The Capri Cinema will showcase the Adelaide Independent Film Festival program in October.

The inaugural Adelaide Independent Film Festival features 16 films including live action, animation and documentaries by South Australian, Australian and international filmmakers.

To be held at the heritage-listed Capri Cinema on Goodwood Road on Saturday October 14 from 2 pm, the afternoon program is filled with short films vying for various prizes.

There will be prizes for the best Australian and international live action and animated films, the best micro (under 5-minute) film, the best student film, and the film voted as the best by the audience. The best film made in Unley wins $500.

Festival director and Capri volunteer Tom Kerby says the program will “be more drama than comedy but there’s quite a few in there that you could label as experimental as well”.

“It’s mainly Australian but close to a quarter of the films come from overseas,” he says.

Kerby says the program is “not too dark, because that would just tire you out,” but it’s far from light or frivolous.

The Australian student documentary Evacuation, directed by Angus Rawson, is the story of NATO translator Erfanullah who was evacuated to Australia after the fall of Kabul.

The Iranian live action film Suitcase, directed by Saman Hosseinpuor and Ako Zandkarimi, tells the story of a Kurdish refugee who lives in a suitcase until the suitcase is stolen.

In the Australian animated film The Better Angels directed by Eric Michael Cusack, a young soldier flees the horrors of war and discovers an abandoned house that holds stories of what might have been.

Kerby said he created the festival after researching film festivals held around the world.

“You find all these festivals and each one has a different personality,” he says.

“It just got me thinking, I would love to know how this all works.”

Kerby says the Hungarian film Café Marylin is a good reflection of the festival’s personality: “The information that needs to be presented is presented, nothing more, nothing less.”

There will be drinks at local pub the Goody immediately after the festival.

“It’s a casual space to have a chat about the program,” Kerby says.

“In future editions, we’ll look at offering a gala-type celebration.”

Tickets for the festival are on sale now.