Graphic Festival 2015

Overview

Graphic, now in its fifth year, is a Sydney Opera House festival dedicated to three art forms: graphic storytelling, animation and music. Writer Neil Gaiman reckons it's "the smartest, wisest, most cutting-edge festival and celebration of narrative literature and its intersection with culture in the world". At this year's incarnation, taking place on September 28, and October 10–11, we're being treated to ten film screenings, as well as appearances from some of the planet's finest storytellers.

Taking centre stage this year is Mad Max: Fury Road, the movie that this year redefined our expectations of what an action movie could look like. Superstar director George Miller will be there for the event Max Max in Conversation, where he'll discuss Fury Road's 12-year journey to the screen with co-writer and illustrator Brendan McCarthy and co-writer and dramaturge Nico Lathouris. Get to the Concert Hall foyer at 10.30am to catch the opening of the Mad Max: Fury Road exhibition.

Then, be one of the first to hear Sarah Blasko's fifth album, Eternal Return. On Sunday 11 October, in the Opera House's Concert Hall, she'll be performing the entire record live — before its release. The performance is one of Graphic's own commissions and will feature exclusive visuals created by filmmaker Mike Daly (Griffin Theatre Company, Ballet de Lorraine).

Another commission comes from Icelandic pianist and composer Olafur Arnalds, who will premiere a series of new songs and new arrangements of old songs. He'll lead a 13-piece chamber orchestra arranged by Viktor Orri Arnason, accompanied by live visuals created by Mani N. Sigfusson.

Other screenings and talks on the program feature Warren Ellis, Alan Moore, Kevin Smith, Nicola Scott, Animal Logic and Brendan Fletcher.