The Five Best Films to See at Possible Worlds

One of the most interesting fixtures on the increasingly crowded calendar of Sydney film festivals, Possible Worlds presents the best of Canadian cinema, and for the first time this year, the program has been expanded to also include some gems of American independent film. Run by Sydney non-profit company The Festivalists, who are also behind a series of film-related events including the excellent short film night Kino and Jurassic Lounge, this year's program is a strong and diverse selection.

Here are our picks of the best films to catch.

Frances Ha

An apprentice dancer living in New York, the titular Frances (Greta Gerwig) is thrown into a kind of turmoil when her best friend and enabler Sophia (Mickey Summer) moves out. Cue affecting riffs on friendship and the creative life and a rambling but immensely likeable tale of finding a new place and staying true to your impulsive self in the face of career malaise. Shot in gorgeous black and white, this is new high water mark for its indie darling star and co-writer.

Friday, 9 August, 6.30pm, Dendy Newtown

Stories We Tell

Already a critical and popular hit on the festival circuit, Stories We Tell is Canadian actor/director Sarah Polley's very personal documentary about her family history. The man she grew up believing to be her father turns out not to be her biological parent and she sets about uncovering the truth in a gripping, moving and constantly surprising film which is as much about the art of narration and who has ownership of a story as much as it is about the particular subject matter. Probably one of those works where the viewer actually benefits from knowing little about it going in, rest assured this is a film you will not easily forget.

Thursday, 8 August, 6.30pm, Dendy Opera Quays

You Make Me Feel So Young

For anyone who loved Like Crazy, this impressionistic, black-and-white slice of life is one not to miss. The loose story sees Justine (Justine Eister) and Zach (director Zach Weinstraub) move to a new town where the latter has landed a job at a cinematheque. Slowly, their relationship starts to fray, with subtle emotional shifts captured by experimental camera work which often focuses on small details as the action or the dialogue takes place off screen. With naturalistic, improvised sounding dialogue and an artfully ambivalent narrative, this is cinema as pure voyeurism.

Friday, 9 August, 6.30pm, Dendy Newtown

The Fruit Hunters

Beyond the mass-produced apples and oranges that populate supermarket shelves, there exists a 'secret paradise' of exotic fruits. Montreal director Yung Chang uncovers a subculture of obsessives (including actor Bill Pullman) who travel the world in pursuit of unusual and often beautiful fruits, bid at auctions for prize delicacies and meticulously tend to their own boutique orchids. The historical shifts in how we produce and consume fruit are also explored in this unexpectedly fascinating and sumptuously shot documentary.

Thursday, 15 August, 6.30pm, Dendy Newtown

The Wait

After her mother dies, a grief-stricken Emma (Chloe Sevigny) receives a mysterious phone call claiming she will return. Believing this means she will come back to life, she decides to keep the corpse at the family home, where she lives with Angela (Jena Malone). Angela is recovering from a breakup and her fortunes seem to be on the improve when she meets lugubrious local Ben (Luke Grimes), though he too gets drawn into the strangeness in this unsettling affair, which is bolstered by terrific performances from its two stars and a pretty, sweeping score from Owen Pallett.

Friday, 16 August, 8.30pm Dendy Newtown

Possible Worlds is on from August 8-18 at the Dendy Newtown and Opera Quays. Check out the full program and buy tickets on the festival website.