By Travis Johnson
Film lovers over 60 rejoice! The Apia Young at Heart Film Festival returns this April, hitting up Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide with a fine selection of dramas, comedies, documentaries and retrospective aimned squarely at the grey brigade (and the old at heart).
This year’s special ambassador is Karen Zeccola as the official Ambassador of the Apia Young At Heart Seniors Film Festival, who has worked with Palace Cinemas for 40 years selecting films from the Buenos Aires Latin American Film Festival, Venice and Cannes festivals “I enjoy travelling to Europe and South America and being part of the buying team that sources films for our extensive audience,” Zeccola said. “Therefore I hope our senior patrons will enjoy the festival and all the films particularly selected for them.”
This year’s program highlights include:
Last Flag Flying by Richard Linklater (Boyhood, 2014) and based on the 2005 novel by Darryl Ponicsan. Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne star as three Vietnam War veterans who reunite after one of their sons is killed in the Iraq War. A loose sequel to the 1973 Hal Ashby classic, The Last Detail.
Chappaquiddick, a tense, scrupulous, absorbingly precise and authentic piece of history that recounts the tragic car accident and its aftermath that cast its shadow over the political career of Edward Kennedy. Directed by John Curran, the film stars Australian actor Jason Clarke as Edward M. Kennedy with supporting actors Kate Mara, Ed Helms, Bruce Dern, Jim Gaffigan, Olivia Thirlby, Clancy Brown and Taylor Nichols.
LBJ, which sees Woody Harrelson steps into Lyndon B. Johnson’s boots beside Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Lady Bird in Rob Reiner’s political biopic.
This year there’s also a specially curated retrospective on Leading Ladies: Bette Davis in All About Eve, Judy Garland in A Star Is Born and Dame Maggie Smith in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie.
The full program drops in March. For more information, head to the official website.
THE APIA YOUNG AT HEART FILM FESTIVAL
Sydney: April 2 – 11, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona & Palace Central
Canberra: April 2 – 11, Palace Electric
Adelaide: April 2 – 11, Palace Nova Eastend & Palace Nova Prospect
Melbourne: April 17 – 24, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay & Palace Como
Brisbane: April 17 – 24, Palace Centro
Image attached is from LBJ starring Woody Harrelson.
