The 2023 Capricorn Film Festival is presented by Livingstone Shire Council, Tourism Events Queensland, Screen Queensland, Regional Arts Australia, Keppel Coast Arts and will be held from Wednesday the 18th to Saturday 21st of January 2023 on the beautiful Capricorn Coast.
The festival will host six feature film and documentary premieres alongside nine inspiring, creative and beautifully crafted short films screening as part of CAPS Short Film Competition, all selected from over 500 entries.
The festival will also include other arts opportunities for the community to participate in and experience. These include Sensory CQ Light in the Dark and CAPS EXPerimental.
The 8th annual event will have its opening night at Yeppoon Town Hall on Wednesday 18th January from 6.45pm with the premiere of festival gem The Land, a powerful Australian drama of family, secrets, and threatened stability, and marks a stunning directorial debut for acclaimed photographer Ingvar Kenne. Ingvar will join Yeppoon locals and special guests for a post screening Q&A.
“The Land is a strong and passionate Aussie drama and we are extremely proud to screen it for our opening night”, Festival Director Luke Graham
Thursday screenings will include the premiere of inspirational coming of age documentary The Endangered Generation, narrated by Academy Award Winner Laura Dern it introduces new leaders in the fight for our planets survival through combining modern science with ancient first nations knowledge. This is highly recommended for families and students alike. The director will provide an introduction prior to its screening.
Thursday’s activities conclude with the timely screening presentation of Olga, a prophetic movie about the agony of exile which showed at Cannes. Olga, a dedicated teenage Ukrainian gymnast, excellently played by the real-life Ukrainian gymnast Anastasia Budiashkina, who herself arrived in Poland after escaping Kharkiv.
Friday’s afternoon screening will be the Central Queensland premiere of We are Still Here, a unique Indigenous anthology film that interweaves eight powerful tales to tell a sweeping story of hope and survival. Everybody’s Oma, a heart-warming documentary following a family’s unexpected dementia journey will have its premiere on Friday night.
Award winning New Zealand documentary Whetu Marama – Bright Star will start Saturday’s events. It is the story of Sir Hekenukumai Ngaiwi Phuipi, Hek Busby, and his significance to Te Ao Māori, in rekindling their wayfinding DNA and ancient navigation knowledge and lore, for all New Zealanders.
CAPS Short Film Festival will conclude the event featuring nine selected short films from around the world and locally in competition and reviewed by a jury including Australian film industry professionals. Screening prior, will be the world premiere of six short films by Central Queensland filmmakers, some first time, others continuing their filmmaking journey.
“I am personally proud of our Central Queensland filmmakers, and can’t wait to screen their world premieres to the local community and tourists alike”, Festival Director Luke Graham
FREE community art activities Sensory CQ and CAPS Experimental will be available daily. Sensory CQ Light in the Dark held nightly is a visually stimulating and eclectic collection lighting installations activating Beaman Park. CAPS Experimental will present a series of short form video art screened at Fig Tree Galleries including short film premieres by Central Queensland filmmakers.
To PURCHASE TICKETS or learn more: www.capricornfilmfestival.com