Friday 9 October, 6.30pm | TRAILER tbc

Dir: Enzo Tedeschi | Australia | 78 mins | WORLD PREMIERE

When an archaeologist discovers her family’s century-old secret to manipulate time, she must confront both her estranged past and an interdimensional threat to save her daughter's future. At stake - the very fabric of reality itself. Starring Barbara Bingham (Friday the 13th VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan; It Will Find You), Resonance is a poignant sci-fi thriller that explores the universal themes of family, legacy and the interconnectedness of our past, present and future.

Screens with DÉJÀ VU

Dir: Pete Bridges | Australia | 29 mins | N.S.W. PREMIERE

Ben, a solitary artist, has been experiencing vivid moments of déjà vu involving a woman named Dani — starting first in his dreams, then increasingly in his waking life. Starring Ryan Corr, David Field and Tamika Wilson

Friday 9 October, 8:30pm

A collection of the global animation sector’s most cutting-edge, vibrant speculative narratives.

MOON COURT | TRAILER (Dir: Timothy Chin | Australia | 2.40 mins) A human defendant discovers that lunar law is administered by an inscrutable court of moon-rabbits.

ALONE | TRAILER (Dir: Jamie Twyman | U.K. | 6.20 mins) A woman undertakes a desperate journey to save her parents as war closes in on their home world.

THE GUN (Dir: Randall Christopher | U,S.A. | 11.30 mins) When scientists explore a planet’s surface, they find a terrifying weapon long thought dismantled.

CHROMA (Dir: Ruben Bergsnes Nerheim | Norway | 12.13 mins) An entity born out of the primeval colour sea ends up in an ancient place without colour.

RUNO! (Dirs: Jazmine Gin R. Pateña, 'Lysa' Catolico | Philippines | 14 mins) A hungry dog sets out to find her owner to fill her food bowl - in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.

UNTASTED (Dir: Julian Stokoe | New Zealand | 9 mins) An alien foodie is on a mission to taste what no one has tasted before.

ANGEL & MEOW (Dir: Clemhyn Escosora | Japan | Slovakia | 15 mins) The boundaries between a composer’s studio and a sci-fi galaxy dissolve through the power of sound.

APRIL SHOWERS (Dir: Stephen Dyer | U.K. | 21mins) Alien monsters attack a rural community in an alternative universe, against an unrelenting barrage of rain.

Saturday 10 October, 10:30am

From student shorts that provide a glimpse into our industry’s exciting future to visions from some of the most respected speculative storytellers on these shores, Australian science-fiction short filmmaking is more thrilling than ever before.

CONCEPTION (Dir: Jason Fittler | 13 mins) A pregnant woman attends a party whose guests are unaware of their impending extinction.

D-TOX (Dir: Polly Garrett | 12.30 mins) The sole occupant of a long- haul space vessel is forced to confront the truth.

D4WN (Dir: Layke Ellison | 9 mins) A young tinkerer races against the clock for a breakthrough to present at an inventor’s fair.

BLUE HARVEST (Dir: Jaydon Sciré Giesekam | 15 mins) An agriculturalist must save his dying son with the help of an AI built from his late wife’s memories.

REACH FOR THE STARS (Dir: Dylan Randall | 22 mins) A grieving teen befriends a stranded visitor from the stars.

PARENT TEACHER NIGHT (Dir: Alice Tovey | 5.40 mins) A struggling teacher discovers a mysterious egg timer that allows her to see into the future.

DAWN PROTOCOL (Dir: Daniel Stone | 6.5 mins) A distress signal from deep-space reveals a tragic death, under mysterious circumstances.

ALLY (Dir: Robin Kalus | 7 mins) A troubled wife turns to controversial technology in an attempt to cope.

DAWN IN PARADISE (Dir: Alice Bishop, Craig Reasons | 13 mins) In the Paradise Meadows shopping centre car park, Mrs. Willetts knows they are definitely coming for her this time…

Following the screenings, stay for a chat with some of the session’s filmmakers as they recount the experience of mounting a sci-fi short film.

