byron

bay Fax , copies every weekLEGENDS IN OUR OWN LUNCHBOXHenkel honoured at filmfestNSW Minister for the Arts Virginia Judge last week announced filmmaker Cathy Henkel was the recipient of the inaugural Honorary Award at the Byron Bay International

film festival

. Ms Judge said the award marks a centenary of

film

at the Byron Bay Community Centre and honours a significant filmmaker of the

northern rivers

region. Cathy has shown outstanding achievement as a writer, director and producer of documentary films, she said. She is a leader of the creative industries in the Northern Rivers and an inspiration to young emerging filmmakers. A filmmaker since , she has made films that tell stories about the environment, deeply personal stories and even a film about a famous comic actor Spike Milligan. One of her most successful projects was The Man Who Stole My Mothers Face, a powerful story about Cathys search for justice for her mother who was brutally raped in South Africa. The film received critical acclaim, winning Best Documentary at the Australian IF Awards and at New Yorks Film Festival in . It is great to see Byron Bay supporting filmmakers like Cathy who are helping to put NSW on the world stage, Ms Judge said. I congratulate Cathy on her achievements and wish her the best of luck with her future endeavours. Ms Henkel has established her own company, Virgo Productions, which produces fiction and non-fiction feature films across multiple platforms including cinema, DVD, television and online. The Festival continues this week. Among the offerings is Sea of Darkness, an award-winning documentary about a group of surfers who take on drug smuggling gigs to bankroll their surfing addiction. Time s. Place the Indonesian coast. For a small group of thrill-seekers, surfing was an addiction, an attitude, and way of life one that sometimes was seen through the lens of psychedelics. In Sea of Darkness, a group of ragtag surfers coast from high tide to high risk, as they balance their thirst for the perfect pipeline with the dangerous riskreward of smuggling illegal drugs and other illicit items across the South Pacific. It follows the life-changing decisions made by early Indo surfers Mike Boyum, Jeff Chitty and Peter McCabe, who turn to drug-smuggling to fuel their passion for surfing and those made by Martin Daly, Bruce Raymond and Dave Barnett, who funnel their wave addiction toward more legal pastimes that gain them fame, fortune and a lifetime of perfect waves. It recaptures how passion gave way to persecution and how romance was ultimately defeated by reality, say publicists. It also makes us reflect upon how much people will truly risk to hang on to what they love. The film screens Thursday at 7.pm. For full program see www. bbff.com.au.Congolese refugees hope to settle in MullumbimbyCongolese man Djuma Kikombe moved to Lismore six months ago where he and wife Francine began their new life with the birth of their first baby, Elvis. Story photo Eve JefferyMany Australian women spend the last trimester of their first pregnancy comparing the merits of cloth or disposable nappies and choosing colours for a valance on the bassinette. When she was in the seventh month, Congolese woman Francine gathered together her few belongings A capacity audience enjoyed the lavish opening of this years Byron Bay Film Festival. The pollies were offered lollies and with husband Djuma and a small group of their siblings and friends, and the filmgoers feasted on some truly magnificent cinema. From left, Ian Cohen MLC, NSW Minister for the Arts boarded a plane and departed Zambia Virginia Judge and Mayor Jan Barham. Photo Jeff The House of Usher Dawsonwhere they had been refugees for five years. This family group left behind their homeland. They well knew it was the last goodbye and both brave and scared, they looked only to the future which held a new life, in a new country and a little Australian town called Lismore, all thanks to Sanctuary Northern Rivers. Sanctuary is a rich and diverse community organisation committed continued on page 2enrich your spirit Open 7 Days am-5pm NSW time Monet Drive, Mullumbimby mins from Tweed Heads mins from Byron Bay echowebsectionLocal News