Loading

Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick social thriller THE ROYAL HOTEL announced as the Opening Night film of the inaugural SXSW Sydney® 2023 Screen Festival

24 Aug 2023

Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick social thriller THE ROYAL HOTEL announced as the Opening Night film of the inaugural SXSW Sydney® 2023 Screen Festival

Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick social thriller THE ROYAL HOTEL announced as the Opening Night film of the inaugural SXSW Sydney® 2023 Screen Festival

 Australian Writer and Director Kitty Green to attend Sydney Premiere of The Royal Hotel at Darling Harbour Theatre

Sydney, NSW – Thursday 24 August 2023: The highly anticipated thriller The Royal Hotel, directed by Kitty Green (The Assistant, Casting JonBenet), co-written by Green and Oscar Redding (Van Diemen's Land) and starring Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick, Hugo Weaving and Toby Wallace is SXSW Sydney 2023 Screen Festival’s Opening Night film. Green will grace the Opening Night red carpet at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Sydney’s Darling Harbour Theatre on Sunday, 15 October 2023.

Searching for adventure and strapped for cash, US backpackers Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) take jobs and accommodation at a remote outback pub, The Royal Hotel. Relentless heat, unglamorous booze in a box, and lack of wi-fi don’t paint the idyllic picture of an Aussie holiday the friends had envisioned, but the real threat grows increasingly intense and volatile as they become acquainted with the town’s primarily male residents.

The spectrum of menace is cast wide as they get to know the curt pub owner Billy (Hugo Weaving), playfully charming Matty (Toby Wallace) and frighteningly chilling Dolly (Daniel Henshall). Filmed in Australia, The Royal Hotel takes the familiar down under backpacker hair-raiser and flips it on its head, examining drinking culture, toxic masculinity and gender politics through a distinctively female lens.

“Kitty Green’s The Royal Hotel is a deft reworking of the ‘Aussie outback thriller,’ reoriented with a female gaze and we could not be more thrilled to open the inaugural SXSW Sydney Screen Festival with Kitty in attendance. The film takes deliberate stabs at the more toxic shadows of the genre, and our culture, in sophisticated but ever entertaining ways. Kitty is a local luminary gaining international acclaim as a writer-director with a fearless vision for nuanced storytelling and this film is the perfect opener to the Screen Festival, which seeks to amplify and celebrate bold voices in film,” says Ghita Loebenstein, SXSW Sydney’s Head of Screen.

The Royal Hotel is produced by Emile Sherman and Iain Canning of See-Saw Films, the Academy and BAFTA Award winning team behind The Power of the Dog, Lion and The King’s Speech, together with Animal Kingdom and The King producer and See-Saw Films’ Head of Film and Television (Aus) Liz Watts, and Scarlett Pictures’ Kath Shelper. The Royal Hotel is a Transmission Films release.

The film joins the growing line-up with the first SXSW Sydney Screen Festival bringing an extensive collection of screen content, igniting the city through visual story and showcasing the best of the APAC region, connecting the global creative community to share an experience at the forefront of discovery, creativity and innovation.

From red carpet premieres, including The Royal Hotel and previously announced Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles, expect features, shorts, series, music videos and an XR showcase at the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival, accessible with a SXSW Sydney Platinum or Screen, Games, Music and Tech badges, or Screen Festival wristband. The SXSW Sydney 2023 Screen Festival offers a chance to catch unlimited screenings over six days and seven nights.

Discover your new favourite show, witness the best films before anyone else and immerse yourself in groundbreaking XR experiences. Don't miss out on the Early Bird pricing of $240 for SXSW Sydney Screen Festival wristbands, which go on sale from Friday 25 August at SXSWSydney.com.

The Royal Hotel is a See-Saw Films production, with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with the South Australian Film Corporation and additional support from Screen NSW.

In collaboration with the NSW Government Via Destination NSW, TEG & SXSW®

For SXSW Sydney media inquiries please contact:

sxsw@organic-publicity.com

Apply for media accreditation now HERE.

Access Media EPK HERE.

The Royal Hotel images available HERE.

https://sxswsydney.com/

 

ALL ASSETS FROM THE DESTINATION NSW MEDIA CENTRE ARE FOR EDITORIAL USAGE ONLY AND MUST BE USED IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS.


For all non-editorial usage, please
visit the Destination NSW Content Library.

REGISTER
NOW

Access assets curated for media and content creators.

For all non-editorial usage, please
visit the Destination NSW Content Library.

Already have an account?

Permission Request


Destination NSW wants to access your Destination NSW Media Centre account.


This application will:

  • View your basic account information
  • View your email address
  • View your phone number, if provided
  • View your street address, if provided
  • View basic information about your organization, if provided
  • View your site usage
  • View your asset download activity

This access will help Destination NSW manage copyright owner rights, provide you with digital assets, keep you updated with new information and improve your user experience.


Do you agree to allow this access? If yes, click the REGISTER button.


You can unsubscribe at any time.

5 + 3 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Permission Request

Destination NSW wants to review your registration for your Destination NSW Media Centre account.

This review will:

  • View your basic account information
  • View your email address
  • View your basic information about your organisation, if provided
  • View your site usage
  • View your asset download activity

This will assist Destination NSW manage copyright owner rights, provide you with digital assets, keep you updated with new information and improve your user experience.


By clicking REGISTER, you agree that you have read and agree to the TERMS & CONDITIONS and Destination NSW's PRIVACY POLICY


You can unsubscribe at any time.