Byron Bay Film Festival 2012 Programme

See the soul of film

2012 FESTIVAL PROGRAMME 10 DAYS FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 2012

46 SESSIONS, 5 VENUES 200+ FILMS, 39 COUNTRIES 120 AUSTRALIAN & WORLD PREMIERES

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Proud sPonsors Byron Bay InternatIonal FIlm FestIval

enJoy the entertainMent noW Study the deGree CertiFiCateS | diPloMaS | deGreeS

Film Production | audio Production electronic Music Production | live Sound Production interactive digital Media – Web Design & Development (NEW)

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FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

introduction J’aimee Skippon-Volke, Festival Director BBFF 2012 is our biggest festival yet: in just one year we’re expanding from two to five venues and presenting our first-ever outdoor screening. The festival saw a record number of entries and the calibre of those films was outstanding.

From nearly 1000 submissions we’re bringing you 46 sessions to choose from and, for the first time, we’re able to offer film festival attendees passes for the films held at our HQ, the Byron Community Centre.

There’s a lot of love driving this festival forward, from our core crew and our team of wonderful volunteers; from some of our key sponsors and supporters; from our filmmakers past and present; and from our growing base of friends and fans.

Once again filmmakers from around

Australia and the world are descending on Byron Bay to join our community in celebrating independent cinema.

You, our audience, help make the BBFF experience truly memorable for our filmmakers, we encourage you to stay for the Q&As and interact with the filmmakers who are sharing their stories.

We live in a world where people see things in many different ways. It is our hope that films you’ll see here at BBFF 2012 will provide you with a moment in time where you can connect with stories, people and communities both a world away and close to home. 2012 is a year that brings with it the crumbling of old ways and the emergence of new movements driven by collective passions. There are films, panels and people at BBFF 2012 that reflect this as well as sessions designed to simply entertain.

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The Restaurant at The Byron at Byron focuses on fresh local produce and showcases fine food with passion. Dine in style or enjoy drinks on the deck overlooking a spectacular rainforest background, just perfect for time out during the Byron Bay International Film Festival.

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inspired by nature

Enjoy our internationally acclaimed wines while watching films from around the world.

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BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Sponsors Government Partners

Major Media Partner

THE BYRON SHIRE

Major Accommodation Partner

netdaily Venue Partners

Major Sponsors

Surf Sponsors

Media Partners

Sponsors

Supporters Margaret Robertson

4 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

Judges

Nominees

The BBFF judges bring their expertise to the Byron Bay International Film Festival’s Awards. We thank them for their support.

Dan Murphy’s Best Film

The BBFF 2012 Judges include: Josh Fox Director of Gasland

Face to Face Inuk Bombay Beach PressPausePlay On Borrowed Time

Claude Gonzalez – At the Movies

Coopers Best Dramatic Feature

George Papadopoulas of Accent Film Entertainment

Face to Face

J’aimee Skippon-Volke of BBFF

Sacrifice

John Campbell of The Echo

Inuk

Madeleine Faught of Rainforest Rescue

Area De Descanco

Madeline Palmer of ABC/Rage

The Echo Best Byron Film

Mike Vile of Rialto Distribution

All BBFF 2012 Northern Rivers’ Filmmakers are Nominees

Osvaldo Alfaro of GreenhouseFX Peter Thompson of Summer Films Simon de Bruyn of XYZ Films Stella Do of Arclight Films Jan Mallis of Tavarua

Toomelah

Byron Bay Coffee Company Best Short Film Normal People Come to Harm Tethered The Maestro Ollie

With sincere thanks We greatly appreciate the hard work, time and input that has helped create this event from: Alex Mankiewicz; Alex Taylor, Anouk Corolleur, Avikal, Brigitte Zeisig, Cassy Duell, Cathy Martin, Clint Styles, Dan White, Denise Prosser, Emma Cocks, Evan Walks, Frances Short, Helio Malahasi, Hugh Campbell, Indigo Rawson-Smith, Jan Mallis, Jeni Gonzalez, Jenny Grinlington, Jessica Chen Huang, Joy Barbar, Juanita Barea, Leilani Gaze, Luke Ryan, Mathew Sforcina, Mel Manar, Melina Goring, Michael Bates, Obi McDonald-Saint, Peter and Julie Ryan, Rick Jose, Robyn Downie, Ryder Saint, Sabine Muschter, Sarah Bray, Sonia Skuor, Stuart Amos, Sunita Bailey, Susie Forster, Tara Kai Hammond, Youngdone Lee, Ziggi Browning, Zvika Aloni, and all the BBFF crew, Community Centre Ushers and Volunteers.

Credits Patron: Paul Cox Executive Producer: Greg Aitken Festival Director: J’aimee Skippon-Volke Technology & Art Director: Osvaldo C. Alfaro Schools Manager: Madeleine Faught Submissions Co-ordinator: Jennifer Hamilton Media Manager: Rachel Bending Outdoor Event Producer: Jamie Hunter Workshops Producer: Kirsty Thompson Operations Co-ordinators: Dove Joans & Joy Barbar Volunteers Coordinators: Dan White & Tanya Smith

Tavarua Best Surf Film Manufacturing Stoke Going Vertical A Deeper Shade of Blue Come Hell or High Water Minds in the Water Byron At Byron Best Environmental Film Bimblebox Manufacturing Stoke Amongst Giants Minds in the water Waste Not eXtinction ScreenZone Inaugrual Byron International Documentary Prize Decadence Connected Bombay Beach On Borrowed Time PressPausePlay Cheese Please Best Music Video Brandt Rhapsodie Blue Sway Sometimes the stars Rugged Wilderness & Mountain Man No More - Dropping Feathers Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn Revival

Writers: Rachel Bending, Madeleine Faught, Tim WintonBrown, Mel Manar Website Content: Obi MacDonald-Saint, Susie Forster, Cassy Duell and Belinda Eslick Photography credits to: Caroline Fisher, Cathy Martin, Jeni Gonzelez, Johnny Abegg & Marina Banderia Programme Creation: The Echo Programme Editor: Rick Jose

GCD Best Cinematography Beneath the Waves Convento A Deeper Shade of Blue Press Pause Play Bombay Beach Fox Creek Wine Best Experimental Film Soulcatcher (please check spelling) Piercing Silence Luminaris Automata Ghost Of Old Highways Year Zero Best Young Australian Filmmaker All BBFF 2012 Australian Director’s Under 25 are nominees.

GreenhouseFX Best Animation The Missing Key The Gloaming Erago Mondiale TM Mahahula the Giant Rodent of Happiness Història d’Este

About the Programme Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the programme. We apologise for any changes, errors or oversights since going to print. For continually updated information visit the festival website at www.bbff.com.au

Performers: Garrett Kato & Ben Livermore Projection Team: Osvaldo Alfaro, Jamie Hunter, Dave Prudden, Ken Ford & Jahmin Lerum Décor: Lissa Coote Byron Community Centre: Paul Spooner, Becky Buckwell, Cherie Mamet & the BCC Team.

Sponsorship Manager: Kelly Morton

Pighouse Flicks: Kristin Ellis & Paul Macdonald

Design Branding Consultation: Underbrand

The Regent: Sandra Flannery and The Flannery Family

Graphic Design: GreenhouseFX & Ziggi Browning

Birch, Carroll & Coyle: Daniel McCabe & Lucy Verrall BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 5

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Gala Opening Night

Venues

The Red Carpet Gala Opening Night will once again set the scene for this year’s spectacular ten-night, nine-day international film festival. The official celebrations begin Friday March 2nd.

The sixth year of its best ever festival opens with the terrific Aussie drama Face to Face. Cast and crew in attendance.

Opening nighters will be treated to this film and one other from the finest films of this year’s vast selection. Following the screenings, opening night party people and guests will enjoy locally sourced cuisine created by The Beautiful Feast as they mingle with filmmakers and enjoy the company of other film lovers and aficionados. But…with limited tickets available to this evening of fine film, food and wine, please be sure to book early.

Gala closing Party With Sunday March 11th marking the final day of film festivities, be sure to join us as we wind down BBFF 2012 and get ready to roll up the red carpet with the Red Carpet Gala Closing Party on Saturday 10th. A handful of our top awards will be handed out, including the big one for Best Film.

This red carpet event acknowledges and celebrates the creative spirit of all festival participants – including you, our muchvalued patrons and supporters. As we like to celebrate in style, we share the raising of a glass and delights from The Beautiful Feast, once again giving you the opportunity to mix with the creative talent behind your favourite local and international BBFF films.

The festival is expanding rapidly across the Northern Rivers. BBFF 2012 sees the addition of three new locations. The Byron Bay International Film Festival headquarters is the Byron Community Centre at 69 Jonson St, Byron Bay. The bulk of the screenings and festival activities take place here. We are delighted that additional screening sessions will once again take place at Lismore’s Birch Carroll & Coyle on the corner of Keen and Zadoc Streets.

Our two new partnership venues are the Regent Cinema in Murwillumbah and Byron’s Pighouse Flicks. Along with films, special master classes and a very special encore screening will also be held at the Pighouse Flicks’ Buddha Bar. This year sees the addition of our first ever outdoor screening. This free event, in true Byron style, is beachside and held on a full moon. See page 8 for details.

Seating in the Byron Community Centre is intimate and limited to only 246 patrons. We therefore highly recommend booking in advance for any of the popular evening sessions − and especially for the BBFF highlight Red Carpet Gala Parties. To avoid the disappointment of missing a film that you have your heart set on, book early online.

We hate to say goodbye to all the new friends we’ve made this year, but this just means we have a whole lot more to look forward to at BBFF 2013!

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FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU (02) 6672 8265. Tickets also available on the day. There is no disabled access or disabled toilet facilities – this venue has stairs.

Bookings BBFF is working with multiple venues and we’re looking at offering a centralised ticketing system for BBFF2013 but in the meantime tickets are only available from the specific venues where the film session is being screened.

All film sessions at the Byron Community Centre are available online at www.byroncentre.com.au with discounts of up to 30% available ONLINE ONLY when purchasing 5, 10, 15+ tickets.

To buy tickets in person go to: Byron Community Centre Box Office, 69 Jonson Street, Byron Bay. During the festival, the box office is open every day from 10am until 7.30pm. Pre-festival opening hours are between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Pighouse Flicks Box Office, 1 Skinners Shoot Road, next to the Buddha Bar, Byron Bay. Before and during the festival the box office is open every day from Monday to Friday 3.30pm – 8.30pm and on Saturday and Sunday 1.30pm – 8.30pm.

Regent Cinema, 5 Brisbane Street Murwillumbah. Before the festival, Box Office open 10.30am – 10pm Tuesday and Friday, 3pm – 10pm Saturday and Sunday and whenever regular films are scheduled. Check website www.cinemaregent.com or phone

Birch Carroll & Coyle Lismore Box Office, corner of Keen and Zadoc Streets Lismore. The box office is open every day from 10am until 7.30pm.

Ticket prices start from $7 for screenings to $35 - $50 for Red Carpet Gala celebrations.

Our website www.bbff.com.au is a great place to go for latest information about the films, filmmakers and the festival.

So much more than just food..

a community and region, to look after ourselves by more self-sufficient means.

At BBFF Gala Events The Beautiful Feast will offer dishes that highlight the best in local and seasonal produce this region has to offer. The dishes and canapés served will provide guests with a sentimental journey down memory lane of the food we used to eat before the wonderful variety of world cuisine became so influential. With tongue firmly in cheek Opening Night dishes have been created in honour of the film Face to Face. We know you will enjoy this “guilty pleasure experience” and feel more than just a little sentimental.

In 2012 The Beautiful Feast will again lavish our lucky Byron Community Centre patrons with a thoughtful selection of high-quality dishes as the exclusively appointed caterer for the 6th Byron Bay International Film Festival. The Beautiful Feast designs menus made with love and care that are relaxed and informal, using only local, organic and sustainable Northern Rivers produce with a focus on indigenous ingredients.

Locally owned and run by Sian Butt, The Beautiful Feast’s food highlights the abundance, biodiversity and quality of Northern Rivers food. They proudly guarantee that 70% of their food is supplied from primary producers located within the Byron, Tweed and Ballina shires.

This is the philosophy that Sian strives to uphold, and although this can present challenges (like seasonality), she feels that rising to these challenges in the long term is important so we learn, as

Family-Friendly Films Our programme contains a number of family friendly films – but it is a requirement that children under 15 are accompanied by their parents or an adult guardian. Recommendations regarding the films which are 18+ only can be found on our website www.bbff.com.au.

Family packs – buy 3 get 1 free – are available for our Family-friendly shorts session only from the venue.

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BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 7

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Free Sunset Cinema Thursday March 8th Films start at 7.30pm Located directly adjacent to the Byron Surf Club.

Under 15s must be accompanied by their parent or adult guardian.

Arrive at 6:30pm to ensure yourself a good spot for when the sun disappears and dims the ‘house lights’.

This is definitely how surf films should be seen. On the grass of Main Beach, with full moon above, the sound of the ocean and the rhythm of the waves lapping on Australia’s most easterly point. Grab your picnic rug and share a night of salty films and genuinely good vibes with your friends and family.

If the weather gods don’t behave, our friends at the Beach Hotel have offered us an alternative option.

Minds In The Water USA | 1:30:00 | Dir: Justin Krumb | Prod: Dave Rastovich & Jonny Vasic Five years in the making, Minds In The Water is the story of one surfer’s journey from Australia to the Galapagos, Tonga, Alaska and Japan to help protect dolphins, whales and their ocean environment. The film captures a key moment in the life of pro surfer Dave “Rasta” Rastovich, a Byron local, as he evolves from ocean surfer and admirer to ocean activist. Along the way, he enlists a team of filmmakers, journalists, musicians, eco-pirates, celebrity surfers, and even a professional mermaid, to help promote responsible stewardship of the oceans.

Rasta’s film is something for Byron locals to be proud of. It may be an international production, but it has its roots in Byron.

More and more surfers are becoming leaders in

Proudly sponsoring Byron Bay Film Festival

ocean conservation. Take Surfers for Cetaceans, for example. These folks don’t just ride waves, they pay attention to the ocean environment and have an intimate understanding of when things are ‘out of sync’. What is clearly illuminated is that we can no longer take the health of our oceans, and its creatures, for granted. We can’t turn our backs on the ocean… just like you should never turn your back on a wave, unless you intend to ride it…

All children under 15 must be accompanied by a parent or an adult guardian. While engaging and inspiring, this film contains short scenes of violence against wildlife which may be unsuitable for your child.

Also screening with Minds in the Water will be a selection of surf shorts and music videos including:

Yeah Donny Byron Bay | 0:03:00 | Dir/Prod: Nicholas Colbey | Short Documentary | 2011 A year on since my brother was taken away from the earth, but his memory lives on, wherever we may roam, we take his spirit with us.

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FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

Kobe and the Sea Byron Bay | 0:04:55 | Dir/Prod: Johnny Abegg | JCA International | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Chef Ben Shewry and his son Kobe share the wonderful bond of father and son, and an appreciation for the sea.

