New festival from Semaphore cinema’s main squeeze
A new beachside film festival is balancing a local lineup with international classics like Miyazaki to remind people why cinemas are so special.
In an era where going to the movies is a rarity and binge-watching trashy television is the norm, Adelaide-based film collective Moviejuice wants to prove cinemas are still spaces for conversation, community, and change.
Hosting their inaugural Semaphore summer film festival on January 31, the collective is dedicated to providing independent filmmakers with a chance to showcase their work within a community space.
The film festival will include new restorations, international classics, and microbudget films, with a lineup including international classics like Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo and Claire Denis’ Beau Travail, alongside microbudget films like Jordy Pollock’s Wabi Sabi Rendezvous, and the world premiere of Gabe Bath’s The Next Time You Feel Important.
Co-founder Shea Gallagher told CityMag that Moviejuice was born from community demand and a desire to prove that cinemas are more than relics of the past as the local scene booms.
“It started out as a response to seeing all this amazing local stuff being made that would sort of vanish… since then, it’s ballooned out,” he said.
You might like
“I think a lot of indie filmmakers are trying to cut through all that noise and get the films to people as directly as possible,” he added. “We’ve definitely seen this return to a method where filmmakers take films around by themselves and show them to people in the flesh, to bypass all the alienating distribution methods”.
Since it was formed in 2022, Moviejuice has held events at independent cinemas across Adelaide and collaborated with national and international film collectives, including Melbourne-based Static Vision and Montreal-based Collective Visions.
“I definitely think in the next few years we’ll see more of this co-op thing kicking off,” Gallagher said.
Subscribe for updates
“It’s not just people who would consider themselves aligned with film that go to these events, we find all kinds of people at the screenings, a lot of people involved in the music scene, and also people who don’t really have any connections with the art scene at all”.
He said that the connections he has made, and seen others make, are all part of the “cinema experience”.
“I think a lot of people are sceptical of how communal cinema can be,” he said.
“We’re trying to prove that it can be a real social experience, as well as a great way to meet people and share things”.
The summer film festival will be held at the Odeon Star cinema in Semaphore on January 31. Set by the sea, the event will feature a full day of films that “encapsulate the feeling of summer”.
“The seaside thing is definitely intentional,” Gallagher said.
“Because it’s all day, people can wander around and soak up the vibes while they’re there”.
The cinema will also host a pasta dinner before the final viewing, with Adelaide band Any Young Mechanic playing summer tunes for extra entertainment.
Ticket options are available here.
