Cirrus@Austlit

'Held primarily at Palace Nova in the CBD’s Eastend, the Adelaide Film Festival was one of only a few festivals in Australia that were able to hold in-cinema events in 2020. The festival took extra precautions to hold a COVID-safe festival, something Variety dubbed a “pre-pandemic experience.” While there were post-film Q&As, red carpets and parties, there were also social distancing in theatres, hand sanitisers throughout the venues and strictly no dancing.' (Introduction)

'Melbourne-based, independent filmmaker Matthew Victor Pastor has been making films for over ten years. His prolific output so far includes four mini-features and four features. His latest film The Neon Across the Ocean is the first instalment of what he calls the ‘2020 Trilogy’, a trio of films that document different stages in a time of upheaval and isolation caused by a global pandemic. The Neon Across the Ocean (2020) had its world premiere at the 44th São Paulo International Film Festival (Mostra) in October 2020 and Pastor is currently in post-production on the second instalment, A Pencil to the Jugular.' (Introduction)

'Tom O’Regan, much loved scholar and author of the ground-breaking book Australian National Cinema died in July 2020 after a short illness. Tom made extraordinary contributions to media, communications and cultural studies scholarship. His range of publications and collaborations, his expert editorial eye, his mentorship and support for emerging scholars have nurtured and shaped ideas and careers for decades and will continue to do so for many years to come.' (Introduction)