Blue Sway Australia | 0:05:00 | Dir/Prod: Jack McCoy Each a master of their discipline, Jack McCoy and Paul McCartney teamed up to combine McCoy’s legendary footage with McCartney’s musical prowess to produce this beautiful video. Enjoy the unique and magical underwater views that Jack is known for

capturing along with this rare and previously unreleased track by one of modern music’s most influential patrons.

less crowded chance at waves.

Farewell by M. Jack Bee

Australia | 0:03:57 | Dir: Ash Bolland | Prod: Tara Riddell | Experimental | 2012 | Byron Premiere | Experimental Nominee

Australia | 0:03:16 | Dir:/Prod: Simon Laity | Music Video | 2010 | World Premiere The reality of a loveless relationship comes to a closure as a dissatisfied woman decides to leave her husband.

July in January USA | 0:02:54 | Dir/Prod: Alex Hulsey | Surf | 2012 | World Premiere With a big NW swell set to hit the west coast of California, Alex sneaks up to Malibu for a

Burn – Never Extinguish

Create. Inspire. And stop at nothing.

Sometimes the Stars Australia | 0:04:33 | Dir: Ari Gibson | Prod: Luke Jurevicius | Vishus Productions | Music Video | 2010 | Byron Premiere | Music Video Nominee A lost girl’s journey through a surreal landscape, and her yearning to make a connection in this distant yet familiar world.

Acon Fundraiser BBFF & ACON present a Special World Premiere Thursday March 8th 7.30pm $15

The Skin I’m In Filmmaker Broderick Fox is flying in from LA to take part in the world premiere of his film The Skin I’m In. Fox candidly shares a history of self-abuse, spiritual neglect, and an intellectual drive that resulted in fragmenting his identity. It is a film about coming out, standing up to cultural prejudice and defining yourself through your own life experience rather than yielding to the status quo offering courage and hope for all individuals

to chart their own path towards selfunderstanding and social ease.

ACON is the largest community-based gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender

(GLBT) health and wellbeing organisation in Australia. ACON Northern Rivers provides a number of vital services to the region’s community, including advocacy and referrals; drug and alcohol services; information and support for sex workers; those who are at risk of or affected by HIV; and the families and/or carers of people with HIV. ACON Northern Rivers offers a counselling service at Byron Bay Community Centre every Wednesday.

A percentage of proceeds will be donated to ACON’s Northern Rivers’ Office.

BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 9

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Free Experimental Showcase Sunday March 4th On Sunday March 4th at 12 noon we will screen a selection of experimental films from around the world. As the digital divide diminishes and more of the world’s population gains access to technology, new versions of creative expression can be experimented with on screen. The showcase includes two locally produced experimental films.

Anmer Australia | 0:45:00 | Dir: Jon Liddell | Prod: Mel Menar | Experimental | 2011 | Byron Premiere A short film located in the first decade the twentieth century. A cinematic attempt to come to grips with theoretical questions, to clear a pathway to a personal understanding of the modern world, and unravel the twisted strands of history during the era of the Great War. Anmer’s form, structure and aesthetic provide a confluence of film as documentary, as memory, as historical narrative, as art form, as fiction and as dream.

Filmmaker Jon Liddell will be in attendance.

Lifetime

Still

United Kingdom | 0:09:01 | Dir: Nichola Bruce, Hugh Stoddart | Prod: Hugh Stoddart | Experimental | 2010 | Australian Premiere

Australia, Brazil | 0:13:45 | Dir/Prod: Gustavo Faraco | Experimental | 2011 | Byron Premiere

As Dan climbs the stairs he meets men who could be him, each progressively younger, each from a decade further back. Don’t we all wish we could begin our lives again?

Big Bio Singapore | 0:07:27 | Dir/Prod: Eileen Reynolds | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere A futuristic female scientist brings life to an orphaned clay child found in the forest.

Move Canada, Denmark | 0:07:44 | Dir/Prod: John Graham | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere The surreal dream life of a young comatose man attempts to guide him to consciousness.

Plural

A young boy is walking enjoying the roads of life, weaving his own world from the existing world. The blink of a cursor is thinking, waiting, observing, watching human mind.

You Can’t Hide Love from Gypsies France, Turkey | 0:05:00 | Dir: Mara Trifu | Prod: Matthieu Darras | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere

A digital exploration into concepts of world-view, subjectivity, and relationships between human perception and nature.

Your Highness

Combining images with music and poetry, amongst stories of hope and freedom, this is a tribute to a man who stood against apartheid, and changed the world.

Shatterlands United Kingdom | 0:10:00 | Dir/Prod: Neirin Best | Blue Robot Films | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere

There are an enormous number of problems with the world today. It is up to us to make the changes so the world becomes a better place for our children.

After a messy party, Paul finds himself trapped in a destructive limbo where his dreams, memory and waking life are inseparable.

First Day of the Future

Sinsis

Australia | 0:02:15 | Dir/Prod: Liz Gilleran | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Spain | 0:02:24 | Dir/Prod: Carmen Lloret | Universidad Politécnica de Valencia | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Relax, stop analysing and feel the colour and music affecting your emotions.

India | 0:13:02 | Dir/Prod: Navin Chandra Ganesh | NCG FILMS | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere

A fortune teller reads a DJ’s future in a coffee cup.

Put your dancing shoes on. After tonight it’s all over.

Ireland | 0:08:17 | Dir: Frank Kelly | Prod: Elliot Kotek | Pale Stone Productions | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Rock Valley | 0:08:15 | Dir/Prod: Neil Howe | Experimental | 2010

The Blink of a Cursor

New Zealand | 0:04:22 | Dir/Prod: Dan Inglis | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Raise My Hands

When I Grow Up

A moving series of portraits in black and white, shot on 16mm film, showing us that we are each unique but maybe also the same.

United Kingdom | 0:03:00 | Dir/Prod: Max Hattler | Experimental | 2010 | Australian Premiere Highlighting the ridiculous nature of the soccer player and their aggressive, competitive, and hypermasculine behavior on the field.

Fjord Norway | 0:24:00 | Dir: Skule Eriksen | Prod: Lisbeth Dreyer | Ibis Film As | Experimental | 2009 | Australian Premiere Fjord is a poetic and rhythmic interpretation of the landscape in Naeroyfjord in Western Norway, included in UNESCO’s world heritage list in 2005.

Sans dialogue or commentary, we follow the shifting light and the turn of the seasons.

Free As A Bird

They strive for having the place of the other.

USA | 0:03:10 | Dir/Prod: Malak Quota | Experimental | 2010 | Australian Premiere A metaphoric and surreal representation of freedom and captivity.

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FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

High School & Primary School Sessions BBFF 2012 is very pleased to once again offer these special sessions for our local youth.

The overwhelmingly positive feedback from the schools that attended last year definitely provided us the incentive to keep these sessions happening. Film culture is alive and well and extremely popular amongst our growing youth!

Maybe...

Sewing Machine

Portugal, USA | 0:09:05 | Dir/Prod: Pedro Resende | Pessoa Filmes | Short | 2011

Australia | 0:05:49 | Dir/Prod: Brayden Gifford | Animation | 2011 | Byron Premiere

What happens when a single cup of coffee is not enough? Maybe... is about a moment where creativity and love come together.

A musical tale of a young boy who searches for his missing sister in the lair of a sewing-crazed kidnapper.

Private Sun

Secret Life of Objects – Outhouse

The only challenges for the BBFF team related to selecting these specific program sessions.

Not that we had to hunt to find the right films as so many of the submitted films offered age appropriate themes as well as being entertaining and inspiring. Which is the point – there was so much on offer. So many films that give something back to the viewer. So many that will make kids laugh or think or want to talk about them afterwards. So many that may well stimulate a future award winning filmmaker.

Palestinian Territories | 0:25:00 | Dir/Prod: Rami Alayan | Short | 2011 | World Premiere

Australia | 0:03:12 | Dir/Prod: Nathan Jones | www. nwjones.com | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Mariam is instructed by her doctor to sunbathe in order to reverse her vitamin D deficiency. But with nosy neighbours, an overbearing sister-in-law and Israeli surveillance planes, private moments under the sun are precious and rare.

The story of a cynical, used up, toilet paper roll and a far less worldly new kid on the block.

Last year schools travelled from as far afield as MacLean to participate in these sessions. Our new partnership with the Regent Cinema in Murwillumbah offers even more opportunities for schools to have access to this stimulating experience of dynamic independent filmmaking.

Goolmangar | 0:06:00 | Short | 2010

The films we will be presenting will include:

Melt by Corinne Gibbons is an unprecedented fusion of vision and sound.

High Schools

Primary Schools All Aboard A 1920s train station is the backdrop for this short film created by the students from Goolmangar Public School.

Melt

A young penguin in a snowfield tries to fly, but falls to the ground.

The Cycle of Life USA | 0:07:00 | Dir/Prod: Gerald Guthrie | University of Illinois | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere A solitary figure walks forward through a line of inexplicable machines and finds that the final stage of life precedes the beginning.

Alison’s Adventures USA | 0:10:00 | Dir/Prod: Alison Teal | Self | Short Documentary | 2012 | Australian Premiere

Canada | 0:11:52 | Dir/Prod: Alexandre Desjardins | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Get ready to join Alison Teal, extreme adventurer, filmmaker and soul surfer, on her wild adventures around the world.

Sunny Boy

Japan | 0:01:10 | Dir/Prod: Yuji Kamo | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Australia | 0:06:00 | Dir: Toni Houston | Prod: Corinne Gibbons | Wish Bone Films | Music Video | 2009 | Byron Premiere

L’arbre au Coeur Qui Bat Benjamin’s only dream is to be accepted for who he is and to get noticed by a young girl called Sophie.

An old tree is watching over him...

Flying Penguin

Filmmaker Alison Teal will be in attendance.

Walk Tall Stand Strong

United Kingdom | 0:11:14 | Dir: Jane Gull | Prod: Emma Curtis | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Australia | 0:06:26 | Dir: Dean Daley Jones | Prod: Kelrick Martin | Spear Point Productions | Short Documentary | 2011 | Byron Premiere

Danny lives in a world of darkness due to his rare skin condition. All he wants is to be a regular teenager.

The thoughts, regrets and dreams of Nyoongar men, whispered through the concrete walls of prison.

Defective Detective USA | 0:03:35 | Dir/Prod: Avner Geller | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere A washed-up detective’s imagination runs wild, as he tries to solve the most critical case of his career.

BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 11

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

SPECIAL PREVIEW SCREENING The Dinner Party SCU Room, Byron Community Centre

Sunday 11th March, 11.00am

Organ donation is the critical key to a new life for seriously ill people on a waiting list. At a time of tragedy in a family, organ donation can be a difficult issue to fathom. Unless there has been previous open discussion and registration of intent, in a sudden moment of loss loved ones can face enormous stress coming to terms with just what to do.

The Dinner Party is a film by well-known Australian filmmaker Paul Cox. He, along with seven other liver transplant recipients, share their personal experiences over a dinner party at Paul’s home. It provides an intimate insight, where each person gives an honest and humble account of how close he or she came to dying while on the waiting list. Together they gently share their stories, talking of their survivor guilt and acknowledging the amazing gift offered to them by the donor’s family.

This film is for all people to see, young and

old. It debunks the perception that transplants are only needed by old people; one boy at the table is 16 years old. Cox hopes that this film will raise donor awareness.

“The people come from very different ways of life,” he says.

“But they’ve all gone through absolute hell. For them, the most important thing now is to find kindness and gentleness and love.”

Paul Cox will be present for Q&A after the film.

Supported by DonateLife, Northern NSW Organ & Tissue Donation Service. Entry to the film is by donation to the Austin Hospital Transplant Unit.

“It is very important for everyone to be informed about the issues around organ donation and I would encourage everyone to see this film.” – Louise Owen, liver transplant recipient survivor

Paul Cox is also the subject of David Bradbury’s On Borrowed Time, screening before our Gala Party Saturday 10th – see page 38.

ScreenZone Launch & Byron International Documentary Prize BBFF 2012 is proud to present the inaugural Byron International Documentary Prize and the launch of ScreenZone. The prizewinner will be awarded a cash prize of $5,000 sponsored by ScreenZone.

ScreenZone is offering this prize in order to ensure BBFF continues to celebrate films that push the boundaries, raise awareness and affect humanity in positive ways.

ScreenZone is a new website for documentary based in the Byron Shire.

A growing number of documentary makers are having trouble getting their films to audiences and many audiences can’t get to see the documentaries they want. Through the internet ScreenZone plans to meet both needs.

(02) 66 191 777

mullummac

info@mullummac.com www.mullummac.com

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PROUDLY SUPPORTING BBFF AND LOCAL FILMMAKERS 12 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

9104

MAC IT EASY ON YOURSELF

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

Workshops & Discussion Panels Sponsored by the SAE Institute The BBFF has proudly established itself as a platform for supporting filmmakers in their quest to educate, open minds, share stories, and bridge gaps of understanding between cultures and backgrounds. BBFF is host to a number of workshops and panels that will educate and enlighten filmmakers and film lovers alike. Running from 60 minutes to 2+ hours we ask that you arrive promptly and stay for the whole session. Detailed information regarding the speakers and themes for these special events can be found at www.bbff.com.au.

Going Digital: Free Filmmakers Workshop Going Vertical, the internationally acclaimed documentary exploring surfing’s shortboard revolution, was Producer Robert Raymond’s first foray into the digital realm, where the future of filmmaking lies. Robert’s experience working with different formats will offer filmmakers the opportunity to discuss the challenges and successes of mixed-format films in the digital age.

Pighouse Flicks Saturday March 3rd, 11am

Occupy The Screen: Free Discussion Panel When the power of film is harnessed to raise awareness and ignite debate the possibilities are endless. This panel discusses the use of film to educate and enlighten, the power the filmmakers wield, and the

obstacles to activating change through the cinematic experience. Our panelists include the filmmakers behind Decadence: Decline of the Western World and David Bradbury, one of Australia’s most socially and politically motivated filmmakers.

SCU Room Monday March 4th at 2pm

Extreme Filming: Free Discussion Panel Film-makers discuss their experiences filming extreme subjects in extreme environments, with extreme people. The panel will follow action on the ski slopes of Switzerland to the Himalayas; following the Silk Route in search of the perfect rock climbing location; the unpredictable world of the oceans and how to stay cool from both sides of the lens.

SCU Room Thursday March 8th at 2pm

The Future Has Arrived: Free Filmmakers Workshop As a filmmaker how do you take control to maximise your profit, target your audience and connect with the global community? The international market for online video content is growing, however few independent filmmakers are able to effectively selfdistribute. Online film distributors, ScreenZone and an expert panel will answer these questions and demonstrate how filmmakers can utilise ScreenZone to broadcast their films.

SCU Room Friday March 9th 11am-12pm

Multi-culturalism on and off the screen in the film industry: Free Discussion Panel This expert panel will discuss the role film plays in shifting cultural prejudice, with an insight into how film-makers should handle the sensitivities of filming within a foreign culture. Panelists include: Maxine Williamson (Asia Pacific Screen Awards); Armin Miladi (Iranian Touring Film Festival); plus the BBFF filmmakers behind Talking Story; Miss South Pacific and Inuk. Chaired by the new CEO of Arts Northern Rivers Peter Wood.