Saturday 10 October, 1.00pm | TRAILER

Rated G

Are we trading away ‘The Auteur’ for prompts and probability? As artificial intelligence embeds itself into every stage of filmmaking, Prompt: Make a Documentary examines a creative industry at a crossroads and asks whether AI will empower a new generation of storytellers or quietly erode the human values that define cinema.

Following the screening, a panel of experts in the field of creative A.I. discuss the inherent potential and dangers of the new technology.

Saturday 10 October, 1.00pm | TRAILER coming

A Special Presentation in conjunction with The Italian Cultural Institute of Sydney.

Rated G

SATURN VS. EARTH (Saturno contro la Terra) + In Discussion: Prof. Lorenzo Benadusi | A Special Event Celebrating 90 Years of Classic Italian Science Fiction | INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

Ninety years ago, a young Cesare Zavattini, the father of Neorealism, imagined the future by creating the first Italian science fiction comic series - Saturno conto la Terra. It is a work that has become iconic in global graphic novel history. To celebrate its 90th anniversary, Italian digital craftspeople have brought the characters to life using cutting-edge animation technologies. This Special Event Screening, brought to EVENT Cinemas as part of The Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival in conjunction with The Italian Cultural Institute of Sydney, will also include an interview with Prof. Lorenzo Benadusi on the history and social impact of Italian science fiction over a century of cinema.

Saturday 10 October, 3.30pm | TRAILER

Rated PG (Mild fantasy/horror)

A departure from the horror fare commonly associated with legendary filmmaker Mario Bava, Planet of the Vampires is a visually striking contribution to the wave of European science fiction that took the 1960s by storm. Bava’s masterpiece follows the leather-clad crews of two massive spacecraft as they each set out to explore the unknown planet Aura. Considered a precursor to Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) and an inspiration for Scott’s later film Prometheus (2012), this dreamy sci-fi thriller features legendary designer Carlo Rambaldi’s massive alien skeletons, cinematic iconography that contributes an otherworldly terror to Bava’s eerie interplanetary odyssey.

Proudly presented in partnership with Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Sydney.

2K Digital Restoration, courtesy of Cinecittà and Cineteca Nazionale.

Saturday 10 October, 6.00pm | TRAILER

Rated M (Mature themes; Impactful Fantasy, Action Sequences)

(Dir: Steven Kastrissios; Australia/Albania, 122 mins) WORLD PREMIERE‍ ‍

Vlora embarks on a journey across Albania, encountering folkloric entities and ancient mysticism, to rescue her lover from an evil witch. Australian director Steven Kastrissios (The Horseman; Bloodlands) embedded his production unit deep in rural Albania to tell a story filled with menace, passion and magical elements drawn from centuries-old stories from the Balkan region.

Saturday 10 October, 8.30pm | TRAILER

Rated MA (Horror violence; Nudity; Gore)

(Dir: James Isaac; U.S.A., 92 mins) Legendary killing machine Jason Voorhees has been cryogenically frozen at the beginning of the 21st century, only to be reanimated 400 years later. Once in deep-space, Jason begins the stalkin’ and the slashin’ for which he is known, working his way through the crew of the spaceship that's transporting him.

Much maligned upon release, the tenth film in the Friday the 13th series is now considered one of the most beloved. Filled with highly inventive kills (the ‘liquid nitrogen’ moment is a franchise favourite) and shot on 35 mm film stock (before complete digital conversion), JASON X is a must-see on our festival big-screen.

COSPLAY EVENT! Come dressed as your favourite incarnation of Jason, one of the series’ classic ‘final girls’ or some ill-fated camper, for this fun night of exploitative gore!

Sunday 11 October, 10.30am

Representing visionary auteurs from nine nations, our International Short Film Showcase travels to places light and dark, near and far.

