MyState BOFA Film Festival
The red carpet is being rolled out this week for MyState Tasmanian ‘Breath of Fresh Air’ (BOFA) Film Festival.
Some of Australia’s most respected and well known filmmakers and actors will attend the festival including Gregor Jordan (Ned Kelly; Two Hands) who has directed celebrities such as Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush and Naomi Watts; Producer Vincent Sheehan (The Hunter; Animal Kingdom; Little Fish) who has worked with Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill and Hugo Weaving; Director, Michael Rymer (Angel Baby; Face to Face; Battlestar Galactica) and Director, Rowan Woods (Little Fish; The Boys; Farscape).
Opening the festival, VIP guests will be chauffeured in vintage motor cars to a glamorous black tie event at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. As they walk the red carpet a string quartet and Taiko drums will herald their arrival. Festival attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with the film industry crowd as they enjoy cocktails, entertainment, and fine Tasmanian food and wines.
The festival will feature one world premiere, three Australian premieres and two documentaries which have just been shortlisted for the 2012 Academy Awards.
The world premiere will be the first showing of the Australian science fiction short film Cryo, from the director/producer team of Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey who won an Oscar nomination for their previous short Miracle Fish. Doolan, second unit director on Great Gatsby, will also be attending the festival.
Australian premieres will grace the festival screens including US feature comedy Jeffie Was Here, Canadian comedy Cloudburst and African documentary Burning in the Sun.
Two documentaries to screen at BOFA feature on the shortlist for Oscar nomination next year, announced last week. If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front is an extraordinary and gripping documentary about the rise and fall of an Earth Liberation Front cell, the organization described by the FBI as America’s “number one domestic terrorism threat”.
Also on next year’s Oscars shortlist, and showing at BOFA, is the US documentary Bill Cunningham New York, the story of the 80 year old fashion and high society columnist for the New York Times.
MyState BOFA Film Festival will also share sneak peeks of the film Beaconsfield. Still in the post production stages, excerpts from the film will be shown providing a rare look at work in progress footage. In addition, festival visitors can look forward to a behind the scenes insight into the making of Beaconsfield, including the challenges of filming in a mine and constructing the underground world in sets. Looking at the film from a production design angle, Director Glendyn Ivin and Production Designer Jon Rohde will explain how they took on the mammoth task of designing the sets. Brant Webb and Todd Russell from Beaconsfield will also participate in the Q&A.
Providing more than just films, the Tasmanian festival will host a range of master-classes on writing, acting, producing and the business of film making.
Masterclass topics include The Challenges of Writing in and for Tasmania (hosted by Vicki Madden, Jonathan auf der Heide and Stephen Dando-Collins); Glenn Fraser from the Australian Film TV and Radio School will provide an insight into how to maximise the message with minimal gear and also on the importance of a powerful story; Vincent Sheehan (producer of recent hit The Hunter, set in Tasmania’s Central Highlands) and Bradley Patrick will discuss Tasmania, the Perfect Location?; successful Australian directors, Rowan Woods and Gregor Jordan share their approaches to, experiences with and the challenges and opportunities of filmmaking in Australia in The Directors’ Art and finally a group of successful working actors will share the secrets of making a character come alive on the screen in Acting the Part.
The wide film and festival program demonstrates the cultural breadth Tasmania is now offering, including films, photography exhibitions, fresh Tasmanian produce and live musical performances said MyState BOFA Film Festival Founder and Director Owen Tilbury.
“Tasmania is quickly becoming the new cultural mecca for Australia. MONA has been drawing visitors for years and now with the MyState BOFA Film Festival we are creating a strong movement of arts and culture for Tasmania. The festival is attracting visitors from all over the world and a number of them are using the time to explore the beauty, arts and culture Tasmania has to offer while they’re here,” said Mr Tilbury.
Situated in the heart of the beautiful Tamar Valley, Launceston, the festival will be held within the Inveresk Precinct, running over 5 days (23 – 27 November).
For a full list of the festival offerings please visit the website www.bofa.com.au
FESTIVAL DATES:
Venue: Inveresk Precinct, Launceston, Tasmania
Dates: Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 November 2011
Program: Five days of feature film, digital SLR shorts, debates, competitions, master-classes and gala events, featuring the best produce from the region
Website: http://www.bofa.com.au/
Tickets: Check website for details
ABOUT BOFA
The MyState Tasmanian ‘Breath of Fresh Air’ (BOFA) Film Festival is a celebration of fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to screen-based story telling that inspire positive change. Set against the stunning backdrop of one of Australia’s most beautiful cities, Launceston – within the fertile Tamar Valley, in 2011 BOFA will run from Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 November in the Inveresk Precinct. BOFA will showcase features and documentaries and two short film competitions around the themes ‘food for thought’ and ‘fresh horizons’. This year’s program also features the Corrick Collection of silent films; Bradley Patrick’s Hollywood celebrity portraits exhibited at the Queen Victoria Museum; the Big Ideas Series of debates in conjunction with St James Ethic Centre; and industry master classes, all celebrated with gala parties in ‘fresh’ places like the famous James Boags brewery.
Breath of Fresh Air
