A Breath Of Fresh Air Indeed

by Carol van Opstal 25 November 2011 16:29 Filmink Festival Coverage

If you're a Tasmanian film fan tired of missing out on the festival action, get along to the MyState BOFA Film Festival, setting its sights on becoming one of the state's biggest annual events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With its picturesque scenery and relaxed lifestyle, Launceston (which boasts a large and very active film society), lends itself admirably to a film festival.

From November 23-27, the charming refurbished industrial heritage site, the Inveresk precinct, will be abuzz with film enthusiasts and Australian cinematic luminaries, in a feast of film, exhibitions, master classes and Q&As, for locals and visitors from interstate, and even overseas (this writer is aware of a couple who have travelled from France!)

The weather is beautiful, the locals are warm and welcoming, and the stunning location is small enough to allow out-of-towners a relaxed amble from their hotels, across the bridge, to the Inveresk precinct: the home of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (known as QVMAG). With its convenient cluster of venues, and modern and comfortable screening facilities, the Inveresk precinct is the ideal location for a film festival. There’s no dashing about furiously from session to session, as all cinemas are located within a small radius, requiring no more than an easy stroll.

The festival owes much of its success to the Tilbury family, Artistic Director Bradley Patrick and a plethora of friendly, dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers, who have worked tirelessly to devise and present an impressive programme and a similarly impressive array of associated events.

It would have been excusable, in its first year, for this to be a tentative and modest affair, but BOFA is a proud endeavour: showcasing the cream of inspiring and thought-provoking contemporary films from across the globe, and attracting outstanding film talent to participate.

Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey decided to premiere their latest short, Cryo, in a programme of Australian shorts. Doolan’s impressive opus will be familiar to Australian cinema enthusiasts, and their decision is a testament to the faith filmmakers have wisely invested in this inaugural event.

Other guests include Vincent Sheehan, producer of The Hunter and Jonathon auf der Heide, director of Van Diemen's Land. Both films are intriguing, and feature Tasmania as a backdrop.

The festival programme is jam-packed with great films, but perhaps even more impressive, is the range of stimulating industry-related events: master classes, discussions, seminars and Q&As.

Screening at the festival is Michael Rymer's gripping Face To Face: shot with DSLR cameras. Camille Chen, writer and director of Little Sparrows (also screening at the festival), has said that she has written a great deal of material on her smart phone. Appropriately, cutting-edge themes such as the ability to make films with readily-available and cheap equipment, a driving force in the democratisation of filmmaking, is among the topics explored at the festival.

Rapid advancements in (and the readily available nature of) technology, have ensured that filmmaking can, and will, flourish.

However, as that technology has yielded an unprecedented array of entertainment options, it bears remembering that festivals such as these, which serve a vital function in featuring contemporary cinema and delivering an essential platform for discourse about filmmaking, need our support.

It augurs well for BOFA that, on the evening of its launch, the Dungog Film Festival won the IF Award For Best Film Festival. Both are young festivals of an excellent standard, and while BOFA features films from around the globe, both festivals highlight Australian cinema and filmmakers.

The MyState BOFA (Breath of Fresh Air) Film Festival runs until November 27 in Launceston, Tasmania. For more information and to book tickets, head here.