HOT SHORTS for Mullum!
Celebrating its landmark 25th year, Flickerfest, Australia’s leading Academy Award-accredited and BAFTA-recognised short-film festival, and the country’s largest Australian and international short-film competition, screens the best of shorts from Australia and around the globe; ensuring the presentation of A-list short film programs recognised among the best in the world. Flickerfest screens for 10 days under the summer stars at Bondi Beach over 8–17 January 2016, with selected highlights the most entertaining and innovative short films from around the world touring Australia on a 50+ venue national tour over Jan–May 2016, with Byron Shire being the first stop. Flickerfest is screening for its 18th year in the northern rivers region in 2016 and will celebrate its landmark 25th birthday since the festival’s first ever screening in Balmain Sydney back in 1991.
The Flickerfest 2016 tour will take place at the new home of the air-cooled Mullum Civic Hall, screening a smorgasboard of the world’s and Australia’s best shorts, over one big weekend, handpicked from a record 2,400 entries. Along with the Byron All Shorts finalists screening, audiences will experience the best of short films from the Byron region, Australia and around the world over three cinema-packed days.
Come celebrate amazing independent filmmaking in Mullumbimby over 22–24 January with a glam catered opening night party followed by the Best of International Shorts on the Friday night. Saturday afternoon kicks off with Byron All Shorts local filmmakers finalists screening showcasing the best from our region, and Saturday night the Best of Australian Shorts light up the screen.
Sunday night catch the Byron All Shorts awards then, sit back and enjoy our global Short Laughs Comedy program, comedy highlights handpicked from Flickerfest. In the air-conditioned comfort of the Mullumbimby Civic Hall. For tickets and information go to www.iQ.org.au. Tickets are also available at the door.
Lost in Space Cowboy
By popular demand The Space Cowboy returns to his hometown this January with brand-new stunts never before seen in Byron Bay in his astounding live show! As the holder of 38 Guinness World Records he is leading the frontier of extreme performance around the globe. Experience his death-defying stunts of sword swallowing and more as he pushes the boundaries of what is physically possible. Be bemused and confused by his mental marvels as he paints pictures from people’s minds. Bring your own cutlery for The Space Cowboy to bend with no apparent physical force in your very own hand! His bizarre demonstrations highlight the incredible power of the human mind and the physical body, and are so unusual they have baffled doctors and scientists alike.
Making headlines around the world and with multiple television appearances The Space Cowboy is one act you surely want to catch ‘live’. This is your chance! Four more shows, Byron Community Centre, Saturday and Sunday, 5.30pm and 8pm. Box office: 6685 6807. Book online: www.byroncentre.com.au.
From the Wiggles to Nick Jr – Come and Play Along with Sam!
Play Along with Sam is a Logie- and Astra-nominated and -winning series, which champions Nick Jr’s learning through play philosophy. It encourages preschoolers to play along and learn through music and movement, with songs that entertain and assist in preschool development – such as rhyming riddles, fun and energetic one-minute dance parties and special sound adventures. The former member of The Wiggles and true star of children’s entertainment will provide an energetic and exciting array of music, song and dance, which will captivate preschools’ hearts and minds. The live show will bring fun and laughter in an exciting and colourful space to create music and sound from anything and everything around them, all sharing the fun in travelling through the world of rhythm and movement. Children will love participating in the highly educational stage show, which encourages a preschooler’s development in understanding the use of different sounds and movement. The Byron Theatre on Monday, and Tuesday at the Ballina RSL. Tickets at the venue or go to www.sammoran.com/events.
in Byron on Friday
Wright & Ryan and the goat
Melissa Wright and Lesley Ryan are friends as well as professional artists. This is their second joint exhibition, after successfully exhibiting in New Zealand in 2015.
Melissa Wright will be showing incised oil paintings and etchings that focus on the female figure and their interactions with each other and the natural world. She uses gold ribbons, vines, birds and flowers to join the figures to weave a gentle tapestry.
Lesley Ryan has created a series of drawings and paintings, using birds, fabrics and animals placed in situ and in unusual surroundings. Antique children’s books are often used as background surfaces in her works.
Exhibition is at the Lone Goat Gallery in Byron, opening night Friday 29 January 5.30–7.30pm. Exhibition runs from 28 January till 10 February.
The hilarious Jonathan Atherton, multi-dimensional, multi lingual and when it comes to delivering the laughs, multi-orgasmic – at the Mullum Ex Services on Saturday
From KL to Mullum – Atherton’s last hurrah!
Australian Jonathan Atherton has been described as a multicultural comedian. Jonathan has spent most of his life travelling, making his first trip at the age of two when he travelled with his father who was a foreign correspondent. Jonathan toyed with journalism, then academia, and has ended up combining his love of travel with his work as a comedian, actor and stage performer.
Jonathan has travelled extensively in Asia and Africa. He lived in Central Africa for two years teaching English and working as a safari guide in Uganda. He was initiated into Uganda’s largest tribe, the Baganda. In Asia, Jonathan lived in Thailand for two years and taught English in Japan for six months. Multilingual Jonathan speaks German, Indonesian, Malay, Thai, Lugandan and Swahili fluently, and some Japanese, Lao, Hindi and several other African and Asian dialects. He has studied Linguistics, Anthropology and Religion at the University of Queensland. He is now a permanent resident in Malaysia where he runs the Crackhouse Comedy Club in Kuala Lumpur. Hysterically funny. Don’t miss an evening with Jonathan Atherton, Mandy Nolan as MC and Ellen Briggs as support. Saturday at the Mullum Ex-services Club, 8pm. Tix $25 at the door, pre-sale at the club, or book on 6619 0529.
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