Event

LIGLFF presents Newcastle

Newcastle
(Dan Castle, Australia, 2008,107 min)

A coming-of-age/family drama/surfing movie. 17-year old Jesse (Lachlan Buchanan) lives in the shadow of his older brother Victor's (Reshad Strik) failure to become surfing's Next Big Thing. Even when he's in his natural habitat of magnificent surf breaks, his blue-collar future is brought home by the coal barges that constantly line his horizon. Jesse has the natural skills to surf his way out of this reality and onto the international circuit but can he overcome his equally natural ability to sabotage himself? As Jesse grapples with these own self-sabotaging tendencies, his twin brother Fergus (Xavier Samuel) struggles with his own sexuality while trying to fit in with Jesse's surfing crowd, and Victor strives to overcome rage over his failed dreams. A momentous weekend away that includes first love and tragedy leads them to discover what's really important, and also to the performance of a lifetime. Writer and director Dan Castle, whose short film The Visitor played in one of our previous festivals, captures some of the most amazing surfing footage ever filmed. Official Selection of Tribeca Film Festival

Preceded by Herzhaft (Martin Busker, Germany, 2007, 15 min)
A forbidden love between Raif, a 33-year-old football coach, and one of his 15 year-old players, Felix, comes to ahead when Felix's mother finds out everything.