Brisbane is set to follow in Melbourne and Sydney's footsteps with a cinematic celebration all its own following today's announcement of the inaugural Queensland Film Festival, to be held at the historic New Farm Six Cinemas this July.
With a debut line-up of a dozen full-length features complemented by a supporting roster of short films, the festival was conceived and brought to life by several local film-lovers, including patron and renowned critic David Stratton.
"My first contact with film culture in Queensland was in 1966, when, as the director of the Sydney Film Festival, I was able to help with the establishment of the Brisbane Film Festival," Stratton said of his involvement in a statement.
"In some ways, Brisbane's International Film Festival has been a part of my year ever since. I always looked forward to travelling up for BIFF. Unbelievably, next year it will be 50 years since that first Brisbane Film Festival, and I'm very pleased to support QFF in reintroducing this kind of film festival for local audiences."
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The first Queensland Film Festival line-up features international and local drawcards such as Philppe Garrel's Jealousy, Peter Strickland's The Duke Of Burgundy, Guy Maddin & Evan Johnson's The Forbidden Room, and Eight, from first-time Brisbane filmmaker Peter Blackburn, with more to be announced.
The debut QFF event will also boast ABC Radio National film critic Jason Di Rosso among its guest list, with event co-director Dr Huw Walmsley-Evans touting the QFF's planned focus on "showing outstanding, recent international art cinema, and providing a space to think about and discuss these fascinating, challenging films".
Said Di Rosso of attending QFF: "I've always cherished my experiences at film festivals, and the best ones have been about seeing films in the company of other cinematic travellers that challenge me and expand my thinking. It's wonderful to see Brisbane getting another film event that's committed to showing exciting, challenging work."
The first Queensland Film Festival will be held from 24-26 July, and "follows in a proud tradition of Brisbane film culture", Walmsley-Evans said.
"We want to return to the grass roots of the early Brisbane Film Festivals, showing and discussing important international films that won't get a release, even in the arthouses and travelling national film festivals."
For more information, see the QFF website.