SCU Room Friday March 9th, 2pm

Jack McCoy Masterclass With over 25 award winning films to his credit, world renowned surf filmmaker McCoy will be sharing his life’s work in a not-to-be-missed workshop at this year’s festival. Covering his entire career, McCoy will be sharing the stoke of not only making his own films, but his life focusing on water photography and with it some of the Documentary, Music Video and Feature Films he’s worked on.

Pighouse Flicks Sat March 10th, 1pm – $15

Jack & Peter Thompson: Masterclass One of Australia’s cinema legends sits on the couch with his filmmaker brother Peter for an intimate look at a life in film. Starting out in a number of Australian TV series, Jack has gone on to have an award winning career in feature films. Along the way he has worked with a number of big screen legends including director Clint Eastwood, Russell Crowe and Christopher Walken. Jack will join us fresh from the set of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. Come and join us for what will be an unforgettable evening with one of Australia’s acting greats.

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BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 13

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BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Opening Night

1

The Maestro Australia | 0:05:52 | Dir/Prod: Adam Anthony | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere A derelict on the streets of a big city steals a window washer’s squeegee and sets off to unlock its secrets.

Friday 2nd – 6.45pm for a 7.30pm start Early Bird $35, Full Price $50

Filmmaker Adam Anthony will be in attendance.

Face to Face Australia | 1:25:00 | DirProd: Michael Rymer | Astral Pictures Inc. | 2011 | Byron Premiere | Best Film Nominee, Best Dramatic Feature Nominee From Australia’s most acclaimed playwright, David Williamson, a moving and powerful new film about lies, betrayal, and sex in the workplace. This acclaimed Dramatic Feature has won over 32 awards worldwide. In this enthralling and multifaceted story a young construction worker is pushed to the edge and flies off the rails violently attacking his colleague and his boss. In an attempt to stay out of the courts he’s given the chance to explain his actions in a community conference, facilitated by a social worker played by Matthew Newton. This face-to-face confrontation between the young man, his boss, his boss’s wife, co-workers, best mate and mother lifts the lid on their workplace dirty laundry, turning all of their lives upside down. Face to Face stars a stellar ensemble cast led by Vince Colosimo, Sigrid Thornton and Luke Ford and is directed by Michael Rymer (Angel Baby).

Director Michael Rymer; Producers Gabrielle Christopher & Leanne Hanley; Cinematographer Dennys Ilic and actor Vince Colosimo will be in attendance

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14 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

Dan Murphy’s, proud sponsor of the Byron Bay International Film Festival.

Visit one of these nearby Dan Murphy’s stores: Ballina Cnr Kalinga St and Riverview Ave. Lismore 68 Ballina Road.

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FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

Family packs – buy 3 get 1 free – are available only from the venue.

Sometimes the Stars

Bob

Australia | 0:04:33 | Dir: Ari Gibson | Prod: Luke Jurevicius | Vishus Productions | Music Video | 2010 | Byron Premiere | Music Video Nominee

Germany | 0:03:10 | Dir: Jacob Frey | Prod: Anna Matacz | Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg | Animation | 2009 | Australian Premiere

A lost girl’s journey through a surreal landscape, and her yearning to make a connection in this distant yet familiar world.

Who says a hamster can’t travel the world chasing down his lady-love?

Uhm, Bob.

Be Netherlands, Portugal | 0:05:00 | Dir: Milan Amzic | Prod: Susana Andrade | Mind Act | Surf | 2011 | Australian Premiere I dream a lot, I dream about winning.

I dream about everybody recognising me as the best. It has always been with me.

5 Minutes Each Canada, Serbia/Montenegro | 0:09:50 | Dir/Prod: Vojin Vasovic | To Blink Studio | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere An upswing and a then downfall. A metaphorical story about the constant struggle of the artist to reach those five minutes of limelight.

Abbie Australia | 0:07:50 | Dir: Erin Good | Prod: Taylor Litton-Strain | Short | 2010 | Byron Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee A gentle and evocative story of an idealistic young woman’s entry into the unforgiving workforce.

Mahahula the Giant Rodent of Happiness

2

Pappa’s Problemo Australia | 0:03:01 | Dir: Tom Prizeman | Prod: Tony Bellino | Bellstar Productions | Short | 2011 | World Premiere An Italian-Australian injures himself doing the gardening but gets unexpected help to ready his tomato plot for planting.

Filmmakers Tom Prizeman and Tony Bellino will be in attendance.

Egaro France | 0:06:09 | Dir: Benoît Delaunay | Prod: Carine Leblanc | Autour de Minuit Productions | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Animation Nominee A sad and lonely little man dreams of having the courage to get out of his house to meet the woman he loves.

My Hometown Canada | 0:07:00 | Dir:/Prod: Terry Tompkins | Eggplant Productions Inc | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere Yoko Ono’s timless message of home, hope and love, depicting children from all over the world.

Alison’s Adventures

United Kingdom | 0:00:48 | Dir: Nomint Motion Design | Prod: Passion Pictures | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere

USA | 0:10:00 | Dir/Prod: Alison Teal | Self | Short Documentary | 2012 | Australian Premiere

At the very beginning, when happiness first appeared in the world, it was born from an alien space-travelling seed that crash-landed on primordial earth.

Get ready to join Alison Teal, extreme adventurer, filmmaker and soul surfer, on her wild adventures around the world.

Filmmaker Alison Teal will be in attendance.

Saturday 3rd – 10.30am – $7 or 4 for the price of 3

Family-friendly shorts

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BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 15

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

3

Adults only shorts Shafted Lismore | 0:07:13 | Dir/Prod: Travis Jamieson | Short | 2011 After a tragic accident Damien is given a very special gift from his father.

A Tale of Obsession Australia | 0:13:45 | Dir/Prod: Dave Wade | Desi2thongs productions | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere A young girl curbs her obsession with food in order to get the guy she wants.

She’s able to lose weight, but is this new obsession more dangerous than her old one?

The Good Neighbour Australia | 0:15:00 | Dir: James Crisp | Prod: Pete Ireland | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere Max suffers from avoidant personality syndrome. He lives alone in an apartment building in a rough part of town. Here he encounters a young girl he feels drawn to help who, in turn, draws Max out of his shell.

Mirabilis

Saturday 3rd – 12.00pm – $7

Australia | 0:12:40 | Dir:/Prod: Anthony Guilbert | Tub Studio Productions | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere A woman enters a pub and meets her father. Things are not as they appear to be.

Paying For It USA | 0:21:43 | Dir: Lauren Lillie | Prod: Narineh Hacopian | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere On a weekend getaway, 18-year-old Deidre discovers a passed out call girl and decides to help her. During their ensuing hours together, Deidre opens up to this woman in a way that she isn’t capable of confiding in anyone else.

BOOKS @ Byron Bay Mary Ryan’s is a friendly bookshop in the heart of Byron Bay. Great range of books, fresh local food and the best barista in town!

Mary’s Byron Bay 21-25 Fletcher St, Byron Bay Open 7 days 02 6685 8183 byronbay@maryryan.com.au

more than books, music & coffee 16 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

Australia | 0:06:28 | Dir: David Klein, Chris Andrews, Callum Fitzhardinge & Chris Tovo | Prod: Sophie Simmons | BMF Melbourne | Surf | 2011 | Byron Premiere About the life, career and craft of Simon Anderson, creator of the thruster, surfing icon and AEG tradesman.

Filmmaker Callum Fitzhardinge in attendance.

The Art of Fighting

Switch Australia | 0:10:00 | Dir: Phoebe Hartley | Prod: Brendan Lee | Paper Plane Films | Short | 2011 | World Premiere In an outer suburban skateboard park, mounting tension between two young sisters comes to a head. One foot in front of the other. Push. Now, switch.

I’ll Make This Whole World Mine France | 0:02:02 | Dir/Prod: Hatim Elmrini | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Australia | 0:11:40 | Dir: Gavain Browne | Prod: Alex Barnes | Silver Screen Pictures | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere |

A short film about travelling, city lights, love and memories.

Carrying only childhood memories of a desolate Afghanistan and the battered photograph of Bruce Lee, a refugee is on the cusp of pursuing his lifelong dream.

Australia | 0:10:00 | Dir: Nick Moore | Prod: Tony Walsh | Vicious Pictures | Experimental | 2011 | NSW Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee

Burn – Never Extinguish Australia | 0:03:57 | Dir: Ash Bolland | Prod: Tara Riddell | Experimental | 2012 | Byron Premiere | Experimental Nominee Create. Inspire. And stop at nothing.

The Lines Australia | 0:11:36 | Dir: Danny Camara | Prod: Jay Palmer | Queensland University of Technology | Short Documentary | 2011 | World Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee Tells the story of Mitchell James Byrne, one of Australia’s most influential skate filmers, whose life was tragically cut short, and the skateboard video project he left behind.

Filmmaker Danny Camara will be in attendance.

4

The Hardcore Obsession

An inside look at the ‘Hardcore’ music genre and the social stigma that surrounds the music, culture and people.

Filmmaker Nick Moore and Tony Walsh will be in attendance.

A Day at the Pool USA | 0:23:41 | Dir/Prod: Ian Douglass & Eric Fulford | Salt LLC | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere A Day at the Pool sheds new light on the story of skateboarding’s history and calls into question the validity of Stacy Peralta’s 2001 documentary, Dog Town and Z-Boys. Includes interviews with Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta and Jay Adams.

Come Hell or High Water USA | 0:42:00 | Dir: Kairth Malloy | Prod: Michael Pizzo | Woodshed Films | Surf | 2011 | NSW Premiere | Surf Nominee Keith Malloy’s latest film, Come Hell or High Water, shot primarily on 16mm focuses on the simplicity and beauty of bodysurfing. Keith explores the history and progression of the sport through its many unique characters. “It’s about taking a breath, and kicking your feet in the big blue sea.”

Saturday 3rd – 1.45pm – $11

AEG Tradesman Series – Simon Anderson

BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 17

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

New Zealand | 0:17:25 | Dir/Prod: Simon Clentworth | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere Ollie is an eight-year-old boy who suffers from a rare obsessivecompulsive disorder. With best friend in tow he sets out to bridge the gap between those he loves most, in the only way he knows how.

Saturday 3rd – 4.30pm $11

5

Ollie

This session contains adult themes and is recommended for viewers aged 15 and over.

Toomelah Australia | 1:41:24 | Dir: Ivan Sen | Prod: David Jowsey | Bunya Productions | Drama | 2011 | Byron Premiere | Best Dramatic Feature Nominee Amidst the physically and emotionally empty spaces of Toomelah, one of Australia’s most impoverished Aboriginal communities, ten-year-old Daniel’s life is sliding toward oblivion. All but abandoned by an uncaring mother and ruinously alcoholic father, Daniel falls in with a local drug dealer and his crew, only to find his new world of petty crime holds its own dangers This beautifully photographed feature from director Ivan Sen shares the same meditative pace and impeccable eye for the Australian landscape as his earlier acclaimed work Beneath Clouds. A heartbreaking and confronting portrait of life in the forgotten margins of the Australian outback.

Piercing Silence

6

Australia | 0:10:38 | Dir/Prod: Ninna Millikin | Short Documentary | 2011 | Byron Premiere Three women overcome self-judgment and a subtle, pervasive stigma to share their profound personal stories and face the truth of abortion.

Filmmaker Ninna Millikin will be in attendance.

Luminaris Argentina | 0:06:00 | Dir: Juan Pablo Zaramella | Prod: Sol Rulloni | Jpztudio | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere In a world controlled and timed by the light, a common man has a plan that could change destiny.

Year Zero Czech Republic, Netherlands | 0:06:22 | Dir: Mischa Rozema | Prod: Annejes van Liempd | PostPanic | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere If the future lands on our doorstep today, will the present be devoured?

Saturday 3rd – 7.30pm – $15

Sielunsieppaaja (Soul Catcher) Finland | 0:14:00 | Dir/Prod: PV Lehtinen | CineParadiso | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere “They say with every photo that is taken, a piece of your soul goes with it.”

Soul Catcher is a visually impressive journey into the core of humanity. Without any words, it tells a story in several layers and leaves the viewer reflecting on our invisible essence, the beliefs around it and humanity in general.

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18 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

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FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

USA | 1:20:00 | Dir: Alma Har’el | Prod: Alma Har’el | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Documentary Nominee The rusting relic of a failed 1950s development boom, the Salton Sea is a barren Californian landscape often seen as a symbol of the failure of the American Dream. A sea in the middle of the Colorado desert.

A dreamlike poem that sets personal stories to a stylised melding of observational documentary and choreographed dance, to music specially composed for the film by Zach Condon of the band Beirut, and songs by Bob Dylan.

Photographer, video artist, and music video director, Alma Har’el crafts an adamantly atypical and artistically innovative film telling the story of of three protagonists: Benny Parrish, a young boy diagnosed with bipolar disorder whose troubled soul and vivid imagination create both suffering and joy for him and his complex and loving family. CeeJay Thompson, a black teenager and aspiring football player who has taken refuge in Bombay Beach hoping to avoid the same fate of his cousin who was murdered by a gang of youths in LA. And that of Red, an ancient survivor, once an oil field worker, living on the fumes of whiskey, cigarettes and an irrepressible love of life. Together they make up a triptych of American manhood in its decisive moments, populating the Salton Sea’s land of thwarted opportunity. A moving and madly inventive documentary experience and an evocative, symbolic portrait of rural America and its inhabitants.

Terry Gilliam: “A beautiful, quirky, and ultimately very moving film about the American Dream as it teeters on the edge of a desert sea.”

Triboluminescence USA | 0:02:00 | Dir/Prod: Benjamin Ridgway | Animation | 2010 | Australian Premiere Triboluminescence is an investigation of pulsating, revolving geometrical forms that unfold from an infinitely small origin point.

6 Saturday 3rd – 7.30pm – $15

Bombay Beach

7

The Dawn Sequence Australia | 0:07:26 | Dir: Sebastian Pagueguy | Prod: Sebastian Alaniz | Smog.tv | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere Two girls and a boy lost in the city after a heavy night out.

Sometimes some memories should never be remembered.

Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy Ecstasy is a transformational dark love story from the love of ecstasy to the ecstasy of love.

DJ culture, club life, and love drugs are the focus of director Rob Heydon’s new film, Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy.

Ecstasy is the long-awaited (10 years in production) follow-up to Irvine Welsh’s first novel-turned-movie, the infamous cult-classic, Trainspotting.

Adam Sinclair and Kristin Kreuk star in this love story set against the backdrop of the wild Scottish party scene. With a soundtrack that includes Paul Oakenfold, Tiesto, Mark Knight and even an on-screen cameo of John Digweed, himself.

Ballina to Melbourne flights 3 times per week.

Saturday 3rd – 10.00pm – $11

Canada | 1:45:00 | Dir/Prod: Rob Heydon | Ecstasy Film Inc | Drama | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Get there quicker.

Gateway Airport

Get there quicker. www.ballinabyronairport.com.au BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 19

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

8

Out in the Street Australia, USA | 0:02:48 | Dir: Mark Simpson | Prod: Mark Simpson | Sixty40 | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere In an effort to avoid a demeaning and de-personalising recycling process, domestic helper robots choose a violent end.

