Curious Film and SXSW Audience Award Winner ‘Turbo Kid’ to screen at Sydney Film Festival
Curious Film’s retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic 1997 film Turbo Kid, directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl otherwise known as RKSS, is set to screen at Sydney Film Festival on Saturday.
The film has wowed American audiences, winning the SXSW Audience Award. According to The Hollywood Reporter’s John DeFore, Turbo Kid is, “a pitch-perfect pastiche that never mocks its inspirations.”, one of many effusive reviews the film has received.
Turbo Kid puts the spotlight on Curious’ growing post-production capabilities in Sydney and Auckland.
Says DeFore: “Much of the film’s comedy comes from the grafting of these PG-rated beats to fight scenes involving extreme, Fangoria-grade gore — decapitations, disembowelments, and fountains of blood that make Saturday Night Live’s Julia Child sketch look like a paper cut. All done with practical effects, the giddy carnage pairs surprisingly well with teen-geared fun and even makes a hilarious backdrop for Turbo Kid’s most romantic scene.”
Curious was awarded the brief for Turbo Kid following its contribution to the worldwide success of The Rocket., for which Curious won Best VFX for at the Golden Horse Awards (The Chinese Oscars) and its first Academy Award submission (The American Oscars). The Rocket also won 3 awards at Berlinale, 2 at Tribeca, 1 at Sydney 
Film Festival and 1 at Melbourne Film Festival.
Turbo Kid was perfected at Curious Film’s full-service post facilities in Auckland NZ, with Curious in-house editor/post-supervisor, and three time Cannes Grand Prix award-winner (2 Lions & 1 Semaine de la Critique), Luke Haigh.
The film went on to win the Audience Award at SFSX and entry into the prestigious Park City at Midnight series at Sundance. After its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival this Saturday, it will move to a theatrical release in America.
This is the story behind Curious’ latest award winning film:
Three years ago, François Simard, Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell, the writing-directing trio also known as RKSS or Roadkill Superstars, entered the ABCs of Death 26th director competition. Their short film, “T is for Turbo,” came very close to winning. It was also the competition’s most popular submission with 63,628 views and 2,286 votes. So ABCs of Death producer, Ant Timpson, decided to help the trio turn the concept into a feature film and “T is for Turbo” became “Turbo Kid”.
It’s 1997. In a ruined post-apocalyptic world, the orphaned Kid (Munro Chambers) survives on his own through the drought-ridden nuclear winter, crossing the Wasteland on his BMX and scavenging for scraps to trade for a scant supply of water. When his perpetually chipper, pink-haired new best friend, Apple, (Laurence Leboeuf) is kidnapped by the malevolent overlord, Zeus (sci-fi legend, Michael Ironside), the Kid realises his days of just getting by are over. He summons the might of his comic book hero, Turbo Kid, and prepares to deliver justice to Zeus, his buzzsaw-handed sidekick, Skeletron, and their vicious masked army.
Says RKSS: “It’s BMX comic book, over-the-top post-apocalyptic gore fest comedy and a love story. We love when we can relate to people and be really touched by a story, so it’s important to have a heart for the movie and that’s the love story between turbo kid and the girl he will meet.”
SFF Sessions:
Saturday 6 Jun 8:00 PM Dendy Newtown Cinema
Monday 8 Jun 8:15 PM Event Cinemas George Street