Brisbane revamps film festivals
Screen Queensland CEO Maureen Barron has confirmed that the Brisbane International Film Festival will move to a spring time slot (November 4-14) to align it with the Asia Pacific Screen Awards – as reported by Encore in June.
Brisbane will also have its first Underground Film Festival on September 9-October 1.
Barron announced that this year’s BIFF – the 19th edition – will have a new look,, now under the direction of the state’s new head of screen culture and former MIFF director, Richard Moore. It will also feature new venues (Palace Centro, Palace Barracks and the Tribal Theatre) and “refreshed” programming and awards that will cover films from Australia and across the world, documentaries, animation, late night thrillers, retrospectives and music films. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.
The festival’s Queensland Short Film Competition (QSFC) – designed to reward and develop the creative talents of Queensland short filmmaker – will have a new category, the Chauvel Award for best project pitch, with a development investment of $15,000 from Screen Queensland. This award complements the best short ($2,500) and audience favourite ($2,500) cash awards.
Another option for the Brisbane public is the three-night Brisbane Underground Film Festival, which will open with a documentary on indie band The Magnetic Fields, entitled Strange Powers. BUFF is headed by Nina Riddel.
The Australian horror film Primal will also screen at BUFF, which will be be held at the Brisbane Powerhouse.
