Italy

Narrowed down from an amazing 2000+ entries, this year’s survey of the best in animated short films covers the gamut from sumptuous painterly Russian styles to the most inventive and expressive CGI, including NZ-made Poppy.

Appalling many, thrilling others, outraging all, hailed as a brilliantly hellish vision, dismissed as a stunt, Lars Von Trier’s psychosexual horror film was the one that dominated the headlines from Cannes.

The perilous status of the indigenous Guaranis of Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul is revealed to the world in this vividly pictorial environmental/land rights thriller. “Brilliant and subtle.” — Herald Tribune

Beautiful new print of the film that put the French New Wave’s Agnès Varda on the map. “Joyful, simple, daring and profound… Cléo is, for me, above all other films of the French New Wave.” — Salon.com

Direct from this year’s Cannes Film Festival, director Ken Loach in laughter mode, featuring Steve Evets as a messed-up postman who receives spiritual guidance from none other than soccer idol Eric Cantona.

In this delicate Italian comedy a happily retired bachelor spends the August bank holiday with his aged mother and three other assorted old biddies on his hands. “Charming and gently hilarious.” — Hollywood Reporter

1.9 out of 10 — IMDB.com. Could this be the worst movie ever made? It doesn’t even have trolls. Our screening will be intro’ed by star Michael Stephenson in anticipation of his own doco about Troll 2 mania, Best Worst Movie.

Direct from Cannes, the Palme d'Or winner from Austrian cine-provocateur Michael Haneke. Strange events happen in a small village in the north of Germany during the years before World War I, which seem to be ritual punishment. Who is responsible?