18.2 C
Byron Shire
July 8, 2026
All EntertainmentEntertainment NewsFeaturedByron Echo

Gala party wraps Byron Film Fest

By The Echo

Latest News

National NewsThe Echo - 0

Protests over ALDI supply chain safety issues

Hundreds of transport workers are protesting nationally at Aldi stores as the Transport Workers' Union highlights dangerous practices in the supermarket’s transport supply chain, from lack of maintenance on vehicles to underpayments and worker injuries.
Read more

Other News

Entertainment NewsAslan Shand - 0

Interview with Trent Dalton

The Byron Writers Festival will once again be treated to the delights of author and journalist Trent Dalton, who will be featured at the Jonson Street Stage on Saturday evening, 15 August, as well as throughout the event. Celebrating its 30th year, the Byron Writers Festival will, for the first time, be taking place around the town of Byron Bay from 14 to 16 August, with a mix of free and paid events.
Read more
Byron EchoByron Writers Festival - 0

Women to the front: the female voices shaping the 2026 Byron Writers Festival

The 2026 Byron Writers Festival program puts women front and centre. Journalists, novelists, and an award-winning columnist bring an extraordinary breadth of stories to Bundjalung Country this August.
Read more
The Good LifeThe Echo - 0

Three Blue Ducks

On Sunday 26 July, from 11:30am for both lunch and dinner, Three Blue Ducks will celebrate Christmas in July...
Read more
Political CommentCatherine Cusack - 0

The Karl Stefanovic pile-on

In 2011, Channel 9 scored a one-on-one interview with the Daili Lama during his Australian tour. It was handed to their larrikan breakfast guy – Karl Stefanovic.
Read more
National NewsThe Echo - 0

Solar and batteries for every public school in NSW?

Parents for Climate, Future Ready Schools, and the NSW/ACT Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has welcomed a motion passed at the NSW Labor Conference on the weekend calling for a comprehensive rollout of solar generation and battery storage at every public school and early learning centre in New South Wales.
Read more
Local NewsThe Echo - 0

Take sanctuary at this year’s Byron Writers Festival

Thirty years and a stellar lineup is coming your way with this year’s Byron Writers Festival,14–16 August.
Read more

 

Jubilant cast and supporters of the closing night film Rise of the Ecowarriors outside the Palace Cinema on Saturday. Photo Matthew Cusack
Jubilant cast and supporters of the closing night film Rise of the Ecowarriors outside the Palace Cinema on Saturday. Photo Matthew Cusack

The eighth Byron Bay International Film Festival officially closed with a gala party on Saturday night after ten days of inspiring cinema, awards, more parties and fascinating panel discussions.

Actor Jack Thompson and his renowned film critic brother Peter Thompson were spotted at Saturday’s closing red carpet event.

Festival director J’aimee Skippon-Volke said, ‘We have had such great, positive feedback about the festival and a really fun vibe at the parties.

It’s terrific to see attendance growing at our regional venues.

‘It just inspires us to make each year better and better.’

And the winners were:

  • BBFF Best Film: When My Sorrow Died: The Legend Of Armen Ra & The Theremin (USA), Director Robert Nazar Arjoyan
  • BBFF Best Dramatic Feature: The Deflowering Of Eva Van End (Netherlands), Director Michiel ten Horn
  • BBFF Best Documentary: When My Sorrow Died: The Legend Of Armen Ra & The Theremin (USA), Director, Robert Nazar Arjoyan
  • Screenzone International Documentary Prize: Gore Vidal: The United States Of Amnesia (USA), Director Nicholas D. Wrathall
  • BBFF Best Surf Film: OUT In The Line-up (Australia), Director Ian W. Thompson
  • BBFF Young Australian Filmmaker Of The Year: Director former Tropfest Winner, Genevieve Clay-Smith for The Interviewer (Australia)
  • The Echo Best Byron Film: Tied between 2 Degrees (Australia), Director Jeff Canin and Burra Jurra (Australia), Director Juliet Carrington.
  • The Byron At Byron Best Environmental Film: Gasland Part II (USA), Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning Director, Josh Fox.
  • Fox Creek Wines Best Short Film: The Audition (USA), Director Michael Haussman
  • BBFF Best Music Video: Tales Of Us by Goldfrapp (UK), Director Lisa Gunning
  • BBFF Best Cinematography: God’s Got His Head In The Clouds (Italy), Director Gianluca Sodaro
  • BBFF Best Experimental Film: Leviathan Ages (UK), Director Jon Yeo
  • Greenhouse FX Best Animation: Shave It (Argentina), Directors Fernando Maldonado & Jorge Tereso
  • BBFF Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Northern Rivers: IMAX pioneer, John Wylie

