By Travis Johnson
Ben Elton’s music festival romantic comedy, Three Summers, is the opening night film of this year’s CinefestOZ, headlining an impressive roster of Australian cinematic treats.
Three Summers, Elton’s first Australian directorial effort, screens in competition for the $100K CinefestOz Film Prize, up against Greg McLean’s Jungle, Kriv Stenders’ Australia Day, and Jeffrey Walker’s Ali’s Wedding.
But the rest of the program, which dropped on Friday, is no slouch, boasting an incredible range of films that will screen at the Western Australian festival from August 23 – 27. This year sees seven world premieres, nine Australian premieres and 35 WA premieres, plus special guests including Elton, Ewen Leslie, Joel Jackson, Matt Day, Luke Ford and Myles Pollard.
The film program is bolstered by a range of workshops, sidebars and other activities taking place across 37 venues from Augusta to Bunbury, centering on the festival hub in Busselton.
“This year’s program is of an exceptionally high quality with the largest number of WA premieres of Australian films to date,” Said Festival CEO Malinda Nixon. “This year’s festival events are selling well thanks to Early Bird release tickets, and we expect this trend to continue. Opening Night has sold out and ticket sales are climbing, so it’s important to take a look at the program and choose the films and events you want to see. Exploring the program and the stunning South West simultaneously ensures Festival-goers can experience the best of the Festival and the region.”
Other films in the program this year include John V. Soto’s sci-fi drama The Gateway, Ben C. Lucas’s speculative thriller Otherlife, Romi Trower’s acclaimed rom-com What if it Works?, and Something Quite Peculiar, a look at the life and career of the Church’s Steve Kilbey.
Tickets are on sale now For the full lineup, head over to the official site.
