26th Annual Warburton Film Festival
Friday 12th June to Sunday 14th June 2009

"Show us your shorts'
Program - opens at 12.45pm

1-2.30pm Films by filmakers UNDER 18 years of age
3-4.30pm Films by filmmakers OVER 18 years of age
5-6pm Award presentations
Tickets are FREE but bookings are essential

Friday evening
Open from 6pm
Ticket collection - last-minute bookings
music, food & wines
(compliments Smaller Wineries of the Yarra Valley).

SESSION 1: FRIDAY 12 JUNE: 8.PM
THE WILD HORSE REDEMPTION (Canada 2007) documentary 90m
For more than 20 years the Wild Horse Inmate Program in the Colorado Rocky Mountains has trained thousands of wild horses and helped rehabilitate hardened criminals at the same time. John Zaritsky's beautifully shot short film is both captivating and moving. Screened at MIFF 2008

Saturday Program

SESSION 3: SATURDAY 13 JUNE:9.45AM
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (US 2008) Comedy/Drama 114m M
Scenes from the life of primary school teacher, Poppy
(Sally Hawkins), who has an irrepressibly optimistic outlook on everything. British director Mike Leigh, (Secrets & Lies, Naked, Vera Drake) is in lighter mood here and Hawkin's, Poppy is a marvelous creation, though in real life she's probably drive you bonkers. Essie Marsan is also great as her uptight driving instructor, Scott, in this funny, life-affirming film.

SESSION 3: SATURDAY 13 JUNE: 1PM
WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Israel 2008) animation/docudrama 87m MA
Director Ari Folman's extraordinary film based on his own repressedmemories of the Israel/Lebanon war of 1982 uses innovative techniques to fascinating and haunting effect.
This film wowed audiences at Cannes and MIFF.

SESSION 4: SATURDAY 13 JUN: 3:15PM
SALVATION (Australia 2008) drama 97m M
Disenchanted with his existance married to a TV evangelist (Wendy Hughes) aging artist Barry (Bruce Myles) seeks solace with Russian prostitute Irina (Natalia Novakova).Paul Cox's latest film is a satirical meditation on the search for spiritual enlightment in the modern world.
*We are hopeful Paul will be available to introduce his film.

SESSION 5: SATURDAY 13 JUNE: 8PM
JUNO (US 2007) comedy 90m M
16-year old Juno (Ellen Page) falls pregnant and desides to seek suitable parents to adopt her child. Jason Reitman's breezy comedy is funny, smart and touching in a superb central performance by Page. Diablo Cody's delightful script won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

SESSION 6: SATURDAY 13 JUNE: 10PM
THE ORPHANAGE (Spain 2007) Supernatural thriller 105m M
A woman (Belen Rueda) brings her family back to the orphanage, where she spent her childhood and opens a home for handicapped children, her son, Simon, begins to talk to imaginay friends.The Orphanage continues a recent trend in superios supernatural thrillers(The Devil's Backbone,
Pan's Labyrinth) which the Spanish seem to do better than anyone. Juan Antonio Bayona's film is impressively eerie and gripping,as well as being an intelligent study of loss and bereavement.

Sunday Program

SESSION 7: SUNDAY 14 JUNE: 10.AM
UNFINISHED SKY (Australia 2007) Drama 125m M
A lone farmer (William McInnes) takes in an Afghani woman (Monic Hendrickx) on the run from a brothal. Despite their lack of a common language, a relationship slowly develops between the two. Peter Duncan's lyrical love story is anchored by two excellent performances from McInnes and Hendrickx, both of whom won AFI Best Actor awards for their roles.

SESSION 8: SUNDAY 14 JUNE: 12:45PM
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (US 2006) comedy/drama 101m M
A family determined to see their young daughter participate in a beauty pageant take to the road in a ramshackle VW bus. This offbeat, satirical look at a dysfunctional family and the pursuit of the Amaerican dream was a crown-pleaser at the Sundance Film Festival. Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Aan Arkin and young Abigail Breslin are all excellent.

SESSION 9: SUNDAY 14 JUNE: 3PM
ROMAN DE GARE (France 2007) thriller 105m M
In veteran Claude Lelouch's intriguing thriller, a famous author is under suspicion for the murder of her ghost-writer. So begins a tale of seemingly unconnected characters and events which will cause to intersect. It's a fascinating ride full oftwists and turns. Fanny Ardant and Domique Pinon star

Young Filmmakers
Short Film Competition
SHOW US YOUR SHORTS
further details please contact
Dagmar Limp

Proudly supported by
Warburton Highway Tourism
Warburton Advancement League Inc.
Warburton & District Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc.
Smaller Wineries Yarra Valley
Warburton Caravan Park
Yarra Burn