 

Cast and crew of Saturday's closing night film of the 2014 Byron Bay Film Festival, Rise of the Ecowarriors, including Cathy Henkel (writer/director/producer) in the white dress and Ecowarrior Kodi Twiner with purple hair. Photo Matthew Cusack
Cast and crew of Saturday’s closing night film of the 2014 Byron Bay Film Festival, Rise of the Ecowarriors, including Cathy Henkel (writer/director/producer) in the white dress and Ecowarrior Kodi Twiner with purple hair. Photo Matthew Cusack

It was all smiles for the world premiere of Burra Jurra at the Byron Bay International Film Festival on Saturday. Pictured from left is INXS’s Kirk Pengilly, world champion surfer Layne Beachley, head coach of the Burra Jurra surf charity Steve Foreman (front) and friends. Photo Montana Wambach
It was all smiles for the world premiere of Burra Jurra at the Byron Bay International Film Festival on Saturday. Pictured from left is INXS’s Kirk Pengilly, world champion surfer Layne Beachley, head coach of the Burra Jurra surf charity Steve Foreman (front) and friends. Photo Montana Wambach

Previous articleI can see Cleary now
Next articleChildren’s ward closure plan heartless

For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling.

If you are a local business owner help us and in turn we help you. All The Echo asks for is advertising, not a free ride. It is every advert in The Echo and on www.echo.net.au, which creates the space for all the stories and coverage of community events, happenings and concerns.

If you are a reader you can become a sponsor of The Echo. Your support keeps the us independent.

Even a small one-off or regular donation from you will help keep the echo’s independent voice alive and strong.

Support Us

Become one of the supporters who helps keep independent, local journalism alive in the Byron Shire by contributing anything from as little as the cost of a coffee each month.

You're Wonderful, Thank you for supporting independent journalism in the Byron Shire

You’re supporting The Echo, thank you

Your contribution is keeping independent, local journalism alive in the Northern Rivers.

Because of supporters like you, we can keep every story free for everyone — no paywall, no exceptions. Your money goes directly to funding our newsroom of 40-odd local workers covering the stories that matter to this community.

Tell us what you think, give us your opinion

The Echo loves your letters and comments and is proud to provide a community forum on the issues that matter most to our readers and the people of the NSW north coast. So don’t be a passive reader, email us your epistles at editor@echo.net.au.

The letters deadline for The Echo is noon Friday. Letters longer than 200 words may be cut. The publication of letters is at the discretion of the letters editor. Please remember to include your full name, address and telephone number.

Online comments are no longer available.

Local News

Making the S.H.I.F.T. in women’s lives

Mandy Nolan, The SHIFT Project - 0
Older women are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis and financial insecurity. They are the fastest-growing group of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
Read more
Local News

Lismore households throwing away $670,000

The Echo - 0
Lismore City Council says Lismore households recently threw away an estimated $670,000 by placing eligible drink containers in their kerbside bins instead of claiming their refund, while almost half the contents of red-lid general waste bins could have been recycled or composted.
Read more
Local News

It’s not just you, it’s Telstra

David Lowe - 0
Across Australia, Telstra mobile and mobile data customers have been dealing with widespread outages this morning, from cities to the regions, including the Northern Rivers.
Read more
Local News

$5.5 million for surf clubs

The Echo - 0
The NSW government says the state's surf life saving clubs can now apply for a share of $5.5 million through the Surf Club Facility Program, to upgrade, rebuild or future-proof the facilities that keep beaches safe.
Read more

More Articles Like This

Interview with Matthew Rankin

Entertainment News Eve Jeffery - 0
Matthew Rankin’s genre-defying, absurdist comedy, Universal Language co-written by Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi, is set in a dream-like Winnipeg that feels as much like Tehran as it does Canada.
Read more

Is it absurd? Is it insane? It’s super!

Entertainment News Eve Jeffery - 0
I was lucky enough to see Universal Language last week, in the run-up to the Byron Bay Film Festival, and I think it might be one of the ‘must see’ films of the event.
Read more

BBFF focus on the environment and future

Local News The Echo - 1
Damon Gameau’s film Future Council will screen at the Palace Byron Bay Cinema on October 22
Read more

Film festival opens with Aquarius Festival doco

Local News The Echo - 0
The opening night film at this year’s Byron Bay Film Festival (October 18–27) is a feature-length documentary of the 1973 Aquarius Festival.
Read more

Support Us

Become one of the supporters who helps keep independent, local journalism alive in the Byron Shire by contributing anything from as little as the cost of a coffee each month.

You're Wonderful, Thank you for supporting independent journalism in the Byron Shire