We acknowledge Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF are based.
We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.

Dogfight

Directed by Nancy Savoca
1991
USA
93 minutes
M
Book Tickets
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River Phoenix, sporting a short back and sides, stars opposite Lili Taylor (Household Saints) in an epic, bittersweet love story set against the backdrop of the looming Vietnam war.

Mousy waitress and aspiring musician Rose (Taylor) reluctantly accepts a date with the devilishly charming marine recruit Eddie Birdlace (Phoenix), unaware that he’s participating in a “dogfight” – a bet with his friends to bring the ugliest girl to the party. As the night unfolds and the cruel game is revealed, Eddie's initial insensitivity gives way to unexpected tenderness as the pair share a night that will remain etched in their memories. The next morning, Eddie ships out to Vietnam. Aided by evocative performances and a soundtrack that captures the mood of the moment (Muddy Waters, Van Morrison, and Pete Seeger), Savoca tells a uniquely arresting love story that has maintained its cult status.

Limited seats are available for patrons requiring access for wheelchairs, low vision and hearing loop. Please contact our ticketing team directly on 1300 733 733 or tickets@sff.org.au to complete your booking.
The jolt is in the intricate expressivity Savoca brings to the story, with a repertoire of precise and painterly images that highlight performances of assertive yet graceful physicality
Richard Brody, The New Yorker

Films showing at this event:

Bad Timing
A heartfelt and charming coming-of-age story as well as a tale of unrequited first love, Nancy Savoca’s second short film marked the screen debut of Academy Award-winner Chris Cooper.

Tickets

Thu 13 Jun
8:15pm
Dendy Newtown - Cinema 3
Assisted Listening
Wheelchair
Subtitled
Past Event Cancel
Sun 23 Jun
4pm
Dendy Newtown - Cinema 3
Assisted Listening
Wheelchair
Past Event Cancel
Program Strand
Nancy Savoca Retrospective
Year
1991
Classification
M
Country
USA
Language
In English
Director
Nancy Savoca
Producer
Peter Newman, Richard Guay
Cast
River Phoenix, Lili Taylor, Richard Panebianco
Screenwriter
Bob Comfort
Cinematographer
Bobby Bukowski
Editor
John Tintori
Genre
Women Directors, Cinephile, Retrospective
Company Credits
Australian Distributor: Roadshow Entertainment
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