The Thousands

The international arm of this year’s Flickerfest tour showcases a worldly grasp of finesse and lingering. In an artform where every second counts, Raju cycles skilfully through the range of emotions a couple experiences when they adopt and almost immediately lose their son. Meanwhile, Funny Or Die’s Sundance submission Brick Novax’s Diary, shot with shady-looking plastic dolls and miniature sets, is a highly amusing and cleverly composed story of a has-been astronaut reflecting on his heyday. In the Australian selection, precocious Julian ensures that justice is served at his school by using his sharp mind and a bit of old fashioned blackmail; while Fish & Chips pitches Pauline Hanson against Barack Obama, Kim Jong Il and Vladimir Putin in the ultimate battle: a Junior Masterchef-style cooking show.