Sydney Film Festival held popular series of screenings at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre over five years, with the best in festival-quality features and documentaries, specially selected for Casula Powerhouse by the Sydney Film Festival programming team.

APRIL MATINEE SCREENING

An American in Paris

12 April, 11am | 115 mins 

Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron sing and dance to the music of George and Ira Gershwin in An American In Paris, winner of six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Screenplay and Music. When ex-GI Jerry Mulligan (Kelly) remains in Paris to pursue life as an artist, he is discovered by a wealthy patroness interested in more than his art. But Mulligan falls in love with a French shop girl (Caron) who is engaged to his best friend.

Songs and music include “I Got Rhythm”, “I’ll Build A Stairway to Paradise”, ” ‘S Wonderful”, and “Our Love is Here to Stay”. The climax of the film is “The American in Paris” ballet, a 16 minute dance featuring Kelly and Caron set to Gershwin’s An American in Paris. Starring Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant. Directed by Vincente Minnelli.

MAY MATINEE SCREENING – MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL

The Wizard of Oz

13 May, 11am | 102 mins

This award-winning film classic is a perennial favourite. A young farm girl and her little dog are magically transported into the enchanted land of Oz via a Kansas tornado. As they travel down Oz’s Yellow Brick Road to find the Wizard and ask him to send them home, they encounter a wonderful, funny, terrifying and, ultimately, enlightening group of characters. Starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Frank Morgan.

NOVEMBER MATINEE SCREENING

Singing in the Rain

8 November, 11am | 105 mins 

Don Lockwood is a popular silent film star with humble roots as a singer, dancer and stuntman. Don barely tolerates his vapid, shallow leading lady, Lina Lamont, though their studio, Monumental Pictures, links them romantically to increase their popularity. Lina herself is convinced they are in love, despite Don’s protestations otherwise. After a rival studio has an enormous hit with its first talking picture, The Jazz Singer, the studio decides they have no choice but to convert the next Lockwood and Lamont film, The Dueling Cavalier, into a talkie.

The production is beset with difficulties until they come up with the idea to turn The Dueling Cavalier into a musical called The Dancing Cavalier. Frequently regarded as one of the best musicals ever made, if not the best film ever made! Starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor.