21 Jul 2010
As a WA film critic and journalist, I have covered Rev for the past 10 of their 13 fests and counting. I think that means I've covered it more than any journo in the world. So I can confidently say that Rev 13 was different to other years. It settled into its new venue in a cosmo part of town. It harnessed the power of social networking and had people tweeting, reviewing and sharing. It had weight behind its national and international guests and its forums, seminars and special events. But most of all, festival creator Richard Sowada and current program director Jack Sargeant (and their team) gathered the strongest set of films this critic has seen in Rev's history. The amazing doco on the late great US satirist Bill Hicks (American: The Bill Hicks Story), Chris Rock's revealing look at Afro-American hair (Good Hair), the creepy life of urban legends (Cropsey) and the disturbing world of a 13 year-old paparazzo (Teenage Paparazzo) were real Rev coups. Features such as Dogtooth, Howl, One Hundred Mornings and the upcoming Aussie horror The Loved Ones were similar standouts amid Rev's strongest line-up yet.
There's no doubt Rev has always punched above its weight as an underground and independent film festival. Its national status, rising attendance and wide media coverage belies its limited budget. As a long-term Rev supporter, I urge sponsors, partners and movie lovers to increase their support of this proudly and uniquely West Australian product. Like the homegrown actors and filmmakers who've made good globally, Rev is helping to put Perth on the movie world's map.
Shannon J Harvey
Film Critic, The West Australian, Radio 6PR.