The Strange Universe Tiny Film Festival was born from the kind of idea that sounds best late at night: what if a group of friends each picked the film they most wanted everyone else to see? The result is an eclectic lineup of cult favourites, coming-of-age classics and deeply personal recommendations, united less by genre than by enthusiasm.
Ahead of the festival, we caught up with Matthew Crawley to chat about its accidental beginnings, the stories behind the selections, and why sharing beloved films remains one of the best ways to build community.
What sparked the idea for the Strange Universe Tiny Film Festival?
Matthew: We were looking at creative ways to promote Suzanne Ciani's show at the Hollywood Avondale when we we remembered that The History Of Concrete soundtrack was by her. The idea to show it ahead of the show blossomed out of a semi-joke that we should add a film festival on to our pile of things to do, and - as all good jokes do - it became a real thing.
Strange News is best known for live music. What made film feel like the right extension of what you do?
Matthew: Personally I am as obsessed with film as I am with music. Every year I forget to book a summer holiday, but I obsess over the New Zealand International Film Festival... my record is seeing 52 films in one festival. It's a worry.
How did the partnership with Hollywood Avondale and Banished Music / Strange News come together?
Matthew: We've been putting gigs on at the Hollywood since it reopened, so we've developed a great friendship with them. I personally have known Billie (the manager there) since she was 16 and sneaking into my gigs on Karangahape Road, so we have a long history of all loving live music.
Each curator has picked a personal favourite film. What appealed to you about that approach?
Matthew: Democracy in action, it's a beautiful thing! Well, unless you reach a weird stalemate like we have in NZ. But generally, it seemed like the fairest approach to choosing the films amongst the gang!
You chose UHF. Why that film specifically?
Matthew: I've been hounding Hollywood to play my childhood favourite film since time immemorial. This seemed like a good loophole to get my way at last! Also, I'm being firm on calling it by its full name as it was released in Aotearoa, which is 'The Vidiot From UHF'. I was a Weird Al Yankovic disciple as a child, and I still am.
What makes a film "Strange Universe" worthy?
We can each separately argue the greatness of our choices, but I think ultimately the criteria was one person's obsession with making everyone else watch their favourite movie... I wish it was less egomaniacal than that!
Do you see connections between the artists you promote and the films featured in the festival?
Matthew: In the instance of Suzanne Ciani and The History Of Concrete, there's that direct connection - she made the soundtrack... But the rest of them, well, we would love to think that ethereal sibling duo Purple Pilgrims would secretly be huge fans of Jim Carrey's lesser appreciated work, but... maybe not.
The lineup jumps from cult comedies to coming-of-age classics. Was there a common thread you were looking for?
Matthew: A bit of a Marie Kondo "Does it spark joy?" approach, I think. The films might not be the films we'd try and impress people with talking about at dinner parties, but they're the films we might get drunk and say, "YOU'VE NEVER SEEN (insert film here)?! YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT!"
How important are independent cinemas like Hollywood Avondale to Auckland's arts scene?
Matthew: Beyond critical. Hollywood Avondale, Academy Cinemas, and the Capitol in particular are very dear to the hearts of film lovers in this city. If we were to lose them, the world as we know it would be pointless, horrific!
If attendees only make it to one screening, which would you personally recommend and why?
Matthew: Well since I was the one who picked Weird Al's ridiculous 1989 comedy 'The Vidiot From UHF', I'm going to say "YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THE VIDIOT FROM UHF?! YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT!". I'm also going to acknowledge in some small ways the film hasn't aged amazingly, but better than most. Better than most.
Could this become a larger annual event, or is keeping it "tiny" part of the appeal?
Matthew: Absolutely! Full disclosure, it was cobbled together about 12 hours before we announced the whole festival, so I'd dare say it's a statement of intent. A way of showing that Strange Universe can and will be more than just a series of gigs... we're building the dream one joke-turned-reality at a time!
What's coming up next for Strange News?
Matthew: This month we have both the Cat Power tour starting and Strange Universe kicking off, then in January we have Pachyman coming to get us dancing, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings in February heading down to break our hearts, and in March we have both Beth Orton and the two songwriters from Gomez heading down for a tour. All this and more, watch this space!
