Video documentary Sharon Shostak
Some of the glitterati of previous years may have been missing owing to the weather at Sydney Airport but there were plenty of quality filmmakers, eager holidaymakers and film loving locals to launch this year’s Byron Bay Film Festival (BBFF) on Friday night.
The evening began with a stunning performance by rising Gold Coast star, singer and guitarist, Kyle Lionheart, accompanied by a grand piano.
The full house then enjoyed the gripping, eye-opening documentary, The World Before Her, about the changing identity of women in India, which was later announced as winner of the Screenzone International Documentary Prize of $5,000 cash.
In true BBFF style, after the screening, the party rolled on into a then balmy night on the balcony bar.
On Saturday Jack Thompson arrived to pay tribute to internationally acclaimed Australian cinematographer, Don McAlpine, at the screening of Show Me The Magic about his life and stellar career by multi-award-winning director Cathy Henkel.
Later that night, American filmmaker, Mike Hedge, celebrated the world premiere of his documentary When the Dust Settles, about the infamous Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert.
On Sunday night, Australian-Egyptian comedian and Byron local, Akmal Saleh, shared the world premiere of his debut documentary film, Pharaoh vs the Egyptians, about the rise of millions of young Egyptians through social media in the Arab Spring.
BBFF2013 continues screening its massive array of thought-provoking, inspiring and entertaining cinema until 10 March, with almost two-thirds of the films never screened before in Australia.
Tickets to the Closing Night party featuring the Australian premiere of star-studded black comedy Small Apartments with Matt Lucas, Billy Crystal, Johnny Knoxville and Rebel Wilson are on sale now at www.bbff.com.au.