Filmmaker Mark Simpson will be in attendance.

Hard Rubbish Australia | 0:06:37 | Dir/Prod: Steve Mitchell | Angela Lee | Short | 2010 | Australian Premiere Two men find a TV left outside for hard rubbish collection and realise they both want it. This sparks a war.

Waste Not Australia | 0:25:26 | Dir: Ruth Hessey | Prod: Sophie Alstergren | Total Environment Centre | Short Documentary | 2011 | Byron Premiere | Environmental Film Nominee What keeps a 21st century metropolis clean and sparkling? Even as we hover on the brink of a monumental eco-crisis, an army of truck drivers, scientists, environmentalists and gardeners are working to transform the mountains of stuff we throw away into something valuable again.

Filmmakers Ruth Hessey and Sophie Alstergren will be in attendance.

Penultimate USA | 0:03:56 | Dir/Prod: Paul Meyers | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Discarded pens take on new life in this portrait of Californian artist and designer Costas Schuler.

Sunday 4th – 10.30am – $7

The Hungry Tide

Winner of Champion of Show 2011 Enquiries 6687 1043 20 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

Australia | 1:28:00 | Dir/Prod: Tom Zubrycki | Jotz Productions | Documentary | 2011 | Byron Premiere | Environmental Film Nominee The central Pacific nation of Kiribati is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change.

Sea level rise and increasing salinity are threatening the lives of 105,000 people spread over 33 atolls in this remote corner of the Pacific. It’s the same ocean which, for generations, has sustained the country that is now the source of its destruction.

Maria Tiimon, originally from Kiribati, now lives in Sydney, where she works for an NGO raising awareness of climate-change issues in the Pacific to schools and community groups. Her spiritual home, however, is the small Kiribati atoll of Beru. This is where her father lives, a proud village elder, whom Maria idolises.

Filmmaker Tom Zubrycki will be in attendance.

Byron Bay Coffee Company is proudly sponsoring the Byron Bay Film Festival

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

The Missing Key Australia | 0:29:55 | Dir/Prod: Jonathan Nix | Animation | 2011 | Byron Premiere | Animation Nominee In a richly re-imagined Venice of the early 1920s, young composer Hero Wasabi must compete against the unscrupulous Count Telefino in the prestigious Abacus Scroll musical competition.

9

The Missing Key is the latest film lovingly made over a number of years by award winning short filmmaker Jonathan Nix. A dazzling film with animation that is uniquely beautiful and art direction that is simply fantastic.

Filmmaker Jonathan Nix will be in attendance.

Masks Singapore, USA | 0:07:30 | Dir/Prod: Patrick Smith | Patrick Smith Films | Animation | 2010 | Australian Premiere A renegade scientist perfects a cloning process to satisfy demand and repopulate the world.

Rugged Wilderness & Mountain Man No More – Dropping Feathers Norway | 0:04:29 | Dir/Prod: Egil Pedersen | Egil Pedersen | Music Video | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Music Video Nominee What is normal? What is beautiful? One woman sets out to make a change and not hide behind the mask.

The Palace Netherlands | 0:11:00 | Dir: Ruud Satijn | Prod: Atilla Meijs & Ivo Noorlander | Short Film | 2010 | Australian Premiere On her first ever night out, fourteen-year-old Machteld discovers that the grown up world in disco The Palace is not as mysterious, romantic or exciting as she expected it to be.

Canada | 1:00:00 | Dir/Prod: Summer Preney | Deltatime Productions | Documentary | 2010 | Australian Premiere Sounds Like a Revolution is a pro-active and energising documentary about a new generation of activist musicians who are living proof that music is an important and powerful tool in the ongoing struggle for social change. From the Dixie Chicks to Paris, Michael Franti and Anti-Flag, artists across the musical spectrum discuss their motivations and struggles in a post-9/11 environment when dissent was silenced and media outlets either ignored them or forced them into self-censorship before their material was released. Now with the decade gone, the internet and Obama bring new hope…

With themes that explore the role of artists in society, freedom of expression and democratic participation, Sounds Like a Revolution tells a universal story of how we are all politicised by the increasingly dangerous world in which we live, and begs the question: Will you stand up for truth or turn and walk away?

Sunday 4th – 1.30pm – $11

Sounds Like a Revolution

absolute waterfront leave the rest to us 1800 826 181 www.ramadaballinabyron.com.au

BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 21

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

10

Automata

The Secret History of the Assassins

Australia | 0:11:05 | Dir/Prod: Matthew Richards | Four Anchor Island | Experimental | 2011 | Byron Premiere

Suffolk Park | 0:54:00 | Dir: Richard Mordaunt | Prod: Richard Mordaunt & Michael Oliver | Documentary | 2012 | Sneak Preview

Henry is the last in a long line of duck hunters. An examination of the connection between the hunter and his prey.

Cleaning Up United Kingdom | 0:13:58 | Dir: Thomas Guerrier | Prod: Ben Greenacre | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere Mr Jackson is the perfect hitman: cold, calculating and professional. You see him and you die – don’t you?

Sunday 4th – 4.00pm – $11

Leave Without Running

11

Germany, United Kingdom | 0:13:20 | Dir/Prod: Juergen Tonkel | JET Productions | Short | 2010 | Australian Premiere

In 1960 Richard Mordaunt and Michael Oliver set out to explore the Valley of the Assassins in northern Persia and reveal a chapter of Middle-Eastern history which had remained largely hidden for 900 years.

Who were the Ismaili’s and how did they get their terrible reputation for assassination? Was there really a Grand Master of Alamout with a secret Garden of Paradise where he gave hashish to his followers, before sending them out on targeted assassinations?

50 years later they return with Sally Oliver for a very personal journey inside the Islamic world.

Director Richard Mordaunt will be in attendance.

A stressed-out insurance agent first loses control over his sense of time and then loses consciousness altogether. When he comes to, he finds himself in a bizarre situation.

Manigances France | 0:24:00 | Dir/Prod: Simon Briand | Irina Production | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere A visually spectacular yet dark tale of a one man’s ambition to become the chief of a secret society, and the shadowy figures he must manipulate to get there.

Democrazy Colombia | 0:01:53 | Dir/Prod: Daniel Gonzalez Silva | Short Documentary | 2010 | World Premiere A unique point of view on democracy in Colombia.

The Greek Crisis Explained Sunday 4th – 7.00pm – $15

Greece | 0:02:44 | Dir/Prod: Nomint Motion Design | Animation | 2010 | Australian Premiere An interpretation of the Greek financial crisis, where ‘Greece’, a young spoiled girl, gets devoured by Dept, a humongous monster.

Turnstile Australia | 0:04:10 | Dir/Prod: Mandy Keulen | Short | 2010 | NSW Premiere A homeless man sits quietly, unnoticed amongst the hustle and bustle of a busy peak hour train station. A chance meeting sets the turnstiles of Karma in motion.

Good News, Oklahoma!

USA | 0:17:30 | Dir: Doug Hannah | Prod: Alexandra Barreto | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere A satire about a well-intentioned liberal who, fed up with salacious local media, creates her own show dedicated to good news, inadvertently paving a path of destruction that undermines everything she stands for.

Session 11 continued on page 27

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BBFF BBIFF PROGRAMME PROGRAM GUIDE 23

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Programme

Out In The Street

8

Hard Rubbish Waste Not Penultimate

10.30am $7

20

The Hungry Tide Experimental Showcase – SCU Room

12-2.30pm Free 10

SUNDAY 4TH

The Missing Key Masks

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Rugged Wilderness & Mountain Man No More – Dropping Feathers

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Time/ price

Film

Session

Date

FRI 2

Opening Night The Maestro Face to Face

10

Leave Without Running

11

6.45pm for a 7.30pm start Early Bird $35 Full Price $50

Bob Pappa’s Problemo

12

15

Egaro

13

27

4.00pm $11

28

2.00pm – Free

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7:30pm $15

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12.30pm $7

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4.00pm $11

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7.30pm $15

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12.30pm $7

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4.00pm $11

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7.30pm $15

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Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn

16

AEG Tradesman Series – Simon Anderson The Art of Fighting Burn: Never Extinguish Switch

1.45pm $11

15 TUESDAY 6TH

SATURDAY 3RD

12.00pm $7

Paying For It

Rocket Man Ghost Of Old Highways

17

Revival Tethered Putty Hill

16

Tish Ho Robot e Pinocchi Convento Sayonara

17

Minus Fãbrica De Muãecas (Dolls Factory) A Finger, Two Dots Then Me Crazy Wisdom

The Hardcore Obsession

1923 aka Heaven

Come Hell or High Water

Convergentes

Ollie Toomelah

4.30pm $11

18

Luminaris Year Zero Soul Catcher (Sielunsieppaaja)

7.30pm $15

18

Bombay Beach Triboluminescence The Dawn Sequence Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy

24 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

10.00pm $11

19

WEDNESDAY 7TH

Day At The Pool

Piercing Silence

7

12.30pm $7

Beauty Day

Mirabilis

The Lines

My Brother Greg Interview

Remake

Shafted The Good Neighbour

Mugs

Discussion Panel: Occupy The Screen – SCU Room

Adult Only Shorts A Tale of Obsession

Revive

Sal (Salt)

Alison’s Adventures: Snaked!

6

22

Ãrea De Descanso (Rest Area)

14

My Hometown

5

7.00pm $15

Wings

MONDAY 5TH

Mahahula The Giant Rodent Of Happiness

10.30am $7 + 4 for the price of 3

Turnstile Decadence: Decline of The Western World

14

5 Minutes Each Abbie

The Greek Crisis Explained Good News, Oklahoma!

Be

4

22

Automata Cleaning Up

Democrazy

Sometimes the stars

3

4.00pm $11

Sounds like a Revolution

The Secrets of the Assassins

BYRON COMMUNITY CENTRE

2

21

The Palace

Manigances

1

1.30pm $11

18

Waiting For The Turning Of The Earth 1925 aka Hell Maquillaje The Sacred Science

19

Reflex Millhaven Tatal Fantoma (Phantom Father)

20

Kill Wildlife Not Plastic Come to Harm Inuk

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

21

Distant Thunder

Transworld Express

Miss South Pacific: Beauty and the Sea

Reve de 1er avril 1999

Life Model

32

2.00pm – Free

13

eXtinction

31

Algo Queda Abuelas (Something Remains)

4.00pm $11

33

Malaki-Scent Of An Angel Acon Fundraiser

23

Hold On Tight Simply Rob

38

Wake Up

Two Seconds After Laughter

22

10.30am $7

Among Giants

Omdat wij mooi waren (Because We Were Beautiful) Discussion Panel: Extreme Filming – SCU Room

7.30pm $15

34

SUNDAY 11TH

THURSDAY 8TH

Weathering Change

12.30pm $7

11.00am – entry 12 by donation

Leh Wi Tok (Let Us Talk)

32

Moving On

33

Zhao shi gu er (Sacrifice)

Mondiale TM

1.00pm $11

39

4.00pm $11

40

7.00pm $15

40

Connected Simultaneous Screening Appy Ever After

The Skin I’m In Sunset Cinema – located next to the Byron Bay Surf Club Arrive from 6.30pm for films at 7.30pm

BimbleBox Special Preview Screening: The Dinner Party – SCU Room

Ludzie Normalni (Normal People)

34

8

The Stranger Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death & Technology

Filmmakers Workshop: The Future Has Arrived – SCU Room 11.00am – Free 13 Brandt Rhapsodie The Future Al Martha Lauf (Martha Must Fly)

12.30pm $7

34

2.00pm Free

13

4.00pm $11

35

7.30pm – $15

13

2 Night

Arabic Fusion, The Sound Between The Notes Press Pause Play

Masterclass: Jack & Peter Thompson – SCU Room All Systems Go, Neil Armstrong

26

Història d’Este The Gloaming

7.30pm $15

35

SATURDAY 10TH

Manufacturing Stoke

27

Children of the Air

28

Chika sugiru sora (Too Close to the Sky)

Talking Story The Boy Mir – Ten Years in Afghanistan

10.30am $7

36

1.00pm $11

36

MURWILLUMBAH REGENT CINEMA THU 8

25

SAT 10

Discussion Panel: Multi-Culturalism On And Off The Screen In The Film Industry – SCU Room

Jackson Dunn ‘Yuni’s Song’

M1

Life in Red String 4.00pm $11

37

Shoplifting Beneath the Waves

Talking Story

M3

Among Giants

On Borrowed Time

6.45pm for a 7.30pm start $35 Early Bird $50 Full Price

13

P1

8.30pm $15

41

P3

Blue Sway A Deeper Shade of Blue

2pm $11

41

6.30pm $15

41

SAT 10

11am – Free

13

Going Vertical

Fish & Ladders Ulas Path

3.30pm $11

43

M5

Ludzie Normalni (Normal People) The Stranger

7.00pm $11

44

LISMORE BIRCH CARROLL & COYLE

1pm – $15

P2

43

38

Jack McCoy Masterclass Storm Surfers

6.00pm $11

Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death & Technology

Common Ground

L1

Mercury

4.30pm $11

45

4.30 $11

45

BimbleBox When I Grow Up

SUN 11

SAT 10 SUN 11

Filmmakers Workshop: Going Digital

eXtinction

Connected Simultaneous Screening

PIGHOUSE FLICKS SAT 3

42

Appy Ever After

The Thing About Dolphins Gala Closing Party

2.30pm $11

BimbleBox

A 12 Step Program

30

Pot Country

M2

M4

Class Wars

Murder Mouth

42

Veneer

Few Are Chosen

29

7.00pm $11

Crazy Wisdom

Young Australian Filmmakers

Better on the Inside

The Day His Holiness The Dalai Lama came to Chenrezig Institute

Man of the Trees

SUN 11

FRIDAY 9TH

24

Shafted

L2

Hezarfen Burn: Never Extinguish Day At The Pool Drop

BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 25

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Menu sneak-a-peak:

Share the Love

Pop by for dinner or snack and travel through the lands of Thailand before wandering off on a movie adventure from another corner of the world.

fresh rice paper roll w your choice of vegetarian 3 ea or chicken 3.5 ea or prawn 4.5 ea 8 marinated prawn skewers w tamarind sauce (2 pcs) 6 pcs) (2 peanuts and sauce satay w chicken skewers 12.5 traditional fish cakes w cucumber relish (4 pcs) 9.5 green papaya salad, cherry tomatoes, green beans & red chilli nahm jim 19 tea-smoked salmon salad w bean sprouts, fresh herbs & sweet dressing 23 prawn or 21 chicken or 19.5 vegetarian of traditional pad thai w your choice stir fry of thai basil & chilli w your choice of vegetarian 19.5 or chicken 21 or prawn 23 26 green curry of prawns w baby corn, bamboo & green beans 28 traditional mussaman curry of braised beef brisket w potato & onion 24 panang curry of roasted pumpkin, grilled eggplant & thai basil 28 s peppercorn green & mushrooms w goat organic local of curry jungle

with our pre- & post-film shared dining options 3 courses shared between 2 diners just $45

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lychee rose crushed lemon grass w rose cordial lychee juice & sparkling wine pineapple & coconut caipiroska lime shaken w vodka, coconut water & pienapple long byron tea pear vodka tequila & cointreau shaken w cranberry juice topped up w bitter lemon sunflower pineapple & kaffir leaves muddled w pimm’s & vodka topped up w ginger beer ruby rose crushed lemon grass w rose cordial lychee & ruby grapefruit lime blossom mint & lime shaken w chilled jasmine tea & cranberry juice

Every Evening 5.30 to 9.30 ~ Dine-In or Take-Away

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26 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU Session 11 continued from page 22

Australia | 1:46:00 | Dir/Prod: Pria Viswalingam | Fork Films | Documentary | 2011 | Byron Premiere | Documentary Nominee A lush essay-style documentary filmed in ten countries; about the world within and about us. All civilisations rise and fall. For 300 years, the Judeo-Christian West has been the world’s pre-eminent civilisation. So, where is the West on the timeline? Many have theorised about the fall of western civilisation but now we appear to have the evidence.

