap Forward in 1950s China, this short is inspired by exchanged letters when (paired together by a matchmaker) a peasant girl and a loyal soldier ponder love, marriage and longing through the letters they write to each other from afar.
Screening with We Live in Time, a moving romance with talented chef Almut (Florence Pugh), who runs over freshly divorced Tobias (Andrew Garfield), and a match is struck that will light a fire.
A Daydream With Fini - 15 Feb
Fini and her friend discuss a dream on a hot summer’s day in Izamal. Together, they dream of travelling to the pyramids, the jungle and cenotes as they await the construction of the Tren Maya.
Screening with There’s Still Tomorrow, winner of the 2024 Sydney Film Festival, bringing to the screen the story of a woman’s hope for a better life. Shot in evocative black and white, the cinematography immediately places audiences in the post-WWII Rome setting.
Set Menu - 2 Feb
Set Menu tells the story of Frances, who is denied the coveted set menu for dining alone at a famously exclusive restaurant and strikes an unexpected deal with a stranger to access both the menu and a night of peace and solitude.
Screening with A Real Pain, with Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin as two mismatched and estranged cousins who reunite for a tour through Poland to honour their beloved and recently departed grandmother.
Not a Documentary about Jorts - 7 Feb
This short documentary delves into the rejection and reinvention of fashion trends, intertwining personal stories, historical context, and the societal impact of self-expression through style.
Screening with Kneecap, a docudrama set in west Belfast in 2019, chronicling how fate brings ground-breaking Irish-language rap trio Kneecap together and how they then go on to “change the sound of Irish music forever”.
Quiet Night Thought - 10 Feb
Based on a personal love story set during the Great Leap Forward in 1950s China, this short is inspired by exchanged letters when (paired together by a matchmaker) a peasant girl and a loyal soldier ponder love, marriage and longing through the letters they write to each other from afar.
Screening with We Live in Time, a moving romance with talented chef Almut (Florence Pugh), who runs over freshly divorced Tobias (Andrew Garfield), and a match is struck that will light a fire.
A Daydream With Fini - 15 Feb
Fini and her friend discuss a dream on a hot summer’s day in Izamal. Together, they dream of travelling to the pyramids, the jungle and cenotes as they await the construction of the Tren Maya.
Screening with There’s Still Tomorrow, winner of the 2024 Sydney Film Festival, bringing to the screen the story of a woman’s hope for a better life. Shot in evocative black and white, the cinematography immediately places audiences in the post-WWII Rome setting.
Still from Set Menu (Master of Arts Screen 2023)
Still from Not a Documentary about Jorts (Bachelor of Arts Screen Production 2024)
Still from Quiet Night Thought (Master of Arts Screen 2022)
Still from A Daydream with Fini