About
Rev is very much a work in progress. Since 1990, the event has developed from a range of alternative and indpendent screen cutlure activities and experiments to what is regarded as one of Australia's most unique annual screen activites. Taking place in cinemas, bars and clubs around the country this strange brew embraced live music, performance, movies and all manner of strange and unusal activity.
Commencing in its earliest form in the early 90's with a national ate-night touring program Mondo To Mars, Rev founder Richard Sowada began exploring the wonderful world of 
international collectors, collections and screening experiments. Finding some level of difficulty trying to convince the Australian exhibition environment the value of these more "exotic" experiments, Sowada took these specially curated programs into venues that allowed for all manner of hybrid activities and immediate connections with other artforms and audiences. Armed with an arsenal of trusty 16mm Bell and Howell projectors, the next stage in Rev'sdevelopment came with Bombora Theatre and later Cinema Tabu which also screened at bars, cafes and clubs in Melbourne and Perth.
As access to works and networks grew, Rev commenced its formal life in 1997, as a quite literally an underground event in the basement back room of the Greenwich Club, at the time Perth's legendary jazz and music venue. It screened all works purely on 16mm formats and featured live music, poetry and guest presentations. It was designed to showcase a range short, feature, documentary, archival and animated works that were at point in contemporary underground filmmaking whilst contextualising these works through a variety of curated archival programs highlighting pivotal points independent filmmaking.
Since 1997, audience figures for the event have increased at an average rate of 30% each 
year, rapidly outgrowing the intimate surrounds of the Greenwich Club. Today, the event includes in excess of 100 international films presented over 75 sessions at established cinema and nightclub venues across Perth. Revelation is Australia's fastest growing annual film event with the 2003 event seeing an impressive 60% increase in audiences across the board and an additional 45% increase for 2004. Today it attracts around 9,000 patrons over 10 days and has extended itself to include music, visual arts and associated activity both generated by the event and by independent curators.
It sees over 500 films submitted for selection from local and international filmmakers and includes an active, creative and argumentative screen conference component. In 2000, the event was invited to participate in the region's oldest Arts festival, the Perth International Arts Festival, in 2001 it was invited to present the public screening component of the Australian International Documentary Conference and since then sees itself as a stand alone event.
Programmed as part of the Australian film festival season, Revelation actively interacts where possible with the Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and New ZealandInternational Film Festivals and a range of Australian screen culture organisations with program and print sources and curated projects and guests and as a result fills the gap in the development of a truly national independent screen community.
Revelation was (and still is) concerned with the conservative nature of film distribution and 
exhibition practice in Australia. It has always sought to deliberately challenge current marketplace modes and biases through unusual and contextualised screening concepts, focused curation and active interaction with industry guilds, independent curators, the academic community and other Arts related activity and practitioners.
The event has also always maintained a playful approach to both its programming and audience. Areas of pop and youth culture have always figured heavily in Revelation programs alongside some of the most individual and acclaimed works from the local and international scene. Whatever your taste though, Revelation seeks to challenge audiences and the industry itself with vibrant, individual, unusual, passionate and committed works.
The event was founded by Richard Sowada who has since gained a reputation as one of Australia's most respected independent film curators and screen event organisers. He is currently chairman of the Rev board and works as Head of Film Programs for the Australian Centre of the Moving Image in Melbourne, Australia.
Rev's 2007 Artistic Director was one one Australia's most well known film critics and documentary filmmakers, Megan Spencer whilst the 2008, 09 and beyond Program Director is acclaimed author, academic and film guru Jack Sargeant. Jack's outstanding 2008 program continued to signpost Rev one of the most tightly curated and uncompromising annual Australian screen culture events.
Just finally, although no longer associated in anything more than spirit, we must acknowledge
our founding sponsors REVelation Magazine and its founder Peter Collins. As purveyors of counter and youth culture, REVelation Magazine maintained an energy and powerful connection with its readership, making it arguably one of the country's most progressive publications.
Revelation maintains its focus on progressive and inspiring works and embraces audiences of all ages, tastes and backgrounds. Like the films it presents, the event maintains an energy and enthusiasm for the industry quite unlike any other film festival in the country.