7th Down Under Berlin Film Festival 2017

This year, we are “Looking Beyond”, as we take our audience on a journey: to other worlds, into the hearts of monsters, back to the past, and into the future. This journey can be terrifying, other times exhilarating, and often leads to a very personal destination.
Our opening feature is the adaptation Jasper Jones by award-winning director Rachel Perkins, a beautiful coming-of-age story which has already been compared to To Kill a Mockingbird and Stand by Me.

This year’s highlights include critically acclaimed documentaries: Deep Water: The Real Story uncovers the terrible history of crimes against gay men in Sydney in the 1980s and 1990s. In Barbecue, grilling meat unites people all over the world, whereas, in Pecking Order, it’s chickens who bring people together. I Am Heath Ledger is an up close and personal look at the extraordinary life of the late actor.

We also shine a spotlight on short films, with a range of fantastic shorts and one very special event: The Battle of the Shorts: AUS vs. NZ – and the audience gets to choose the winners! We top off the program with the chilling Hounds of Love, the true story Joe Cinque’s Consolation, and sci-fi thriller OtherLife. To close the festival we celebrate all things scary with the documentary Spookers by Florian Habicht, an intimate portrait of the people who work at a haunted house, and how becoming a monster can help you face your fears!

See you at the movies!

Down Under Berlin was established in 2011 and is a project of the not-for-profit association Down Under Berlin – Australian Film Festival e.V.

Since 2010 it has developed into the largest film festival in Europe dedicated to Australian and New Zealand film. As such it provides not only a window to storytelling and cinematography from Down Under but also a platform for filmmakers, who want to present their work to German audiences.