Five Minutes with Peter Castaldi, Curator of Castaldi In Focus

I had to work a mix of what is available with what I felt were either films that people would like to see again, or had heard of but never seen – films with a sort of cult status like Romeo + Juliet or The Navigator, or films that they will never have a chance to see on the big screen, such as X, Jour De Fete and Omar. And I have a love of documentary, so 20,000 Days On Earth and Bodywork both push that form to the outer limit.

Do you have any particular favourites on the program?

I have always been a huge fan of Jacques Tati, so Jour De Fete is a favourite; I think Jon Hewitt is an important and much under-recognised and under-appreciated filmmaker, so X; and The Navigator is pure magic.

What about the competing virtues of making the program accessible to your audience versus challenging that audience? How do you achieve that balance?

I am confident that every film in this program will both entertain and challenge the audience in the way that all great cinema does.

What can you tell us about the Q&A sessions with certain filmmakers during the program?

I worked for 15 years as an ABC journalist interviewing all the great filmmakers and actors of the time. Every Q&A will be both entertaining and informative. I do not ask stupid questions. I stay away from gossip. I come at each subject with great love and respect.

You’ve been involved in the Australian film industry for more than 35 years. Is it in a stronger place than when you started?

No. That’s another story. What I can say is that this program at the Riverside goes some of the way to redressing some of the appalling imbalances at play in every part of the Australian screen production, distribution and exhibition sectors.

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