Location | Perth, Fremantle, Western Australia |
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Founded | 1997 |
Website | www |
Revelation Perth International Film Festival began in 1997. Founded by Richard Sowada to showcase a large range of independent feature films, documentaries, short films, and experimental works, it runs every July in Perth, Western Australia and is regarded as one of the best independent film festivals in Australia.
Revelation's roots are as an underground film festival started in the basement of the Greenwich Club in Perth, Western Australia. The 1997 Festival ran 24 September – 4 October. In addition to the Greenwich Club, events and screenings were held at the Luna, Picabar, and Kulcha theaters. Opening night at the Greenwich featured Beat movies, live jazz, and DJ Joe 19. Screenings included "Timothy Leary's Dead": (Paul Davids), "Bad Bugs Bunny" (Dennis Nyback),and "Beat America" (Bruce Connor, Kenneth Anger, etc.).
The festival has developed into a large cultural event, screening films at cinemas and nightclubs across the city. Revelation specialises in independent and documentary films. Since its inception the festival has grown in size and scope. Alongside film screenings, the festival also features special events, including collaborations with musicians providing live soundtrack scores, academic conferences on cinema and culture, and associated visual art exhibitions.
It is a tightly curated event that also includes international animations, short films, experimental works and hybrid styles. It annually receives around 400 entries from the international community and is programmed from a mix of these submitted and invited works.
From 2001 - 2008 the festival collaborated with SPLIF - Screening Perth's Local Independent Films - showcasing local independent films and short films as part of the festival.
In 2006 founder and festival director Richard Sowada began working at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Filmmaker, broadcaster and journalist Megan Spencer became program director for the 2007 festival.
Since 2008 Jack Sargeant, film theorist, author and curator, has programmed the event, maintaining its unique status amongst Australian film festivals. The festival has expanded each year, attracting wider acclaim and an increased international profile.