Leigh's 'Happy' to play in Sydney

'Lucky' to open, compete in film festival

By MICHAELA BOLAND

SYDNEY -- The Sydney Film Festival has unveiled its inaugural competition program with Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" both competing and opening the fest June 4.

Dozen pics chosen by fest director Clare Stewart will vie for a A$60,000 ($55,000) cash prize, judged by a five-person jury to be announced at the Cannes Film Festival.

Receiving world preems in competition are "Rain of the Children" from Kiwi Vincent Ward; "The Square" from stuntman-turned-helmer Nash Edgerton; and "Three Blind Mice" from Aussie thesp-turned-helmer Matthew Newton.

Other competing pics are "Hunger" from Steve McQueen; "In Bruges" from Martin McDonagh; "Lake Tahoe" from Fernando Eimbcke; "My Winnipeg" from Guy Madden; "Quiet Chaos" by Antonello Grimaldi; Carlos Reygada's "Silent Night"; "Stop-Loss" from Kimberly Peirce; and Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Tokyo Sonata."

Full fest program will be announced May 8. Event, staged at Sydney's State Theater and nearby cinemas, ends June 22.

Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117984949.html

Like this article? Variety.com has over 150,000 articles, 40,000 reviews and 10,000 pages of charts. Subscribe today!
http://www.variety.com/emailfriend
or call (866) MY-VARIETY.
Can't commit? Sign up for a free trial!
http://www.variety.com/emailfriend