Low birth rates, ageing populations, debt-laden economies and immigration – the West consumes without consequence, loves without longevity and lives without meaning. Peak oil, climate change, the GFC is the world without. Decadence is about the world within. About us. About what we have gained and lost. About a new renaissance or a final dark age? You choose.

Filmmakers in attendance.

Wings Brunswick Heads | 0:13:02 | Dir: Ly de Angeles | Prod: Alex Tinley | Full Story Productions Pty Ltd | Short | 2011

Sunday 4th – 7.00pm $15

11

Decadence: Decline of the Western World

12

The Angel of Death is the most misunderstood of all the angel world. He attends a psychiatrist with seemingly lots of problems and lots of ways to entertain himself.

Revive Australia | 0:02:00 | Dir: Alyson Standen | Prod: Dane Carson | Short | 2012 | World Premiere A woman struggles against the seduction of sleep.

Mugs USA | 0:04:24 | Dir/Prod: Ronnie Cramer | Scorched Earth Productions | Experimental | 2010 | Australian Premiere Watch as one hundred celebrity mug shots hypnotically morph from one to the next.

Ãrea de Descanso (Rest Area) Spain | 1:37:00 | Dir/Prod: Michael Aguiló | El Álamo Producciones Cinematográficas, S.L. | Drama | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Best Dramatic Feature Nominee

Monday 5th – 12.30pm – $7

In this heartfelt yet suspenseful dramatic feature Cosmos, a 55-year-old Polish coach driver, is driving tourists to Spain. The coach breaks down. He parks in a rest area. The passengers are picked up by another coach and Cosmos remains alone with his coach with no light, no water and no food. Awaiting a spare part, he stays there for two weeks, surviving thanks to the generosity of a few travellers.

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BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 27

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

13

My Brother Greg Germany | 0:03:00 | Dir/Prod: Philipp Enders | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere For Greg, the line between sanity and madness is blurred when an annoying housefly enters the room and gets trapped in his subconscious.

Monday 5th – 4.00pm – $11

Interview

14

South Korea | 0:05:00 | Dir/Prod: Hyun-won Kim | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere A nervous artist can’t focus on his drawings. But does he really want to draw?

Sal (Salt) Argentina, Chile | 1:52:00 | Dir: Diego Rougier | Prod: Javiera Contador | Picardia Films | Drama | 2011 | Australian Premiere Sergio’s father always used to say, “what is better than a western?” A lot of things, according to the production company’s men, to whom Sergio is trying to sell his western movie script. One says the names of the main characters are stupid. The next is displeased with the lack of belly dancers and camels, even though Sergio’s Sal (Salt) is set in the camel-less deserts of Chile. Sergio packs his belongings in Spain and flies off to Chile. He ends up in a small western-like town, just like the kind he would like to depict. The inhabitants of the town mistake him for a man named “Diego” and since Diego seems to have been up to no good, Sergio ends up in a western drama of his own. Scenes from Sergio’s script appear every now and then with all the one-liners and sprawling fingers hovering over gun holsters you could ever wish for. Elegantly using old western aesthetics to create an exciting and contemporary story, Diego Rougier’s Sal is the perfect combination of parody and real western.

Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn USA | 0:02:57 | Dir: Hoku Uchiyama | Prod: Vanishing Angle | Vanishing Angle | Music Video | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Music Video Nominee A hand-drawn pair of Siamese twins interact with their drawings which have taken on a life of their own.

Monday 5th – 7.30pm – $15

Rocket Man South Africa | 0:12:15 | Dir/Prod: Anton du Preez | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere Michael is an ex-human cannonball whose wife has passed. His daughter has booked him into an old age home. This is his last day of freedom, his one last show as ‘Rocket Man’.

Ghost of Old Highways USA | 0:15:00 | Dir: Dan Bush | Prod: Jason Piccolo | Lovett Music | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere Exploring the identity of the hero in the collective American psyche, a man pursued by an invading army hunts down previous versions of himself amidst the purgatory of a fractured consciousness.

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Australia | 0:06:14 | Dir: Chris Tomkins | Prod: Marisa Brown | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere A smash and grab takes an unexpected twist when two thieves find themselves confronted with a haul they can’t carry.

Beauty Day Canada | 1:30:00 | Dir: Jay Cheel | Prod: Kevin McMahon | Primitive Entertainment | Documentary | 2011 | Byron Premiere Before there was Jackass... there was Ralph Zavadil.

His cable access television show, The Cap’n Video Show, ran in the US from 1990 to 1995, spawning a small but loyal cult following. Each week, Ralph performed a series of idiotic and occasionally dangerous stunts, challenging the sensibilities of his small audience for five seasons. With the advent of the internet and reality television still years away, his unique brand of gross-out stunt comedy was truly ahead of its time. All it took was a broken neck for him to get noticed.

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28 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

Remake

WE SHIP AUSTRALIA WIDE

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

Revival USA | 0:04:00 | Dir: Ivan Landau | Prod: Beats Antique | Music Video | 2012 | Australian Premiere | Music Video Nominee

15

A mysterious call sparks an epic journey to save a world in decay.

Tethered Australia | 0:27:10 | Dir: Craig Irvin | Prod: Ashley Harris | Yonnie Piffen Productions | Short | 2010 | Byron Premiere | Short Film Nominee

Tuesday 6th – 12.30pm – $7

Alone in a new town, a young man takes a job at the local slaughterhouse.

As the violence of the work begins to dominate his life, he is given the chance at something better. But is it too late? Has he already been changed by the world of men?

Putty Hill USA | 1:27:00 | Dir: Matthew Porterfield | Prod: Jordan Mintzer | The Hamilton Film Group, LLC | Drama | 2010 | Australian Premiere A young man’s untimely death unites a fractured family and their community through shared memory and loss.

A beautifully realised portrait of a close-knit community on the outskirts of Baltimore, Putty Hill is the second feature from celebrated young filmmaker Matt Porterfield.

At a neighbourhood karaoke bar, friends and family gather to remember a young man who passed away.

Knowing little about his final days, they attempt to reconstruct his life. In the process, they offer a window onto their own lives, an evocative picture of working-class America, dislocated from the progress and mobility around them, but united in pursuit of a shared dream.

Tish Ho Mullumbimby | 0:51:06 | Dir/Prod: Sharon Shostak | Drama | 2011 | World Premiere Guy can’t cry. Julie can’t conceive. The planet can’t deal with the rubbish created by seven billion people.

These seeming obstacles intertwine towards a very quirky solution in this dark-edged comedic thriller by local independent filmmaker Sharon Shostak.

16

Filmmaker Sharon Shostak will be in attendance.

Robot e Pinocchi Italy | 0:10:04 | Dir: Paul Zinder | Prod: Paul Zinder | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Convento Portugal, USA | 0:54:00 | Dir/Prod: Jarred Alterman | FlyAwayFilmsnyc | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Cinematography Nominee A Dutch family left Holland in 1980 to transform a 400-year-old monastery from ruins into a home, artists’ studio and nature preserve. Geraldine and her late husband Kees, and her two sons, Christiaan and Louis, left Holland in 1980 trading a life of comfort and convenience for a monastery in ruins. A former dancer with the Dutch National Ballet Company, Geraldine left Holland to pursue a “dream” having grown weary of the repetitious monotony of classical choreography. She is a painter, sculptor and tireless tender of numerous edible gardens, from which she eats something daily. While she has stopped performing, she has never stopped moving.

Once a house of worship, there is a chapel now converted and dedicated to Christiaan’s work. A kinetic artist, he rescues the skulls and bony remains of the expired indigenous wildlife from an eternity of sun-dried decay, and then reanimates them with bodies of servomechanism. He creates a “tension” between nature’s machinery and that which is man-made.

Tuesday 6th – 4.00pm – $11

Italian sculptor Ferdinando Codognotto shapes wood into his personal philosophy. We are all robots and pinocchios.

your international hotel leave the rest to us OPEN 24 HOURS The Ramada Ballina Byron is situated in the heart of Ballina, right on the majestic Ballina River.

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BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 29

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

17

Sayonara Australia | 0:07:08 | Dir/Prod: Caroline Fisher | MAPS | Short | 2010 | Byron Premiere A bittersweet drama, depicting a day in the life of a traditional Japanese man with multiple personalities.

Minus France | 0:05:00 | Dir: Paul Torris | Prod: Carine Leblanc | Autour de Minuit Productions | Animation | 2011 | Premiere At the edge of the universe, in a forest of giant trees, a piece of fruit falls to the ground. The story of a species begins.

Doll Factory (Fábrica de Muñecas) Spain | 0:11:00 | Dir: Ainhoa Menéndez | Prod: Jaime Bartolomã | Promofest | Short | 2010 | Australian Premiere Anna’s whole life revolves around working in a factory, inserting the eyes into doll heads. But a small change at her work could change her life forever.

Tuesday 6th – 7.30pm – $15

A Finger, Two Dots Then Me

18

USA | 0:07:40 | Dir/Prod: David Holechek | Holechek Pictures | Short | 2012 | Australian Premiere A dramatic look at death, life and love through the eyes of modern beat poet, Derrick Brown.

Crazy Wisdom Canada, USA | 1:29:00 | Dir/Prod: Johanna Demetrakas | Crazy Wisdom Productions | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, ‘the bad boy of Buddhism,’ shattered westerners’ notions about how an enlightened teacher should behave, yet he is recognised as being the pivotal person to bring Buddhism to the West. Raised in the rigorous Tibetan monastic tradition, Trungpa fled his homeland during the Chinese Communist invasion of 1959. In Britain, seeing his monk’s robes blocked his students’ understanding of Buddhism, he renounced his monastic vows, eloped with a sixteen-year-old and embraced western life.

In the US, he openly drank alcohol and had intimate relations with students. Was this crazy wisdom? Even his critics agree that Trungpa’s unhidden, outrageous lifestyle never hindered his ability to translate and transplant ancient teachings that would forever penetrate our modern western culture.

1923 aka Heaven Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom | 0:02:00 | Dir: Max Hattler | Prod: Max Hattler | Animation | 2010 | Australian Premiere Addictively hypnotic... updating Lesage’s vision into a futuristic metropolis.

Wednesday 7th 12.30pm – $7

Convergentes

Forget the cup of tea, have a Harbord wine during the film festival.

30 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

Spain | 0:06:40 | Dir/Prod: Alejandro Portaz | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere Every casual encounter is a date.

Waiting For the Turning of the Earth Australia | 0:23:00 | Dir: David Evan Giles | Prod: Anita Cooper | Miramar Pictures | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere It’s not every day that you meet a man on the beach in his pjamas. And even less often that you find he has brought his bed with him. A gentle film about life, death and forgiveness, starring Barry Otto.

Filmmaker David Giles will be in attendance.

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FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

1925 aka Hell Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom | 0:02:00 | Dir/Prod: Max Hattler | Animation | 2010 | Australian Premiere

18

Spain | 0:10:00 | Dir/Prod: Ãlex Montoya | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere Marisa is keeping a secret from her husband, Juan. Juan has his own secrets.

The Sacred Science USA | 1:16:02 | Dir/Prod: Nicholas Polizzi | Three Seed Productions | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere One journey into the heart of the Amazon jungle. eight people with illnesses go looking for alternatives to the modern medicines that failed them. What they find would change their lives forever.

Living in seclusion for one month in the heart of the Amazon jungle, these men and women take part in the powerful healing practices of Peru’s indigenous medicine men, working both with centuries-old plant remedies and spiritual ceremonies and disciplines. In their most desperate hour, they are forced to confront not only their physical ailments, but their own spiritual and psychological barriers in the process.

Reflex Romania | 0:14:40 | Dir/Prod: Andra Chiriac | Mailuki Films | Short | 2012 | Australian Premiere While shadowing a soap opera star, an embittered photographer witnesses a scene that makes him choose between his job and his conscience.

Millhaven Poland | 0:07:00 | Dir/Prod: Bartek Kulas | Krakow Film Foundation | Animation | 2010 | Australian Premiere Teenage Loretta is aware of the fact that everything leads to death. Will she be able to do a ‘dance’ of life?

Tatal Fantoma (Phantom Father) Romania | 1:33:59 | Dir/Prod: Lucian Georgescu | Generic Audiovizual | Drama | 2011 | Australian Premiere A bitter-sweet Croatian road movie about the search of a man for his identity in the heart of old Europe.

American professor Robert Traum, of Romanian origin, treats himself to a sabbatical of a different kind.

He wants to find proof at last that his father really was his biological father. Robert is compelled to turn his back on a successful career and get on the road that takes him through danger, the unknown and the surreal, back to the roots to reclaim his identity. On the one hand he finds romantic love, on the other the passion for old cinema, nomad, popular, naïve and generous.

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19

Wednesday 7th – 4.00pm – $11

Maquillaje (Make Up)

Wednesday 7th – 12.30pm – $7

An spellbinding animation based on Lesage’s painting ‘A symbolic Composition of the Spiritual World’.

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Whatever your needs might be BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 31

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Kill Plastic ... Not Wildlife

20

Australia | 0:06:00 | Prod: Jann Gilbert | Australian Seabird Rescue | 2012 We once we thought plastic was ‘disposable’ but now we find it choking the seas across the globe, and the marine wildlife that inhabits them.

Come to Harm Iceland, USA, United Kingdom | 0:18:00 | Dir/Prod: Borkur Sigthorsson | B Pictures Ltd | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Short Film Nominee

Wednesday 7th – 7.30pm – $15

In the barren concrete landscape of contemporary Reykjavik, Stefan’s life is slipping into turmoil. When he senses an intruder in his home, panic quickly turns to grim determination as he decides to arm himself for the inevitable confrontation.

Inuk France, Greenland | 1:29:38 | Dir/Prod: Mike Magidson | C’est la Vie Films | Drama | 2011 | NSW Premiere | Best Film Best Dramatic Feature Nominee In the stunning yet treacherous wilderness of Greenland, a young Inuit is torn between the lures of modernity and the binding ties of tradition. Sent away from his alcoholic mother and violent stepfather by social services, 16-year-old Inuk is dispatched to a foster home in the far north of Greenland, 800 kilometres above the Arctic Circle. Taken on as a protégé by Ikuma, a grizzled polar bear hunter, Inuk embarks upon the annual seal hunt, and with it a unique, bitterly dangerous journey towards manhood.

