“It’s like writing history with lightning!”
President Woodrow Wilson upon seeing his first film in 1915.

Join us in the glamour and the emotions of the inaugural Australia’s Silent Film Festival taking place in Sydney over three days, March 30 to April 1 this year. A number of sessions are scheduled for the sublime Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace at Cremorne: Cyrano de Bergerac; Sunrise; Chaplin; Keaton; and Laurel and Hardy and much more.

The Festival is proud to have the Deaf Society of New South Wales as its nominated charity.

The Festival will feature recognized and rare masterpieces, lovingly restored, from Australia and around the world. These outstanding films are presented as they were originally intended to be shown: lovingly restored with musical soundtrack accompaniment, often live. Unless otherwise noted, all films are screened through digital presentation and with a soundtrack.

David Stratton, celebrated film commentator and writer on the ABC and The Australian, has been involved in the programming and will take part in the Festival.

We would like to thank and acknowledge the enormous efforts of David Shepard from the US, the doyen of all things pertaining to silent film including their restoration and preservation. Without David’s inspiration, insights, generosity and humour, the Festival could not have happened. In the company of Buster, we collectively take off our porkpie hats and salute him!

Plenty of tickets available for the first seven Festival sessions at the Hayden Orpheum's 700 seat Picture Palace. ph: (02) 9908 4344

NEWS UPDATE:

• The Festival will be opened by Her Excellency, The Governor of NSW, Professor Marie Bashir.
  
• Due to matters outside the Festival's control the screening of "The Kid Stakes" cannot take place on the evening of April 1.