DOCUMENTARIES
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BRAND BOLLYWOOD DOWNUNDER
Brunswick Picture House
WORLD PREMIERE
Spanning from 1897 to 2023, Brand Bollywood Downunder is the story of the ‘Bollywoodisation’ and globalisation of Indian popular cinema through its love affair with Australia.
Delve beneath the colourful exterior of Hollywood’s biggest rival to discover the artistry, organised chaos, music, dance, politics and unique characters that have led to Bollywood taking Australia by storm.
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BROMLEY: LIGHT AFTER DARK
Palace Byron Bay + The Regent
David Bromley found that art appeased the voices in his head and helped him find beauty in the world. So he made the life-changing decision to commit his whole being to something meaningful.
A love story for the ages and a rousing exploration of life and creativity. As David himself says, “art saved my life”. But that’s just the beginning of this story…
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FANTASTIC MACHINE
Palace Byron Bay + The Regent
What happens when humanity’s infatuation with itself and an untethered free market meet 45 billion cameras…?
Fantastic Machine explores, explains and exposes how our unchecked obsession with image has grown to change our human behaviour.
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FREEDOM IS BEAUTIFUL
Palace Byron Bay + The Regent
Freedom Is Beautiful is the story of two extraordinary Kurdish refugees, Farhad Bandesh and Mostafa (Moz) Azimitabar who fled persecution in Iran & arrived separately by boat into Australia seeking asylum in 2013.
An uplifting story of the power of love and our shared humanity.
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GROUND SWELL: THE OTHER SIDE OF FEAR
Palace Byron Bay + Lennox Cultural Centre
Ground Swell: The Other Side of Fear is an in-depth look at the 2021-22 big wave season through the eyes of Nic Von Rupp, Kai Lenny, Matt Bromley, Torrey Meister, Vini dos Santos and pioneering female surfer Bianca Valenti and maybe the 100-foot wave.
They all push past their fear and find out what is on the other side as they tackle monstrous waves in locations from Nazare in Portugal, Jaws, and Pipeline in Hawaii, and Mavericks in Northern California.
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HABANA SHAKES
Palace Byron Bay
WORLD PREMIERE
Habana Shakes follows five young Cubans over ten days.
A valentine to Cuban youth culture youth and Habana (an island city and Cuba's capital, on the cusp of change) Habana Shakes is lyrical and an observational window into the world's of Maya, Yoljany, Yelda, Teresita and Lehardi.
What is that they want in their Cuba? Does it differ from their parent's generation?
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KAUGERE: A PLACE WHERE NOBODY ENTERS
Palace Byron Bay
WORLD PREMIERE
Set amid the squalor of one of Papua New Guinea’s infamous settlements, Kaugere is a modern-day parable of once tribal men finding their feet through the game of rugby league.
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MUTINY IN HEAVEN -THE BIRTHDAY PARTY
Palace Byron Bay + The Regent
NSW PREMIEREThe story of The Birthday Party's ascent, apex and inevitable collapse is a thrilling tale of epic struggle, artistic genius and total dysfunctionality. Told in the group's own words, Mutiny In Heaven brings the band's story to the screen for the first time. This is a twisted tale of ascent, realisation and implosion whilst dealing with issues of artistic muse, creativity, addiction, fame, interpersonal conflict and the unique relationship between creative vision and self-destruction - all underpinned by the dark, wry humour of the individual band members.
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POINT OF CHANGE
Lennox Cultural Centre
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Stumbling across the perfect wave, two surfers start a chain reaction of unintended consequences… Perfection comes at a price.
An island community dramatically changed forever by the discovery of a ‘perfect wave’ in the 1970’s, point of change chronicles the first surfers to ‘discover' this point at Nias Island, Indonesia, and the unintended dramatic consequences that followed.
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THE EDGE OF NATURE
Palace Byron Bay
Encore Screening Lennox Head Cultural Centre
WORLD PREMIERE
Scientists have come to call the first 6-8 months of the Covid Pandemic “The Anthropause.” During this time industrial fossil fuel pollution plummeted and for the very first time in history, world wide emissions were reduced enough to halt climate change.
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THE LAST TWO WEEKS AT LONGLEE
Brunswick Picture House
NSW PREMIERELocal filmmaker Susie Forster intimately chronicles the final weeks of her mother, artist Lee Stephenson, at their art-filled Goulburn Valley home. As 82-year-old Lee confronts her mortality, her family grapples with emotion and memories. Amidst COVID restrictions and with the support of a dedicated palliative care team, they unite to fulfill Lee's final wish: to die at home.
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THE TRUST FALL:JULIAN ASSANGE
Brunswick Picture House
NSW PREMIERE
Exploring the meaning and significance of the Julian Assange predicament. Despite being detained, silenced and hidden from public view in maximum security Belmarsh Prison, multi-award-winning Australian journalist and publisher Julian Assange has become one of the loudest voices for free speech of our times.
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Seeds of Inspiration: Chronicles of Hope & Change
Palace Byron Bay
SHORT ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTARIES
This special session at BBFF curates a trio of films that resonate with themes of connection, rejuvenation, and the profound impact of nature on our lives. It’s a cinematic journey that shines a spotlight on the resilience of the human spirit and the undying bond we share with Mother Earth.