Taking us across the unforgiving, majestic landscapes of Greenland’s polar limits, Inuk is the ambitious first feature from writer-director Mike Magidson. Powerfuly moving, with a cast of non-actors drawn from a home for troubled Inuit children, Inuk is a defiantly warm, utterly authentic glimpse of one of the world’s most remarkable and endangered cultures.

Filmmaker Mike Magidson will be in attendance.

Distant Thunder

21

Australia | 0:07:19 | Dir: Venetia Taylor | Prod: Daniel Prypchan | Human Productions | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere Pam and Richard are divorced. Richard has a new life now, but there’s something on the horizon.

Miss South Pacific: Beauty and the Sea USA | 0:39:00 | Dir: Mary Lambert | Prod: Teresa Tico | Kauai Girl Productions | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Thursday 8th – 12.30pm – $7

What does a beauty pageant in Suva, Fiji have to do with climate change? Quite a lot, as it turns out. This short documentary about the 2009–2010 Miss South Pacific Pageant that brought contestants, or queens, from all the major Pacific Island nations to compete in a week-long pagean, addresses the theme of climate change and its impact on Pacific Island countries.

The Queens eloquently and passionately implore judges, spectators, and the world at large to reduce global carbon emission lest their island homes be lost to rising seas. Is it too late to turn back the tide?

Watch Miss South Pacific and see.

Filmmaker Teresa Tico will be in attendance.

Life Model USA | 0:05:45 | Dir/Prod: Lori Petchers | Short Documentary | 2010 | Australian Premiere A 75-year-old nude figure model learns to love her body through the art she inspires.

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32 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

OR

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

USA | 0:13:57 | Dir/Prod: Nathan Golon | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Taking us through Ethiopia, Nepal and Peru to hear the stories of women as they struggle to care for their families while enduring crop failures and water scarcity.

Because We Were Beautiful (Omdat Wij Mooi Waren) Netherlands | 1:00:49 | Dir/Prod: Frank van Osch | Van Osch Film Produkties | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Filmmaker Frank van Osch, together with photographer Jan Banning and journalist Hilde Janssen, travelled through Indonesia searching for former “comfort women.” During World War II these “comfort women” were forced to carry out sexual activities in military brothels, encampments and Japanese barracks. Many of the “comfort women” have already passed away and the ones who are still alive are now all in their eighties. These women tell their story despite the taboo that is still attached to this subject. To this day this is an unread page in history for many people and these women deserve to be heard, while it is still possible.

Two Seconds After Laughter USA | 0:16:00 | Dir/Prod: David Rousseve | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere An original intersection of documentary, dance-for-camera, and dream-like fantasy, creating a borderjumping dialogue on a universal irony: The heart longs most for the one place to which it can never fully return… Home.

21 Thursday 8th – 12.30pm – $7

Weathering Change

22

What Remains (Algo Queda) Spain | 0:16:00 | Dir: Ana Lorenz | Prod: Cristian Guijarro | 2010 A film about the arduous tasks carried out by caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients, their dedication and their selfless sacrifice expecting nothing in return, knowing the worst of endings is yet to come.

United Kingdom | 0:09:16 | Dir: Afarin Eghbal | Prod: Kasia Malipan | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere An old Argentinian woman eagerly awaits the birth of her grandchild and the joys of becoming a grandmother. She will be forced to wait for over 30 years.

Malaki – Scent of an Angel Lebanon | 1:20:00 | Dir/Prod: Kahlil Dreifus Zaarour | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Malaki revolves around families of abducted persons during and in the aftermath of the Lebanese war.

It sheds the light on the trauma of six different families constantly teetering on the brink of incertitude.

Each family doesn’t know the fate of their abducted member, whether dead or alive. This beautifully constructed film combines real interviews within a surreal set on one hand, and surreal fiction on the other hand. Interviews reveal the families’ reaction towards the abduction of a member. The fiction part is an incarnation of their fantasies, an awaited day of reunion, a recurring dream and a fantasy.

Thursday 8th – 4.00pm – $11

Abuelas

PROVIDING FILM FANCIERS WITH FABULOUSLY FRESH FOODS Gourmet salads, fresh filled baguettes and burgers, wood fired pizza and daily specials including freshly baked cakes and cookies. Come and try our great coffee!

Garden dining open from 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday, and Friday 9am to 9pm

1/6 Tasman Way, Byron Arts & Industry Estate • www.lusciousfoods.com.au

PHONE: 02 66 808 228 • MOBILE: 0414 895 441 • FAX: 02 6680 8229 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 33

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Thurs 8 6.30pm for films at 7.30pm

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Free Sunset Cinema

Located next to the Byron Bay Surf Club. Arrive from 6.30pm for films at 7.30pm. For more information on the free outdoor screening see page 8.

Special ACON Presentation

ACON Northern Rivers co-present an evening of empowering film focused on the challenges and realities faced by countless people within every community. A percentage of proceeds will be donated to ACON’s Northern Rivers’ Office. See page 9 for more details.

Hold On Tight Ireland | 0:12:00 | Dir: Anna Rodgers | Prod: Zlata Filipovic | Crossing The Line Productions | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Public displays of affection aren’t for everyone. Moving between public and private spaces, this film explores the small gestures of human connectedness.

Simply Rob Thursday 8th – 7.30pm – $15

United Kingdom | 0:14:50 | Dir: Tom Shrapnel | Prod: Gigi Berardi | SoulRebelFilms | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere

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Simply Rob is a portrait of New York based poet and activist Rob Vassilarakis. This film follows Rob as he tells his turbulent life story through his poetry.

The Skin I’m In USA | 1:33:47 | Dir/Prod: Broderick Fox | Documentary | 2012 | World Premiere A brush with death propels a young filmmaker to navigate an epic and transformational journey marked by the creation of his full back tattoo.

The film is both intimate and expansive, travelling from Berlin to British Columbia, New Jersey to Japan, Kenya to Los Angeles, documenting the collaboration between Fox, Canadian First-Nations artist Rande Cook, and African-American tattoo artist Zulu to produce Fox’s full back tattoo. The documentary uses this physical transformation as the departure point and thread for a story of bodily abuse, experimentation, and redemption.

Filmmaker Broderick Fox will be in attendance.

Brandt Rhapsodie France | 0:05:34 | Dir: François Avril | Prod: Jean-Jacques Beineix | Autour de Minuit Productions | Music Video | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Music Video Nominee The ordinary tragedy of a romantic encounter, sung by Benjamin Biolay and Jeanne Cherhal.

The Future Australia | 0:07:54 | Dir: Venetia Taylor | Prod: Daniel Prypchan | Human Productions | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere When you’re young and in love the future seems bright... but then what?

Al Martha Lauf (Martha Must Fly)

Friday 9th – 12.30pm – $7

Israel | 0:25:00 | Dir: Ma’ayan Rypp | Prod: Ma’ayan Rypp | Tel Aviv University | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere

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Martha is a foreign worker employed as a caretaker of a sick old woman who refuses to die. Feeling trapped and lonely, Martha’s only moments of freedom come when she delves into her imaginary world.

2 Night Israel | 1:27:00 | Dir: Roi Werner | Prod: Adar Shafran | Drama | 2011 | Australian Premiere In a city where everything is possible, a guy and a girl are looking for the impossible – a parking place.

The promise of a one-night stand between young Israeli strangers is frustrated by parking issues in 2 Night, a smart and sexy rom-com by award-winning music video director Roi Werner. After meeting at a singles bar, a nameless guy and girl hitch up for a ride home. She is flirtatious but shrill. He is soulful but charmless. Awkwardly confined in the car, the couple traverses overcrowded Tel Aviv in a nightlong search for a parking space, a metaphor for a generation that can’t seem to find its place. The film’s deceptively simple premise yields unexpected emotion, as banal chatter and crude wisecracks give way to shared dreams and fears as the characters grow on each other. An actors’ showpiece, 2 Night features honest performances by Yaron Brovinsky and Israeli Academy Award nominee Keren Berger.

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

United Arab Emirates | 0:34:55 | Dir: Cyril Eberle | Prod: Sarah Mason | Avantgarde Film | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Situated at the crossroads of cultures the Arabic world has long been influenced by travelers across its lands. This documentary showcases the scope of modern Arabic music, ranging from traditional, acoustic sounds to contemporary interpretations of Arabic Fusion. The journey takes us through the pillars of Arabic music: percussion, strings and voice as we explore the evolution of the genre and the compositions that led the way for fusion artists in contemporary world music.

PressPausePlay Sweden | 1:28:00 | Dir: David Dworsky & Victor Köhler | Prod: Einar Bodström, Philip Marthinsen & Adam Svanell | Documentary | 2011 | NSW Premiere | Best Film Nominee, Documentary Nominee The digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent of people in an unprecedented way, unleashing unlimited creative opportunities.

But does democratised culture mean better art, film, music and literature or is true talent instead flooded and drowned in the vast digital ocean of mass culture? Is it cultural democracy or mediocrity? This is the question addressed by PressPausePlay, a documentary film containing interviews with some of the world’s most influential creators of the digital era.

All Systems Go, Neil Armstrong USA | 0:03:10 | Dir/Prod: Robert Dohrmann | Gum & Wrapper Productions | Animation | 2010 | Australian Premiere

25 Friday 9th – 4.00pm – $11

Arabic Fusion, the Sound Between the Notes

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A mysterious oblong television set is your personal guide through outer space and curios robot encounters.

Historia de Éste (Story of Him) Spain | 0:07:20 | Dir/Prod: Pascual Pérez | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere A performance in an old theatre tells the story of Him, a normal guy with a daily routine of coffee, brandy and beer.

The Gloaming France | 0:14:00 | Dir/Prod: Nicolas Schmerkin | Autour de Minuit Productions | Animation | 2010 | Australian Premiere | Animation Nominee

Manufacturing Stoke USA | 1:20:20 | Dir/Prod: Pierce Michael Kavanagh | Misfit Pictures | Surf | 2011 | NSW Premiere | Surf/ Enviro Nominee No other sport is so intrinsically linked to nature. Some call it a spiritual experience, most call it indescribable. And yet, in becoming the multi-billion-dollar industry it is today, a great paradox has arisen.

Surfers are indeed directly connected to the Earth’s pulse and yet a majority of the materials used are environmentally toxic.

Manufacturing Stoke is an introspective look into the surfing culture’s struggle to be beneficial unto itself, a tapestry of both influential and eclectic members of the surfing community that are constantly striving for positive change.

Filmmaker Pierce Michael Kavanagh will be in attendance.

Perform. Record. Manage.

Animate. Design. Capture.

What will your creative future look like?

Friday 9th – 7.30pm – $15

A character creates a world that is beyond his control. Civilisation and its accelerated evolution.

Your creative future starts today.

Visit jmcacademy.edu.au or call on 1300 410 311 Fee-Help AvAilAble

Degrees and Diplomas in Music, Audio, entertainment business, Game Design, 3D Animation and Film & Television.

Open Days: Sydney 28 April and Brisbane 26 May. Register online today.

BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 35

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Children of the Air

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USA | 0:19:59 | Dir: Damian Horan | Prod: Nick Nides | University of Southern California | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Saturday 10th – 10.30am $7

Juxtaposed to the original fairy-tale version of The Little Mermaid, Children of the Air is a dark story about fleeting love. Pride must suffer pain.

Talking Story USA | 1:24:10 | Dir: Marie-Rose Phan-Le | Prod: Marie-Rose Phan-Le & Jennifer Outland | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Talking Story chronicles the lives, rituals and wisdom of healers and spiritual leaders from diverse world cultures, told from the unique perspective of an apprentice healer, who was born in Vietnam and educated in the West.

The film transports the viewer into a world of exotic places, sacred practices and practical applications in the art of healing from the beaches of Hawaii to the heights of the Himalayas. In exploring her calling, the apprentice learns about the commitments, responsibilities and mysteries of being a healer. What emerges is a series of intimate portraits of healers as both human and divine. The personal journey serves as a thread, guiding the audience and introducing them to an expanded view of what it means to be a healer.

Filmmakers Marie-Rose Phan-Le and Jennifer Outland will be in attendance.

Chika Sugiru Sora (Too Close to the Sky)

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Japan | 0:21:28 | Dir/Prod: Denis Quinn | Independent | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere An intense 24 hour journey inside the secrets, lies and tragedies of a modern Japanese family as a Father and Son come face to face not only with each other, but with the past.

The Boy Mir – Ten Years in Afghanistan Saturday 10th – 1.00pm $11

United Kingdom | 1:30:00 | Dir/Prod: Phil Grabsky | Seventh Art Productions | Documentary | 2010 | Byron Premiere

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Following the international hit The Boy who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan, over ten years in Afghanistan, The Boy Mir tracks cheeky, enthusiastic Mir from a childish eight to a fully grown eighteenyear-old. This is a journey into early adulthood in one of the toughest places on earth and a journey that mirrors the vitally important story of Afghanistan.

The Boy Mir reveals this day-to-day life of Mir and his family from a very close-up perspective. The narrative is driven by Mir’s journey into his early teens, when he will be expected to put his childish ways behind him and begin the difficult process of becoming a man. This is hard enough for any child, but Mir has to face this challenge in modern Afghanistan. In sum, this is a unique portrayal of life, full of humour, full of poignancy, in today’s Afghanistan.

Filmmaker Phil Grabsky will be in attendance

Young Australian filmmakers BBFF is always very proud to recognise the work and talent of young Australian filmmakers. With the ongoing help of our Judge Peter Thompson, each year a new young Australian filmmaker is presented with our Young Australian Filmmaker Award. This level of recognition supports the creativity, determination, and hard work of these young up-and-coming filmmakers. You’ll be introduced to a cutting edge of talent that you are bound to hear more about in the years to come. We are really pleased that so many of our lineup of these talented filmmakers will be present at the session to present their films. And who knows what heights these young filmmakers will attain in the future? There could easily be a new Baz Luhrmann, Bruce Beresford, Tracy Moffat or Gillian Armstrong among this group, just waiting for the opportunity to expose their ideas, their work and their dreams…

LESSONS – TOURS – FITNESS – YOGA Byron Bay’s Original

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FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

Few Are Chosen Australia | 0:02:45 | Dir/Prod: David Blackwell | Experimental | 2010 | NSW Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee A journey without words, seeking to illuminate the connection between animation and the energy of intuitive movement.

Filmmaker David Blackwell will be in attendance.

Class Wars Australia | 0:05:46 | Dir/Prod: Afrim Memed | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee A boring after-school detention class turns into an all-out war zone as Peter and Johnny turn the classroom into a battlefield.

Life in Red String Australia | 0:09:07 | Dir: Keir Wilkins | Prod: Simone Ruggiero | Portrait Strange Productions | Short | 2011 | NSW Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee Thirty-three, and five foot eight, not Herculean but not overweight. I work for a company that produces red string and my job is to think of new uses for the thing.

Better on the Inside Australia | 0:06:00 | Dir: Christopher Haysom | Prod: Emma Vlatko | Short | 2011 | NSW Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee Better on the Inside explores the social, cultural and personal aspects of the relationships people share with those who have a disability. It does so from three different perspectives within a family of someone with a disability.

