ENCORE session of CLAPTRAP on Thursday July 25, 9.00pm 

(Short films only screening on Sunday July 28, 1.20pm)

CLAPTRAP (Dir: Darcy Newton, 1hr31m)

There's a lot that goes unseen and unspoken when you're on the road. Australian rockers Kingswood are embarking on the most ambitious tour the nation has seen yet, playing anywhere from quaint local pubs to the nation's most iconic venues. But starting fresh off their wildly successful European tour, there's plenty of challenges ahead, on and off the stage. This single camera ob-doc follows the journey of the four-piece ensemble as they tackle the prospect of six months on the road for the sake of doing what they love. Claptrap takes a gritty and realistic look at the Australian music scene, and what it means to sacrifice to perform. In their own words, this is the “brutality of an unrelenting tour” in its purest form. Through the lens of the videographer, the dichotomy of the forever touring musician is slowly deconstructed, then reassembled through frontmen and lifelong friends, Alex and Fergus. Getting up on stage becomes the easy part - getting there in the first place is where the four men see their resolve and dedication tested. It's in the journey, however, where the music is truly made. Every small country town, windy, dusty road and familiar yet foreign local has its own heart, mind and soul to discover. Each brings with it its own reminder of the lives that carry on for each band member beyond the instruments they play.

Director and cinematographer Darcy Newton's debut feature offers an unfiltered look at life on the road, going far beyond those precious two hours where nothing matters but the music. The journey of the ever-present fly on the wall gives fresh perspective on each song, each load-in, each small argument over what this lyric means and what tone that note carries. No moment is left undocumented through the high and lows of this ambitious, six-month long nationwide tour.

Short films to screen pre-feature:

CANWN LETS SIGN (Dir: Cohen J Medison, 21m)

A short film about the Melbourne Welsh Male Choir and the benefits that choral singing can have on men's physical, emotional and spiritual well being.

HEAT BEAT (Dir: Tamara Brane-Gregory, 25m)

After playing for 15 years NO ZU completes their final tour, transcending genre into an experience of dance and self expression as old memories resurface on stage.

GABRIEL LYNCH: WHERE I’M GOING NEXT (Dir: Brayden Pope, 10m)

Gabriel Lynch is an Australian singer-songwriter who has been in the industry since 2006. During the harsh 2021 Melbourne COVID lockdowns, I sat down with Gabriel to reflect on his career including how he started, how difficult it has become to be an independent artist in Australia and his eventual move to South-East Asia where he found an audience and culture that welcomed original artists more than the current Australian music scene.

THE MAGICK TROUSERS: FUCKSHITUP (Dir: Abe Dunovits, 11m)

In the mid 90's a group of renegade artists, musicians, performers and poets get together to create THE MAGICK TROUSERS, alienating audiences and becoming the most vilified and hated band in Australia.

15m Q&A post-film.