Your world of film in the heart of Byron Bay

Opening & Closing Nights

Our festival always begins and ends with a bang. As we have many filmmakers attending from Australia and abroad our guestlist is extensive so tickets to the public are extremely limited. Don’t be disappointed – register for our e-newsletter or like us on Facebook so that you’ll be the first to know when they go on sale. Tickets to the whole festival will be available shortly through www.byroncentre.com.au.

You’ll get the star treatment at our Red Carpet events. Both of these Gala nights will be catered by the Beautiful Feast. Their menus are created using primarily local organic and free range ingredients – offering dishes that highlight the best in artisan and seasonal produce this region has to offer. From Brunswick oysters, Jordans’ Organic Breads, Alstonville Chicken, Cooper Shoot Tomatoes and river prawns (if they running) – to name a few.

Big Thanks goes to our sponsor – Cheese Please who will augment the menu with a selection from their range, and to our beverage sponsors – Coopers 62 and Fox Creek Wines.

OPENING NIGHT Friday March 2nd

The Red Carpet Gala Opening Night will once again set the scene for this year’s spectacular ten-night, nine-day international film festival.

FACE TO FACE

Byron Bay Premiere

Early Bird Tickets on sale now $35 Full Price $50

From Australia’s most acclaimed playwright, David Williamson, a moving and powerful new film about lies, betrayal, and sex in the workplace. This acclaimed Dramatic Feature has won over 32 awards world-wide. In this enthralling and multifaceted story a young construction worker is pushed to the edge and flies off-the-rails violently attacking his colleague and his boss.  In an attempt to stay out of the courts he’s given the chance to explain his actions in a community conference, facilitated by a Social Worker played by Matthew Newton.  This face-to-face confrontation between the young man, his boss, his boss’s wife, co-workers, best mate and mother lifts the lid on their workplace dirty laundry, turning all of their lives upside down. Face to Face stars a stellar ensemble cast led by Vince Colosimo, Sigrid Thornton and Luke Ford and is directed by Michael Rymer (Angel Baby).

“Face to Face is that rare film which grabs a hold of you at the beginning and doesn’t let go till the end. It is an amazing piece of cinema – riveting, thought provoking, transformative. Only once or twice a year do I see such a film – and this year that film is Face to Face.”

- Michael Moore

Gala Party to follow upstairs in the Coopers Filmmakers Bar – catered by The Beautiful Feast.

GALA PARTY Saturday March 10th

With Sunday 11th March the final day of film festivities, be sure to join us as we wind-down the 2012 BBFF with another Red Carpet Gala Party on Saturday 10th. A handful of our top awards will be handed out, including the big one for Best Film.

This red carpet event acknowledges and celebrates the creative spirit of all festival participants – including you, our much-valued patrons and supporters.

ON BORROWED TIME

Byron Bay Premiere

From Byron’s most prolific filmmaker David Bradbury this documentary focuses on BBFF’s Patron, Paul Cox, arguably one of the most important filmmakers to come out of this country. Paul occupies a unique place in the Australian film landscape. A Dutch native who relocated to Melbourne in his early 20s in the 1960s, Cox went on to make more than 22 feature films over the next four decades, all highly personal and artistically ambitious and all outside the Hollywood model.
Featuring a who’s who of Australian film and intellectual life of the past 30 years – including David Stratton, Phillip Adams, Chris Haywood, Bob Ellis and Wendy Hughes – documentarian and Byron resident David Bradbury’s affectionate tribute to the great director delves into Cox’s outlook on filmmaking and life, particularly in the wake of his remarkable recent brush with cancer.
Filmmakers David Bradbury & Paul Cox will be in attendance.