Here Out West
The final day of the 2023 London Australian Film Festival opened with the UK premiere of HERE OUT WEST, an absorbing portmanteau drama set amid the diverse communities of Sydney’s western suburbs, with a video introduction from writer and actor Arka Das.
When a grandmother kidnaps a baby from a hospital, her flight triggers a chain of events that unites a group of strangers over the course of a day. Told from various cultural perspectives, and in nine different languages, the interwoven stories that follow offer fleeting glimpses into the lives, families, friendships, and communities of Sydney’s west.
Arising from a development project for emerging screenwriters, with individual sections directed by established filmmakers including Ana Kokkinos (Head On) and Leah Purcell (The Drover’s Wife), this captivating film is a testament to the importance of fostering new voices, and a tribute to the strength of Australian storytelling today.
As part of the AFTRS x LAFS dual 50th celebration, Adam Finney’s 2021 AFTRS short, WHERE IS MY DARLING? will play before HERE OUT WEST.
"a meaningful and moving anthology film that makes big moves to show Australia’s diversity in genuine ways" - Screen Daily
"a bravura work – honest, authentic, heartfelt and sincere" - Time Out
"While the on- and off-screen diversity of Here Out West is a landmark, the film’s most striking feature is the vision of Western Sydney under a glossy cinematic lens." - Junkee
WHY WE CHOSE THE FILM:
Stephen (LAFF Co-Programmer):
“This Altman-esque drama weaves together its individual stories in such an absorbing manner, offering a glimpse into different communities of Sydney’s west, and how they intersect and overlap. Portmanteau films sometimes lack coherence, but HERE OUT WEST is so expertly crafted it just might be the finest example of its type to have emerged from Australia. A genuine must see.”
With thanks to Co-Curious, Emerald Productions, and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.