Murder Mouth Australia | 0:17:24 | Dir: Madeleine Parry | Prod: Daniel Joyce | Projector Films Pty Ltd | Short Documentary | 2011 | Byron Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee

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Could you kill what you eat? Maddie, a 21-year-old meat eater with her culinary future on the line, decides to find out.

Shoplifting Australia | 0:13:44 | Dir: Neil Triffett | Prod: Lee Matthews | Short | 2010 | Byron Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee Pete, an ageing career shoplifter struggles to keep control of his family and his life when security panels are introduced to stores.

Beneath the Waves Australia | 0:13:23 | Dir/Prod: Renee Marie | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee A deaf teenager suffering from severe tinnitus strives to overcome her own irrevocable psychological and physical alienation in order to find peace within her world of constant noise.

A 12 Step Program Australia | 0:18:54 | Dir/Prod: Aaron Warwick | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee A heroin addict turns to the 12-step program in hopes of repairing his fragile relationship with his girlfriend, but learns he must go back to his old habits to be able to start anew.

The Thing About Dolphins Australia | 0:18:00 | Dir: Matt Vesely | Prod: Megan Huitema | Short | 2010 | NSW Premiere | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee A shopping mall plays host to a bizarre act of defiance. Two men search for meaning in their lives. Part absurdest comedy and part surreal drama. An exploration of the divide between feeling and understanding.

Saturday 10th – 4.00pm – $11

Young Australian filmmakers

absolute waterfront leave the rest to us 1800 826 181 www.ramadaballinabyron.com.au

BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 37

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Sat 10th, 6.45pm for 7.30pm start $35 early bird, $50 full price

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Gala Closing Party

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With just one day left of the festival, join us for the special BBFF grand finale of a great movie and a grand party night! 6.45pm Red Carpet Arrival for a 7.30pm sharp start.

On Borrowed Time Main Arm | 1:26:00 | Dir:/Prod: David Bradbury | Frontline Films | Documentary | 2011 | Byron Premiere | Documentary Nominee, Best Film Nominee From Byron’s most prolific filmmaker, David Bradbury, this documentary focuses on BBFF’s Patron, Paul Cox, arguably one of the most important filmmakers to come out of this country. Paul occupies a unique place in the Australian film landscape. A Dutch native who relocated to Melbourne in his early 20s in the 1960s, Cox went on to make more than 22 feature films over the next four decades, all highly personal and artistically ambitious and all outside the Hollywood model.

Featuring a who’s who of Australian film and intellectual life of the past 30 years – including David Stratton, Phillip Adams, Chris Haywood, Bob Ellis and Wendy Hughes – documentarian and Byron resident David Bradbury’s affectionate tribute to the great director delves into Cox’s outlook on filmmaking and life, particularly in the wake of his remarkable recent brush with cancer.

Filmmakers David Bradbury and Paul Cox will be in attendance.

Read on... more great movies are just waiting to be seen.

Transworld Express Mullumbimby | 0:04:00 | Dir: Peter Westheimer | Prod: Peter Westheimer & Crystal Grid Studios | Music Video | 2011 Peter Westheimer’s worldbeat electronica accompanies a drivers view of an old train journey from Murwillumbah to Mullumbimby juxtaposed with images from around the world. A fuel efficient transport option – beautifully suited to our future needs.

Filmmaker Peter Westheimer will be in attendance.

Reve de 1er avril 1999 France | 0:05:36 | Dir: Bastien Létoile | Prod: Carine Leblanc | Autour de Minuit Productions | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere A black monster takes the hand of a lost little boy and guides him into the world of the books that look inside your soul…

eXtinction USA | 0:05:17 | Dir: Clayton Haskell | Prod: Summer Rayne Oakes | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Environmental Film Nominee An abstract journey reveals that the most pressing environmental issues are happening within our lifetime.

Among Giants USA | 0:13:42 | Dir/Prod: Sam Price-Waldman, Ben Mullinkosson & Chris Cresci | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Environmental Film Nominee As clearcutting continues to ravage California’s coastal redwood region, a farmer and environmental activist decides to tree-sit to fight for a sustainable future and defend the McKay Tract.

Wake Up Australia | 0:12:00 | Dir/Prod: David Bradbury | Short Documentary | 2011 Academy Award-nominated documentary maker David Bradbury has spoken out, raising public concerns of the red dust dumped onto east coast cities this week as concerning with BHP Billiton proposing to turn South Australia’s Olympic Dam uranium mine into an open-cut mine larger than Adelaide.

Sunday 11th – 10.30am – $7

Bimblebox

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Australia | 1:10:13 | Dir/Prod: Michael O’Connell | Haw River Films | Documentary | 2012 | World Premiere | Environmental Film Nominee Bimblebox is a peaceful 8000 hectare sanctuary in central-west Queensland and home to a rich diversity of birds, reptiles and other animals, including endangered species. Lying in the direct path of what will be one of the world’s largest coalmines, Bimblebox is under threat.

Australia’s mining boom is creating more extensive and intrusive coal exploration than ever before, and the majority of Australians are unaware of this reality. The ‘China First’ project is largely responsible for this growth in order to supply energy to Asia for the next thirty years. With her beloved Bimblebox in the firing line, Paola Cassoni made the decision that it was time to expose Aussies to the destruction that was taking place in their own backyards.

While very clearly exposing the destructiveness of this industry, the film also features solutions and viable alternatives for the future. Stories from people whose communities and their natural values have been either totally undermined or are currently under threat from coal mining activities puts a ‘real face’ to this issue. As the world’s largest exporter of coal, Australia has a responsibility to contribute to a sustainable future for our nation, our children, and the planet. Bimblebox projects a convincing argument for doing things better, and smarter.

Paola Cassoni will be in attendance.

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

SCU ROOM BYRON COMMUNITY CENTRE SPECIAL PRESENTATION The Dinner Party Australia | 0:52:00 | Dir: Paul Cox | Prod: Maggie Miles | Illumination Films & Savage Films | Documentary | 2011 | Sneak Preview During an intimate dinner party at the home of filmmaker Paul Cox, eight liver transplant recipients reminisce and share their stories. The Dinner Party provides a unique insight into the lives of organ recipients reflecting on life, love, health and the nature of human existence.

A powerful documentary, dedicated to donor awareness. This raw and unguarded film communicates the incredible gift of life one receives as a recipient of an organ or tissue donation.

Filmmaker Paul Cox will be in attendance.

See page 12 for more information.

Leh Wi Tok (Let Us Talk) USA | 0:39:42 | Dir/Prod: John Lavall | DevLo Media | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Leh Wi Tok is a documentary film that explores the importance of independent radio in post war Sierra Leone. Through interviews and personal accounts, Leh Wi Tok tells of Radio Moa, the “Voice of the Voiceless,” a local community-led radio station in the remote border region of Kailahun. Amidst flagrant and persistent political harassment, financial and technical woes, radio pioneer Andrew Kromah literally puts his life on the line to bring information to his listeners and offer a platform to disparate and often unheard voices.

Sunday 11th – 11.00am Entry by donation

Special Fundraiser Presentation

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Filmmaker John Lavall will be in attendance.

Moving On A young American family decides to risk everything, quit their dream job, and move to Uganda in hopes of adopting and making a difference. Dave and Morgan Hansow, an American couple with average lives, feel led to adopt from Africa. Their hearts are stirred when they learn of the war plaguing the country and decide to move to Uganda with their two-year-old biological son. They begin with the intention of completing their adoption and starting a non-profit organisation to empower Africans but the people they encounter will alter the course of their lives.

Some of the stories begin with heartbreak, tragedy and loss but they are all are stories of hope, stories of moving on past pain and apathy. Moving On is a documentary about choosing to enter the lives of others and not define people by their circumstances. A jolting reminder to embrace second chances and to bring out the beauty and love in the world.

Draw. Animate. Experiment.

Render. Direct. Bring your characters to life.

Sunday 11th – 1.00pm – $11

USA | 1:24:30 | Dir: Matt Katsolis | Prod: Austin Blasingame | Light Gives Heat | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Your creative future starts today.

Visit jmcacademy.edu.au or call on 1300 410 311 Fee-Help AvAilAble

What will your creative future look like?

Degrees and Diplomas in 3D Animation.

Open Days: Sydney 28 April and Brisbane 26 May. Register online today.

BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 39

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Mondiale TM

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France | 0:05:07 | Dir: Beb-deum, Jérémi Boutelet, Amy Brutton, David Calvet, Jérémy Charbonel, Audric Escales, Guillaume Raynaut, Jean-Baptiste Trullu | Prod: Autour De Minuit | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Animation Nominee

Sunday 11th – 4.00pm $11

An industrial world systematically transforms beauty, differences and miscegenation to try to create the ultimate universal product, infinitely reproducible.

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Zhao shi gu er (Sacrifice) China | 2:12:00 | Dir: Chen Kaige | Prod: Chen Hong | Arclight Films | Drama | 2010 | Byron Premiere | Best Feature Film Nominee An orphan is raised in the household of the man who slaughtered his family for one purpose: revenge. For generations the Zhao family has wielded power, until their mortal enemy slaughters the entire clan, determined to wipe out their influence forever. But one Zhao baby survives hidden by the doctor who delivered him.

A large-budget Chinese epic from one of China’s most prominent and influential directors, Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine, Yellow Earth).

Connected Simultaneous screenings share the excitement, creativity and experience of our final session, connecting the communities of Byron and Murwillumbah.

Appy Ever After Australia | 0:06:59 | Dir/Prod: Rupert Le Poer Trench | VnR Creative | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere Steve thinks he’s found the perfect phone ‘app’ to keep him and Kate living in marital bliss...

Filmmaker Rupert Le Poer Trench will be in attendance.

Normal People (Ludzie Normalni)

Sunday 11th – 7.00pm – $15

Poland | 0:24:00 | Dir: Piotr Zlotorowicz | Prod: Andrzej Bednarek | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Short Film Nominee

40 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

Daniel has just been released from prison and is trying to make a new life for himself. It’s not easy – he must take care of his alcoholic mother and find a job. How much can he endure to find happiness?

The Stranger Australia | 0:10:00 | Dir/Prod: Rodd Rathjen | Short | 2011 | Byron Premiere Inappropriate behavior costs nothing. A day in the life of a young man who subverts the social and moral system by which we live.

Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death & Technology USA | 1:20:00 | Dir: Tiffany Shlain | Prod: Carlton Evans | The Moxie Institute LLC | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Documentary Nominee The acclaimed Sundance feature documentary Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death & Technology offers an exhilarating stream-of-consciousness ride through the interconnectedness of humankind, nature, progress and morality at the dawn of the 21st century.

Between texts and tweets, memes and microchips, we’ve become conditioned to break the world down into byte-sized bits. In Connected, Tiffany Shlain—award-winning filmmaker and founder of The Webby Awards—traces interdependence through history, discovering surprising links between right brain and left; honey bees and stress; hormones and happiness; technology and nature; progress and consequences; and parents and children. The result: a personal film with universal resonance. For centuries we’ve declared independence. With insight, curiosity, and humor, Connected explores whether it’s time to declare our interdependence instead.

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

Australia | 0:48:00 | Byron Premiere | Dir: Chris Nelius & Justin McMillan | Prod: Marcus Gillezeau & Ellenor Cox | 6ixty Foot Productions in association with Firelight Productions.

Big wave pioneer Ross Clarke-Jones and two-time world champion Tom Carroll are two Aussie surfing legends who have spent the last few years scouring the ends of the earth to ride the most dangerous waves they can find. Now they’re taking the search to New Zealand and the freezing temperatures, rugged terrain and inhospitable conditions of remote Fiordland hunting waves the size of a 4-storey building. Their adventure into the unknown of Fiordland sees them joined by a local big wave surfer as they overcome almost impossible terrain, deal with the harshest conditions of their careers, have Mother Nature test their tracking skills to the limits, and come face to face with an Antarctic storm.

Filmmakers in attendance. Session includes a special preview of footage from the upcoming Storm Surfers 3D.

Going Vertical Byron Bay | 01:25:00 | Dir: David Bradbury | Prod: Robert Raymond & Leah Wright | Blue Seas Films | Surf | 2011 The shortboard is the surfboard that is commonly used today. Why is there such an incredible fuss over what is simply used for one of Australia’s most popular and loved sports? At the centre of this debate are two men, now in their 60s: Australian Bob McTavish and American Dick Brewer. Which of these men was truly responsible for kicking off this surfing revolution during the tumultuous 1967 ‘summer of love’ that turned the sport around the world, literally, upside down? Was the pioneer, as legend has it, Dick, who lead the way to shortboard commercialism in the United States, or was it the brainchild of Australian surfing legend and surfboard designer Bob and a few of his mates such as Nat Young and George Greenough?

Filmed in Australia, Hawaii and California, and featuring extraordinary archival footage of surf legends of the past four decades as well as the hottest surfers of today, Going Vertical, for the first time, tells both sides of this compelling and fascinating story. Narrated by Simon Baker, produced by Robert Raymond (Schindler’s List, Somebody’s Sweetheart, Lust in the Dust) and directed by one of Australia’s best-known and highly regarded filmmakers, two-time Academy Award-nominee David Bradbury.

Filmmakers in attendance.

Blue Sway Australia | 0:04:35 | Dir/Prod: Jack McCoy | Coastrain | Music Video | 2010 | Byron Premiere | Music Video Nominee Each a master of his discipline, Jack McCoy and Paul McCartney teamed up to combine McCoy’s legendary footage with McCartney’s musical prowess to produce this beautiful video.

A Deeper Shade of Blue Australia | 1:36:00 | Dir: Jack McCoy | Prod: Kelly McCoy | Coastrain | Surf | 2012 | Sneak Preview Premiere | Best Surf Film, Best Cinematography Nominee Limited tickets are available to this special sneak preview. The story of Hawaiian surf culture’s evolution and how it conquered the world. Master surf filmmaker Jack McCoy ventures into a new realm with his latest feature. This is not a surf movie, it is a film about surfing’s deepest roots; in the subconscious; in ancient lore; in the craft of surfboard building; in man’s perpetual quest for a joyful relationship with the natural world. In eleven interwoven chapters, today’s leading surfers are linked to those who came before, for a deeper appreciation of what it means to be a surfer and the soulful underlying power of modern surf culture. This is a big picture of a memorable story, beautifully told. It is a film about feeling good to be alive – and it will make you feel good. Aloha.

Saturday 10th – 8.30pm $15

Storm Surfers 2

P1

P2 Sunday 11th – 2.00pm $11

With the popularity of our Byron sessions growing, we’re able to grow our presence in Byron. With its upgraded facilities and new styling and décor, the Pighouse Flicks offers a natural and easily accessible extension to our venues. It’s the perfect place to offer our special sneak previews, intimate master classes and even an encore screening of an audience favourite. Whatever film scores a ‘complete hit’ at the overall festival will be screened at the Pighouse in the week after the festival.

P3 Sunday 11th – 6.30pm $15

PIGHOUSE FLICKS

Filmmaker Jack McCoy will be in attendance and also running a special Masterclass – see page 13.

Write. Direct. Shoot.

Edit. Master. Launch.

Get discovered.

Your creative future starts today.

Visit jmcacademy.edu.au or call on 1300 410 311 Fee-Help AvAilAble

What will your creative future look like?

