The Byron Bay International Film Festival (BBFF) fuses artistry, education and innovation, enhancing our worldview and collective social dialogue through the power and storytelling of film.
Launched in 2005, BBFF has established a reputation for showcasing a range of films with an emphasis on content that seeks to raise social, cultural and environmental awareness. Locating the festival within Australia’s largest regional film hub of New South Wales’ Northern Rivers, BBFF attracts industry folk, artists, film buffs, local residents and tourists with a program that caters to a diversity of audiences, offering adults only sessions, family sessions and screening works that celebrate our local community, its values and environment.
The festival’s series of awards recognise excellence in film for such categories as features, shorts, documentary, music videos and animation and has been recognising fresh talent since its inception with the Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year Award which is judged by Film Critic Peter Thompson.
Byron Bay’s beautiful location, renowned for its beaches and rainforests, provides one of the most unique backdrops for a film fest along with a community renowned worldwide for its focus on style and innovative design, green values, and multicultural creativity.
“Byron Bay has an international film festival where important film is being screened that can change and influence people for life.
Civilisations come and go. The only things that remain are the history of that civilisation and the art of that civilisation. Everything else crumbles and is sacrificed in the end.
The arts are thus very important and the art of film combines all the other arts and is the greatest gift to the times we live in. Usually abused and misused because of our rampant consumerism.
Film festivals like the Byron Bay International Film Festival are free from commercial pressures and therefore are very important. They give the people a voice and celebrate their diversity.
I am proud to be associated with your festival and wish to congratulate the people who made this film festival possible..”
— BBFF Patron Paul Cox