RATED M (Intense action; Adult themes; Fantasy violence)

WEIRD TO BE HUMAN (Dir: Jan Grabowski; Poland, 16.12 mins) A Department of Embodiments officer arrives to counsel an A.I. completing its human transformation.

THE COLOR (Dir: Lukas Kunzmann; Germany, 23:30 mins) After an asteroid impact, the last surviving scientist of a secret mission awakens with no memory.

DROPS FROM THE SKY (Dir: Marcus Anthony Thomas; UK, 9 mins) A nomadic group follows the visions of a young woman who claims to have already seen their salvation.

TRANQUIL (Dir: Miguel Barbosa; Canada, 8 mins) When a U.S. senator disappears, a team of intelligence specialists defy government orders to search for him.

THE ME IN TV (Dir: Gordon Phillips; Indonesia/USA, 7.30 mins) A young woman discovers an old television broadcasting a live feed of her from an impossible angle.

STRIVE (Dir: Jussi Rautaniemi; Finland, 15 mins) In a machine-addicted future, a teenager joins a deadly street race, challenging the champion driver.

LUMEN (Dir: Marcos DeBrito; Brazil, 5 mins) A woman’s night turns into a nightmare as unexplained sounds echo through the house.

ANIMALIA (Dir: Marius Rolfsvåg; Norway, 25 mins) Nature has reclaimed the world, and humans have reverted into animals – except for those inside an airtight city.

Sunday 11 October, 1.00pm | TRAILER

(Dir: Mike Jackson; Canada, 113 mins) AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | In this hilarious throwback to those raucous-but-sentimental ‘80s comedies (think Real Genius, Back to the Future, My Science Project), down-on-his-luck inventor Donald Voltmann builds a ‘time helmet’ to turn his life around. The helmet projects the wearer’s mind through time, and he transmits a version of himself from 30 years in the future into his body. But ‘Future Don’ is nuts! He plans to patent troll his ex, stealing her invention and taking her future fortune. Now under hot pursuit for his time crimes, Don must fight his future self, avoid financial ruin, and win back his daughter’s love.

Join director Mike Jackson for a post-screening Q&A.

Screens with EUROPA (Dir: Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal; U.S.A., 19 mins) AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | In a future where we have exhausted Earth’s water, three astronauts land on Jupiter's moon, Europa, to steal a water sample. Starring Megan West (This is Us) and Derek Cecil (The Pitt).

Sunday 11 October, 3.30pm

Rated G

(Dir: Bram Conjaerts; Belgium, 95 mins) N.S.W. PREMIERE | In the late ‘80s, thousands of Belgians observed strange triangular objects hovering over their otherwise calm country. Nobody knew what they were. In an attempt to solve the mystery, a civil investigation group, called SOBEPS, started working together with official authorities, counting on the support of the gendarmerie and the Belgian Air Force. Thirty years later the “Belgian UFO wave” lives vividly in the minds of those who are still looking for answers. What on earth was going on in the skies over Belgium?

Screens with SKYWARD: THE SKY ROCKET REVOLUTION (Dirs: Matthew Middendorf, Kaitlyn Krikorian; U.S.A., 15 mins) AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | A story of ambition, mentorship, and innovation unfolds as the next generation of rocketeers take on national and international competitions, navigating the thrill and challenges of sport rocketry in America.

Sunday 11 October, 6.00pm

Rated M (Adult themes; Coarse Language; Drug use)

(Dir: Sean Bell; Australia, 100 mins) WORLD PREMIERE | Reclusive Jane is addicted to a new technology: a public TV broadcast scientifically designed to reduce viewers' depression and anxiety. But when it mysteriously goes off-air, Jane spirals. She must venture to the outside world for help, where she becomes entangled in a secret underground rave scene that may hold the key to the broadcast's disruption.

Shot in Sydney’s inner-west and drawing on the personal mental health struggles of writer/director Sean Bell, ELECTRIC FEEL is a bold, unique speculative dramatic thriller that explores everyday humanity in the most profoundly insightful way, against the backdrop of a wholly original genre framework. Not to be missed.