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Byron Shire
October 20, 2026

Bangalow Film Festival opens

Latest News

Cinema: NAZA

A must-see, award-winning documentary investigating AI warfare in Gaza. Fresh from winning the Special Jury Prize at the 2026 Venice International Film Festival, NAZA, the latest documentary from Academy Award-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor (No Other Land), examines artificial intelligence and surveillance in Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

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BBFF Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year

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Mullumbimby Road to be temporarily closed

Byron Shire Council says Mullumbimby Road will be closed to outbound traffic for three days, except for buses and emergency vehicles, for three days from 16 to 18 November.

Police seize 22 e-bikes in Sydney

As part of a crackdown on e-bikes across the state, 22 illegal e-bikes have been seized following a NSW Police Force and Transport for NSW joint operation across southern Sydney and the Illawarra.

Thirty-six unmissable films

The 2026 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival features an unmissable line up 36 films, including five retrospectives which will screen from 28 October to 29 November at Palace Byron Bay and Ballina Cinemas.

Mark Lewis, a filmmaker, is one of the judges of the Green Frame Award, Christian Pazzaglia, the Festival Director and Sarah Beard, producer of two films on the program, ‘Trade Secret’ and ‘The Plastic Country’. Jeff ‘Freeze Frame’ Dawson

The Bangalow Film Festival opening night is this Thursday, 11 June and has already sold out.

The festival is celebrating a wide range of films and the launch of a brand new Nature Documentary Award in Australia, the Green Frame Nature Documentary Award which stands alone in Australia as the only award devoted entirely to nature and environmental film.

‘It brings audiences closer to the voices, beauty and fragility of the natural world.These films weave together the human experience with nature and science in ways that inform, move, and ignite both action and imagination. The conversations they open are ones we can no longer afford to delay,’ said Christian Pazzaglia, Founder and Director of the Bangalow Film Festival.

11 days of film

You can enjoy a great diversity of films throughout the 11-day festival, including the discovery of cheese in Shelf Life, to an expose on the polar bear fur trade. The final night moviegoers will get to enjoy an unforgettable night of cinema, music, food, drinks and community.

They are encouraging everyone to embrace their inner cowgirl or cowboy and join in an evening which will feature DJs, a Husk Rum cocktail bar, food trucks, special activations, prizes for the best dressed cowgirls and cowboys (courtesy of Pony Rider), and the announcement of the winners of Australia’s first Green Frame Nature Documentary Award.

Find out more and get your tickets at: www.bangalowfilmfestival.com.au.



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Interview with Genevieve Clay-Smith, director of Boss Cat showing at the Byron Bay Film Festival

When Sonja (Olivia Hargroder) loses her mother without warning, the only steady presence left in her life is her grandmother, Doris. But Doris’s idea of stability means dismantling everything Sonja has built. For Sonja, who lives with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and has spent her life fighting to be underestimated by no one, Doris’ plan feels less like protection and more like erasure. Directed by Genevieve Clay-Smith, Boss Cat is a vibrant, big-hearted Australian dramedy about independence, family and self-determination, anchored by a fearless lead performance.

Something for everyone at the Picture House

From Australian superstar musos, to brand new documentaries, to comedians at the top of their game, there really is something for everyone at the Brunswick Picture House.

Thirty-six unmissable films

The 2026 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival features an unmissable line up 36 films, including five retrospectives which will screen from 28 October to 29 November at Palace Byron Bay and Ballina Cinemas.

A timeless story of self-discovery

A husband with a promotion, two adorable children and a lovely new house. Nora thought she had it all. But did she? What was the discontent that was whispering to her in the shadows?