Degrees and Diplomas in Film and Television Production.

Open Days: Sydney 28 April and Brisbane 26 May. Register online today.

BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 41

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

M1

MURWILLUMBAH Regent Cinema

The historic Regent Cinema in Murwillumbah is the oldest movie theatre on the NSW north coast, and along with the Pighouse Flicks, one of the last remaining independently owned, family-run movie theatres in Australia. The Regent possesses many of those bygone charms that have always excited people about ‘going to the movies’. Not too large, and not too small, the Regent is a grand venue for screening great festival films! There is no disabled access or disabled toilet facilities – this venue has stairs.

Jackson Dunn ‘Yuni’s Song’ Nunderi | 0:04:14 | Dir:/Prod: Lachlan Glasby | 3brain Productions | Music Video | 2011 | World Premiere The music video for Yuni’s Song by Jackson Dunn is about being thankful, and having the connection that musicians have between themselves, and those who inspire them.

Filmmaker Lachlan Glasby will be in attendance.

The Day His Holiness The Dalai Lama Came to Chenrezig Institute Thursday 8th – 7.00pm – $11

Ocean Shores | 0:26:00 | Dir: Larry Larstead | Prod: Tracey Charlton | Short Documentary | 2011 | World Premiere

Saturday 10th – 2.30pm $11

M2

This film goes ‘behind the scenes’ of the visit of His Holiness The Dalai Lama to Chenrezig Institute, Queensland, Australia in June 2011.

Filmmakers Larry Larstead and Tracey Charlton will be in attendance.

Crazy Wisdom Canada, USA | 1:29:00 | Dir/Prod: Johanna Demetrakas | Crazy Wisdom Productions | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, ‘the bad boy of Buddhism,’ shattered westerners’ notions about how an enlightened teacher should behave, yet he is recognised as being the pivotal person to bring Buddhism to the west. Raised in the rigorous Tibetan monastic tradition, Trungpa fled his homeland during the Chinese Communist invasion of 1959. In Britain, seeing his monk’s robes blocked his students’ understanding of Buddhism, he renounced his monastic vows, eloped with a sixteen-year-old and embraced western life.

In the US, he openly drank alcohol and had intimate relations with students. Was this crazy wisdom? Even his critics agree that Trungpa’s unhidden, outrageous lifestyle never hindered his ability to translate and transplant ancient teachings that would forever penetrate our modern western culture.

Pot Country USA | 0:26:10 | Dir/Prod: Mario Furloni & Kate McLean | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere The old Wild West lives on in the remote hills of Humboldt County, the mythical birthplace of US homegrown marijuana. Pot Country is a half-hour documentary about two people’s complex relationships with the semi-legal crop that powers the local economy in much of rural northern California.

Talking Story USA | 1:24:10 | Dir: Marie-Rose Phan-Le | Prod: Marie-Rose Phan-Le & Jennifer Outland | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere Talking Story chronicles the lives, rituals and wisdom of healers and spiritual leaders from diverse world cultures, told from the unique perspective of an apprentice healer, who was born in Vietnam and educated in the West.

The film transports the viewer into a world of exotic places, sacred practices and practical applications in the art of healing from the beaches of Hawaii to the heights of the Himalayas. In exploring her calling, the apprentice learns about the commitments, responsibilities and mysteries of being a healer. What emerges is a series of intimate portraits of healers as both human and divine. The personal journey serves as a thread, guiding the audience and introducing them to an expanded view of what it means to be a healer.

Filmmakers Marie-Rose Phan-Le and Jennifer Outland will be in attendance.

Come and visit our beautiful newly re-furbished ART DECO cinema!

Friendliest independent and family-owned cinema Brand new digital system and surround sound Beanbags are back! Enjoy a coffee or BYO on the balcony Only half an hour from Byron or the Gold Coast Cheap tickets - Kids $6.50, Adults $9.50 Fundraising screenings and Special Events are our specialty Check Website for session times www.cinemaregent.com or call (02) 6672 8265 42 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

eXtinction USA | 0:05:17 | Dir: Clayton Haskell | Prod: Summer Rayne Oakes | Experimental | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Environmental Film Nominee

M3

An abstract journey reveals that the most pressing environmental issues are happening within our lifetime.

Among Giants USA | 0:13:42 | Dir/Prod: Sam Price-Waldman, Ben Mullinkosson & Chris Cresci | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Environmental Film Nominee |

Man of the Trees Australia | 1:28:30 | Dir/Prod: Graeme Cooney | Caldera productions | Documentary | 2012 | World Premiere Man Of The Trees is a film about rainforest, longevity and mortality. It documents the story of Bruce Chick, an ordinary man who was a visionary in regard to rainforest conservation. Living in Murwillumbah with the Border Ranges as a backdrop might have helped inspire Bruce’s commitment to conserve these forests, but this was during a time when forestry ruled the forests, and a good tree was a felled tree.

Bruce began a single-handed campaign to change awareness. And he did this incrementally, by example.

He planted trees. Lots of trees. And encouraged and inspired others to do the same. Well before the words ‘environment’ and ‘conservation’ became part of our collective vocabulary, Bruce began his quiet revolution that gained momentum and ultimately contributed a great deal to rainforest reforestation in the Tweed, Brunswick, and Mullumbimby areas. This film may start out as a documentary about Bruce and his pioneering reforestation efforts, but it ends by documenting the final years of his life, highlighting the inevitability of mortality, and how we deal with this. A film of many layers, that offers a genuine sense of shared humanity, Man of the Trees will touch all who view it.

Saturday 10th – 6.00pm – $11

As clearcutting continues to ravage California’s coastal redwood region, a farmer and environmental activist decides to tree-sit to fight for a sustainable future and defend the McKay Tract.

Filmmaker Graeme Cooney will be in attendance.

Veneer Australia | 0:06:58 | Dir: Trent Atkinson | Prod: Spencer Harvey | Trent Atkinson Productions | Short | 2010 | Byron Premiere

M4

A traveling salesman. A difficult client. A twist in the tale.

Kyogle | 0:15:00 | Dir/Prod: Tony Lake | Short Documentary | 2010 Fish and Ladders is a locally produced documentary film about the movement to increase the fish population and improve the aquatic habitat of the Richmond River system. Assisting migratory fish past the concrete weirs via fishways (fish ladders) or by weir removal, is a major part of bringing this river back to life. Fish need rivers and rivers need fish to thrive.

Ulas Path Australia | 0:10:00 | Dir: Damaris Baker | Prod: Caroline Waters | Short Documentary | 2011 | World Premiere One woman’s path – of powerful peaceful protest and personal protection – to safeguard ancient lush forested ecosystems, from clear-cut logging (with its sudden and hidden onslaught of devastation).

Session M4 continued on page 44

9am-5pm Mon-Fri (Qld time) 07 5536 8217 Beachcomber Arcade, 122 Griffith Street, Coolangatta

Sunday 11th – 3.30pm – $11

Fish and Ladders

BRING No fees THIS COUPON IN FOR BEST Best rates RATE! International money transfers available Exotic currencies on hand Special rates for Seniors BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 43

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

M5

Bimblebox Australia | 1:10:13 | Dir/Prod: Michael O’Connell | Haw River Films | Documentary | 2012 | World Premiere | Environmental Film Nominee Bimblebox is a peaceful 8000-hectare sanctuary in central-west Queensland and home to a rich diversity of birds, reptiles and other animals, including endangered species. Lying in the direct path of what will be one of the world’s largest coalmines, Bimblebox is under threat.

Sunday 11th – 3.30pm $11

M4

M4 continued from page 43

Australia’s mining boom is creating more extensive and intrusive coal exploration than ever before, and the majority of Australians are unaware of this reality. The ‘China First’ project is largely responsible for this growth in order to supply energy to Asia for the next thirty years. With her beloved Bimblebox in the firing line, Paola Cassoni made the decision that it was time to expose Aussies to the destruction that was taking place in their own backyards.

While very clearly exposing the destructiveness of this industry, the film also features solutions and viable alternatives for the future. Stories from people whose communities and their natural values have been either totally undermined or are currently under threat from coal mining activities puts a ‘real face’ to this issue. As the world’s largest exporter of coal, Australia has a responsibility to contribute to a sustainable future for our nation, our children, and the planet. Bimblebox projects a convincing argument for doing things better, and smarter.

Paola Cassoni will be in attendance.

Connected Simultaneous screenings share the excitement, creativity and experience of our final session, connecting the communities of Byron and Murwillumbah.

Appy Ever After Australia | 0:06:59 | Dir/Prod: Rupert Le Poer Trench | VnR Creative | Short | 2011 Steve thinks he’s found the perfect phone ‘app’ to keep him and Kate living in marital bliss....

Filmmaker Rupert Le Poer Trench will be in attendance.

Normal People (Ludzie Normalni) Poland | 0:24:00 | Dir: Piotr Zlotorowicz | Prod: Andrzej Bednarek | Short | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Short Film Nominee Daniel has just been released from prison and is trying to make a new life for himself. It’s not easy – he must take care of his alcoholic mother and find a job. How much can he endure to find happiness?

The Stranger Australia | 0:10:00 | Dir/Prod: Rodd Rathjen | Short | 2011 Inappropriate behaviour costs nothing. A day in the life of a young man who subverts the social and moral system by which we live.

Sunday 11th – 7.00pm – $11

Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death & Technology USA | 1:20:00 | Dir: Tiffany Shlain | Prod: Carlton Evans | The Moxie Institute LLC | Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere | Documentary Nominee The acclaimed Sundance feature documentary Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death & Technology offers an exhilarating stream-of-consciousness ride through the interconnectedness of humankind, nature, progress and morality at the dawn of the 21st century. Between texts and tweets, memes and microchips, we’ve become conditioned to break the world down into byte-sized bits. In Connected, Tiffany Shlain—award-winning filmmaker and founder of The Webby Awards—traces interdependence through history, discovering surprising links between right brain and left; honey bees and stress; hormones and happiness; technology and nature; progress and consequences; and parents and children. The result: a personal film with universal resonance. For centuries we’ve declared independence. With insight, curiosity, and humor, Connected explores whether it’s time to declare our interdependence instead.

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1300 980 720 www.justquitit.com.au Just Quit It™ 44 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

LISMORE Birch Carroll & Coyle

BBFF’s ongoing partnership with Birch Carroll & Coyle Cinemas in Lismore is a terrific option for all those folks who live inland.

L1

Common Ground Australia | 0:13:46 | Dir/Prod: Hollie Fifer | Fine.Ark | Short Documentary | 2011 | Young Australian Filmmaker Nominee Uncle Bob Randall teaches Hollie how to feel the connection to Mother Earth at a time when she needs to be listened to the most.

Mercury Australia | 0:14:52 | Dir: Paul Oliver | Prod: Philippa Campey | Short | 2011 Mercury is an action-packed short thriller film about one man’s attempt to defeat an international conspiracy and save the planet. Matt is a rugged scientist working on outback weather stations for the international temperature-measuring agency. Their work is vital in the fight against global warming. Matt’s girlfriend, Annik, works in the agency HQ on the other side of the world. They keep in touch with daily video calls. But everything changes when Matt stumbles across an international conspiracy to discredit global warming. He photographs the evidence and is about to upload it when he is caught by the conspirators. In a thrilling escape and car chase across the desert, Matt fights to expose the conspiracy before it is too late – for him and us.

Australia | 1:10:13 | Dir: Michael O’Connell | Prod: Michael O’Connell | Haw River Films | Documentary | 2012 | World Premiere | Environmental Film Nominee Bimblebox is a peaceful 8000-hectare sanctuary in central-west Queensland and home to a rich diversity of birds, reptiles and other animals, including endangered species. Lying in the direct path of what will be one of the world’s largest coalmines, Bimblebox is under threat.

Australia’s mining boom is creating more extensive and intrusive coal exploration than ever before, and the majority of Australians are unaware of this reality. The ‘China First’ project is largely responsible for this growth in order to supply energy to Asia for the next thirty years. With her beloved Bimblebox in the firing line, Paola Cassoni made the decision that it was time to expose Aussies to the destruction that was taking place in their own backyards.

While very clearly exposing the destructiveness of this industry, the film also features solutions and viable alternatives for the future. Stories from people whose communities and their natural values have been either totally undermined or are currently under threat from coal mining activities puts a ‘real face’ to this issue. As the world’s largest exporter of coal, Australia has a responsibility to contribute to a sustainable future for our nation, our children, and the planet. Bimblebox projects a convincing argument for doing things better, and smarter.

Saturday 10th – 4.30pm – $11

Bimblebox

Paola Cassoni, Co-owner of Bimblebox Nature Refuge, will be in attendance.

Rock Valley | 0:08:15 | Dir/Prod: Neil Howe | Experimental | 2010 There are an enormous number of problems with the world today. It is up to us to make the changes so the world becomes a better place for our children.

Session L2 continued on page 46

L2 Sunday 11th 4.30pm – $11

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BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 45

BYRON BAY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

L2

Session L2 continued from page 45

Shafted Lismore | 0:07:13 | Dir/Prod: Travis Jamieson | Short | 2011 After a tragic accident Damien is given a very special gift from his father.

Filmmakers in attendance.

Hezarfen France | 0:03:18 | Dir/Prod: Chung-Yu Huang | Animation | 2011 | Australian Premiere Istanbul, 1632. Hezarfen, a historical Turkish character, will attempt the first flight of the human being.

Burn – Never Extinguish Australia | 0:03:57 | Dir: Ash Bolland | Prod: Tara Riddell | Experimental | 2012 | Byron Premiere | Experimental Nominee Create. Inspire. And stop at nothing.

A Day at the Pool USA | 0:23:41 | Dir: Ian Douglass & Eric Fulford | Prod: Ian Douglass & Eric Fulford | Salt LLC | Short Documentary | 2011 | Australian Premiere

Sunday 11th – 4.30pm – $11

A Day at the Pool sheds new light on the story of skateboarding’s history and calls into question the validity of Stacy Peralta’s 2001 documentary, Dog Town and Z-Boys. Includes interviews with Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta & Jay Adams.

Drop: My Life Downhill USA | 0:58:00 | Dir: Marc McCrudden | Prod: Michael David Lynch | orangefiist.com | Documentary | 2010 | Australian Premiere Drop takes the audience on a thrilling ride with a story rich-look into the mesmerising and fearless sport of downhill skateboarding and longboard free-riding.

The Drop recipe consists of the best film tools, the best locations and the world’s best riders, including World Champions Martin Seigrist, Scott ‘Scoot’ Smith and Chris Chaput, plus Erik Lundberg, Mischo Erban, James Kelly, Kevin Reimer and Noah Sakamoto.

Drop is a visually stunning exploration of speed, commitment and brotherhood which blends a documentary, an action sports movie with athlete profiles, and hyper-cinematic art film elements into one amazing movie experience. At times you feel like you’re riding along with the athletes at over 70mph.

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46 BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE

FRI MARCH 2 – SUN MARCH 11 BBFF.COM.AU

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April intAke enrolling now Call us to register for our Information Evening, Wednesday 4th April at 7pm & find out about our local community creative Scholarship* opportunities.

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BBFF PROGRAMME GUIDE 47