FILM FESTIVAL PUTS TASMANIA ON THE INDUSTRY MAP

Tasmania’s Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival starts today (Thursday, November 8) at Launceston’s Inveresk precinct, with a glamorous opening night party, followed by the Australian premiere of Two Days In New York, with Julie Delphy and Chris Rock.

The Festival kicks off in Hobart on Friday with screenings at the State Cinema and MONA.

Tasmania’s only major annual film festival is bringing many film industry leaders to Tasmania, including director Robert Connolly (Balibo, The Bank), actor Jimi Bani (Mabo, Redfern Now) and producer Andrew Knight (Jack Irish, Seachange).

An exciting program of 30 features and documentaries from around the world has been curated by BOFA’s Artistic Directors, producer Trish Lake and director Rowan Woods.

Festival Director Owen Tilbury said that BOFA’s purpose was to celebrate screen based story telling that inspires positive change.

“This year’s Festival has many new features including the free 50th anniversary screening of the classic Tasmanian children’s film They Found a Cave, and a unique underwater experience with the free daily screening of Coral Rekindling Venus at the QVMAG Planetarium,” he said.

Friday night will see the Tasmanian premiere of the locally made feature film The First Fagin, followed by a party with local band The Embers.

Saturday is Film Industry Day, when film makers, prospective film makers and actors can attend workshops on low budget film making, making movies with a DSLR camera, and screen acting techniques.

Saturday night the Launceston community will join the stars, directors and producers at the BOFA Awards dinner with the presentation of the BOFA Devil Career, Director, Writer, Innovator and Short Film Awards.
Sunday will be Make a Difference Day, inviting Festival visitors and local residents to explore ways that they can make a difference, personally, locally and globally.

The Festival winds up with the Big Picture Debate (Sunday at 2.30 at the QVMAG Museum), when a celebrity panel will unravel a hypothetical on the theme that social media does more harm than good, in front of a local live audience and a world wide audience through a simultaneous upload to YouTube.

Festival Director Owen Tilbury said that the BOFA Festival stemmed from a realisation that Tasmania was the only state without a major annual film festival.

“We’re now in our third year, hoping to stimulate film production and career opportunities in the state and to bring Tasmanians the very best cinema from around the world.”

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Full details of the 2012 BOFA Film Festival program are available on the web site www.bofa.com.au

THE TASMANIAN BREATH OF FRESH AIR FILM FESTIVAL 2012 PROGRAM:
• TWO DAYS IN NEW YORK (USA) Australian Premiere
• THE FIRST FAGIN (Australia)
• THE ANGELS’ SHARE (UK)
• SEMI COLIN (Australia) World Premiere
• THE HUNT (Denmark)
• UNDER AFRICAN SKIES (USA/South Africa)
• A COMMON PURPOSE (Australia)
• GIRL WALK//ALL DAY (USA)
• SIDE BY SIDE (USA)
• JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI (USA/Japan)
• THE GIANTS (Belgium)
• AND IF WE ALL LIVE TOGETHER (France/Germany)
• LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED (Denmark)
• SAVE YOUR LEGS (Australia)
• INSIDE OUT: ANTON CORBIJN (Netherlands/Germany/UK/Italy/Sweden)
• BONSAI PEOPLE- THE VISION OF MUHAMMAD YUNUS (USA/Bangladesh) Australian Premiere
• AFTER THE FACTORY (USA)
• YOU WILL BE MY SON (France)
• ROAD TO ROUBAIX (USA)
• SALLY: A VENTURING FORTH: A JAUNT (Australia)
• TO ROME WITH LOVE (USA)
• BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (USA)
• CHASING ICE (USA)
• CORAL REKINDLING VENUS (Australia)
• WAR WITCH (Canada)
• THEY FOUND A CAVE (Australia)
• ELECTRICK CHILDREN (USA)

BOFA FILM FESTIVAL: THURSDAY 8TH – SUNDAY 11TH NOVEMBER, 2012
In 2012, BOFA plans to showcase over the Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 November, international and Australian feature films/documentaries, short films, cinema related exhibitions (in partnership with Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery), master-classes and parties, but, as well, is adding a new Make a Difference Day (Sunday 11th November) incorporating a free community open day, screenings of a Make a Difference Day short film competition, features/documentaries, several master-classes run by industry experts, and writers’ festival speakers all on Make a Difference themes. The Make a Difference Day will be the culmination of the festival and will highlight the purpose of inspiring “positive change”.
BOFA