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For his second feature, Iranian director Shahram Mokri was inspired by a story which seems more fitting for a gruesome murder movie or slasher horror. In 1998. the owners of a restaurant in northern Iran were arrested after they were caught having served human meat in their dishes to their guests. However, he also aimed to further his skills in film and cinematic form, as well as expand on the themes he had introduced in his first feature, “Ashkan, the Sacred Ring and Other Stories”. One of the most interesting aspects, and ultimately a quite demanding, was to use a single-take approach, changing the perspective from one character to the next and utilizing one location, a small lake and the forest close by. “Fish & Cat” thus would manifest the reputation of Mokri within the festival circle and audiences, winning the Horizons Award at Venice Film Festival 2013.

from Vinegar...

Nick Cave documentary 20,000 Days on Earth and titles set for Cannes among Sydney Film Festival competiton contenders.

In an unusual move the Sydney Film Festival has included among its official competition contenders, the June 4 opening night film 20,000 Days on Earth, which digs deep into the life of Australian-born musician and artist Nick Cave and won the top prize for documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.

This year will also see the biggest number of Australian films in the competition. David Michôd’s The Rover will come fresh from Cannes and the other two are Ruin, which writer/directors Amiel Courtin-Wilson and Michael Cody filmed in Cambodia, and Fell, a debut film from Kasimir Burge that will have its world premiere at the annual event. Burge won a Crystal Bear at Berlin for his short Lily.

See below for the full list of the finalists in the seventh year of the A$60,000 ($56,000) competition.

Finishing off the...