SCI FI PI

For those lucky enough to get tickets (even after a 'standby' ticketing regime was put in place) at last night's opening night of the Fantastic Planet Film Festival, this news will come as no surprise.

Last night was brilliant, a mix of party (with drinks in the Dendy Newtown bar before, during and after the screenings), homegrown pride (the premiere of the 'Brazil on Acid' Eraser Children, created by Byron-Bay boy Nathan Christoffel) and the delightfully foreign (Strigoi, the Romanian vampire movie that had the darkly humorous touches and fun soundtrack that one expects from an Emir Kusturica film).

Eraser Children has a blend of styles and influences, from David Lynch, to Ingmar Bergman, to Brazil and other dystopian visions like 1984 and Brave New World, but there's something quite unique about a film that was written on the fly over a period of three years but still manages to retain a sense of story integrity. Created for $20,000, Eraser Children is an impressive, passionate debut that points to big things for all involved. Go Aussie, go!

If the rest of the festival is even half as good, then FPFF will be off to a racing start in it's inaugural year, set to become a fixture on Australia's SF (and cultural) circuit.

If you're in Sydney this weekend (and next week), you owe it to yourself to check it out. These are the kind of films that are either Australian Premieres or World Premieres, and give you something that you really didn't know what you were looking for.

Either way, top quality entertainment. Tonight sees shorts at 4pm, then the sold out Zombieland at 7pm followed by Infestation (Shawn of the Dead meets Them!) at 11.45pm. What better way to celebrate Halloween?

Sunday though, has a very special event - the screening of 1961's Baron Prasil from Czech director Karel Zeman. A mix of live action, stop motion, animation, woodcuts, models and matte paintings makes this the Baron Munchausen film that you never know you had to see. An adventure in all senses of the word, and not to be missed. 4pm, Sunday, Dendy Newtown.

2B is another standout - screening Monday night at 7pm. The central question - 'Would you die, so you could live forever?' Mind-bending hard-hitting, classic Sci Fi, starring 'Dexter's Dad' - James Remar.

For full details, check out www.fantasticplanetfilmfestival.com. The festival continues until November 6.