Dungog outdone as Cockatoo Island announced as world’s largest Australian film festival
The title of the world’s largest Australian film festival will in 2012 move from Dungog Film Festival to Cockatoo Island Film Festival.
Co-founders of the Dungog Film Festival have announced the arrival of this new festival which will host over 200 Australian and 100 international films over a five day festival in the final quarter of next year.
While the Dungog Film Festival attracted nearly 10,000 film lovers this year, Cockatoo Island expects 15,000 fans from Sydney and beyond in the first year.
As well as the five day festival, public programs such as script development workshops, education programs, student film projects and residencies will run throughout the year.
Co-founder Stavros Kazantzidis told Encore, “Think of the Cockatoo Island Festival as the metro companion to Dungog. Dungog has its place but it has limitations to its growth and we want to continue our year round programs; In The Raw, student and youth programs, annual programs which are very important to us. Cockatoo is a place to manage those year round programs. The Dungog and Cockatoo Island festival offices will move from Waterloo in Sydney to Cockatoo Island.
In a statement, co-founder Allanah Zitserman said, “The growth and success of Dungog has highlighted the community’s appetite for Australian film, as well as the potential for fostering and celebrating screen culture. Dungog offers a rich cultural experience in a rural setting and will remain a signature event on the arts calendar. CIFF is an opportunity to attract new city and international audiences for Australian film.”
Despite past events on the Island, such as the Cockatoo Island Comedy Festival, failing to find a sustainable audience, Kazantzidis is confident citing the successful biennale. “I understand the Cockatoo Island Comedy Festival was a dry hire, where as this is a partnership with the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, so it’s a commitment and they’re involved in the actual event.”
“We’re not duplicating what we’ve done in Dungog,” said Kazantzidis. “We’re doing something different to anything seen in Australia. It will be a different format to embrace all the visual arts; TV, feature film, documentaries and digital media. It’s a whole new experience.”
“The event will have a carnival atmosphere every day that its on and special events every night, not just opening and closing events, with events running almost 24 hours. There’s a great potential to create unique experiences, we’ve got some of the oldest buildings on the island, the structures are amazing and we’ll be do exciting light shows using the buildings and structures.”
Being in November, Kazantzidis said, “It’s going to lead nicely into the SPAA Conference, IF Awards and later into the AACTA awards as well which will be great.”
Dungog has enjoyed key support from NSW Mining in the past and Kazantzidis said they are considering the sponsorship opportunity with Cockatoo Island Film Festival as well.
For more information, visit www.ciff.com.au.
The sucessfull Dungog Film Festival is very unique on it’s own. There will be no other film festival like Dungog (The GOG).To achieve what Allanah & Stavros have done is truely an amazing experience for a small rural town. I wish them well in their new venture at Cookatoo Island & I know it will be very sucessfull.
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