It's that time of year again: every June for 12 days and nights Sydney hosts inspiring and fun new films, premieres, talks and parties. The Sydney Film Festival takes place at its main venue the State Theatre, as well as cinemas in the CBD, Newtown, Cremorne, Western Sydney and more, screening cinematic releases you won't usually find in the multiplexes of this world. The 64th Sydney Film Festival program promised to be a season celebrating diversity, activism, discovery and rarely told stories. From refugees, gender rights and political activism, to international blockbusters, punk fests and family-friendly features, the 2017 lineup featured 288 films from 59 countries, including 37 world premieres. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay One of the world firsts on offer was this year's opening: We Don't Need A Map by Indigenous filmmaker Warwick Thornton. The film, which explores Australia's relationship with the Southern Cross – a symbol of both Aboriginal meaning and colonial oppression – frames a conversation about the divisions that still persist in Australian culture. The SFF was closed by one of the most affluent casts offered in this year's program. Celebrated Korean director Boog Joon-ho, best known for his live-action adaptation of the French graphic novel Snowpiercer, has assembled a stellar cast that includes Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal and An Seo-hyun in his Cannes competition film, Okya. A fantastical take on the concept of man's dangerous impact on nature, it pits a young girl against a multinational corporation as she tries to protect a massive animal from falling into the wrong hands. Joon-ho wasn't the only director with A-List talent in front of his lens. Sofia Coppola's seductive new thriller The Beguiled, starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning; In The Fad by German director Fatih Akin, with Diane Kruger; and octogenarian Oscar-winning icon Vanessa Redgrave's directorial debut, Sea Sorrow, were also on the bill. Redgrave was in Sydney to present her film in person, alongside legendary Australian film expert Margaret Pomeranz. Homegrown stars were also heavily represented. Muriel's Wedding and The Sixth Sense star Toni Collette appeared alongside Harvey Keitel in the French romantic comedy Madame – also making its world premiere, and Emmy-winning actor and Rouge One star Ben Mendelsohn starred of director Benedict Andrews' debut film Una. range of films on offer, Sydney Film Festival director Nashen Moodley has broken down the program into several curated selections. These included a program of international documentaries, starring Laura Poitras' highly anticipated follow-up to her Edward Snowden exposé Citizenfour – Risk; The Box Set sessions that featured the first two episodes of the second season of the hit show Cleverman; Feminism in Film covering contemporary suffrage, gender inequality, and indigenous female experiences; the program Freak Me Out – a mini-season of horror masterpieces; and a program of First Nations films by Indigenous filmmakers and artists. There was also a major retrospective of punk in film, including a special performance of Derek Jarman's iconoclastic masterpiece Jubilee, hosted by The Music. After the screening there was a panel discussion on the evolution of punk in Australia, followed by a party where Richard Kuipers played 1945 punk classics from '77 onwards. Indie-darlings Please note: this is just one example. Get an item customization now.