Time to grab the popcorn! Bangalow Film Festival starts next week and we are thrilled to announce a stack of filmmakers, producers and stars in attendance. Our guest of honour for 2023 is none other than internationally renowned Australian actor Simon Baker, who will introduce Blaze, the film in which he stars.
There have been so many additions to the festival program – so it’s time to break it down thoroughly.
SPECIAL GUESTS AND PERFORMANCES
Joining Simon Baker are directors of 6 Festivals, Macario de Souza, and Age of Rage: The Australian Punk Revolution, Jennifer Ross, who will both be in attendance to introduce their films and conduct Q&A sessions.
After the world premiere of local documentary The Last Violin, ticket holders will be treated to a special performance on the violin featured in the film. Attendees are encouraged to embrace their inner Ziggy Stardust for the unique dress-up screening of David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream with prizes for best dressed to be won!
FILM PROGRAM
Tickets to the 21 incredible films featured in the festival program are selling fast, with some sessions approaching capacity. The program is diverse with award winning feature films, critically acclaimed documentaries, cult classics and family friendly films. The program is peppered with world, Australian and regional premieres and women have been at the directorial helm of 11 of the 21 films. There are English subtitled foreign films, animations and we’re also seizing the opportunity to showcase short films by local filmmakers prior to multiple screenings.
ART EXHIBITIONS, INSTALLATIONS AND TALKS
With more than just movies on offer, festival goers can immerse themselves in a rich cultural experience with a range of exhibitions and talks complementing the film program. With the support of Create NSW, BFF has commissioned an art exhibition “GUNU – here” by two local indigenous contemporary artists Melissa Ladkin and Nickolla Clark. The works will be on display for the whole length of the festival at Gallery Ninbella and the exhibition will be complemented by a short film by Coedie McCarthy.
Renowned Byron-based visual artist Kit Webster will transform the A&I Hall facade into a living canvas, creating a unique and immersive experience for festival-goers as the light from the projections map to the facade features. Don’t miss this opportunity to see Webster’s work in all its technicolor glory on the A&I Hall in Bangalow, daily from dusk till late. Webster has gained international recognition for is explorations into the parameters of audiovisual installation having developing projects for events such as New York Fashion Week; VIVID, Sydney; Dark Mofo, Hobart; Signal Festival, Prague, and Scopitone, Nantes, France.
STILL is an invitation into a warm and welcoming sound world suited for reflection and introspection. Conceived as an immersive audio-visual project, German-Australian artist Jochen Gutsch (known as a founding member of bands such as Hinterlandt, Recalibrate and Snob Club) created Still as a series of photographs coupled with an original soundtrack, both corresponding to each other. He took 100 photos on as many consecutive mornings, capturing
the same patch of sky at 8am each day, and recorded music to complement the meditative style of the visual work.
Join us at Common People Brewing Co at 3pm on Friday 20 January for a laidback and informal industry panel where five established film directors and producers will reveal some of the hard lessons they learnt on their way to success. Join us for some honest and unfiltered cautionary tales from the pros and learn from their mistakes, with Macario da Souza, Jennifer Ross, Gemma Lee, Ashley McLeod and Cody Greenwood, moderated by Benjamin Gilmour.
Free entry with a complimentary taster of the “Director’s Cut” beer, brewed exclusively for Bangalow Film Festival by Common People.
FESTIVAL HUB
Ticketholders and visitors alike are encouraged to meet up with friends and enjoy the best local food and beverages at the BFF Festival Hub. This year, we have teamed up with Woods to host our hub, open each night of the festival. Woods will be offering flavoursome food options, with some of the region’s finest beverages on offer, including Brookies, Common People Brewing Co, Heaps Normal, Nextba and Natural Order Wines. Head down for some pre-screening fun from 4PM every night of the festival.
FOR THE KIDS
The little ones are set for some holiday fun, with a dedicated Kids Program featuring a special 30th anniversary screening of the enchanting FernGully: The Last Rainforest and a brand new exclusive audiovisual concert created for BFF from everyone’s favourite band Bunny Racket.
Tickets on sale now from www.bangalowfilmfestival.com.au
