 | | | | | |
| LAPDANCE LARRY |
| SEVENTIES SIMON |
| PHOTOGRAPHY |
| COMIC ART |
| INTERVIEWS |
| Sub-menu 1.2.1.1 |
| FESTIVALS |
| EXHIBITIONS |
| BIFF News | BIFF Movies | BIFF Details |
20th Brisbane International Film Festival
– Latest News
During the 11 days jam-packed days of the Brisbane International Film Festival, modmove will be providing up to date news on the latest going ons – on and off the red carpet! Make sure to log in regularly for details on screenings, sellout, special offers and upcoming special events!
10 Nov 2011 – Extra screenings
By popular demand, BIFF are putting on three extra screenings on Sunday. Enjoy an Arthur Penn classic on the big screen, witness the complexity of our inaugural BIFFDOCS winner, and catch a highly anticipated spy thriller months before the rest of the country.
Bonnie and Clyde screens at Tribal Theatre at 10.30am on Sunday 13 November.
BIFFDOCS winner Arirang screens at Tribal Theatre at 11am on Sunday 13 November.
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy screens at Palace Barracks at 8.30pm on Sunday 13 November.
Tribal Trivia Night
Think you know film? Come on down to the mother of all movie trivia nights and prove it. Film critic and man about town Bruce Redman hosts this animated evening of prizes and film buffery. The trivia night is free to attend, but we recommend booking a space to avoid disappointment.
Tribal Trivia Night takes place at Tribal Theatre at 6.00pm this evening.
10 Nov 2011 – BIFF photos
The BIFF photographers have been doing the rounds of the screenings and events, capturing the excitement of the festival. Has your photo been taken? View the Facebook albums to find out!
Selling fast!
It's shaping up to be a big weekend at BIFF, so we advise buying tickets in advance. TrollHunter, Martha Marcy May Marlene, I Wish and The Trouble With St Mary's are among the films selling fast. Book early to avoid disappointment.
10 Nov 2011 – BIFFDOCS winner announced
The winner of BIFFDOCS, Australia’s richest documentary award, was named today by an eminent jury of experienced documentary practitioners.
“The judging panel’s unanimous decision was to award the top prize to the South Korean entry, Arirang,” Screen Queensland CEO Maureen Barron announced.
“Submitted by one of South Korea’s most celebrated filmmakers, Kim Ki-duk, Arirang is a disturbing autobiographical statement that has been described as the absolute and final expression of a filmmaker.
“In taking out the BIFFDOCS prize, Arirang continues its global success, including winning the 2011 Cannes Un Certain Regard section earlier this year.
Ms Barron said BIFFDOCS attracted an impressive 19 films from across the globe in its inaugural year, all vying for the $25 000 prize.
“BIFFDOCS attracted documentary titles from international and local filmmakers and the quality of this year’s entries ensured the judges had a tough task deciding our inaugural winner,” she said.
“The judging criteria was to find the documentary that entertained, provoked, surprised and disturbed. Kim Ki-duk thanked the Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) and the jury for the award.
“It’s a great honour, and I am sorry that I couldn’t be there with you. Arirang is my confession as a human being, and it’s about my idea about what a film is,” Kim Ki-duk said.
The 2011 judges for BIFFDOCS; Richard Moore, Head of Screen Culture and BIFF director; Mark Lewis, the celebrated documentary filmmaker, producer; David Tiley, documentary filmmaker and editor of online screen journal Screen Hub, and local filmmaker Phoebe Hart, winner of the 2010 BIFF Showtime audience award for her production Orchids: My Intersex Adventure: were all impressed by the vision of the South Korean entry.
Richard Moore said Arirang was a film that delivered on every criterion.
“I invite Brisbane audiences to experience this engrossing examination of a filmmaker's journey for themselves at the repeat screenings on Friday 11 November at 3pm and Sunday 13 November at 11am, both at Tribal Theatre.”
“We are thrilled at the calibre of documentaries that BIFFDOCS attracted in its inaugural year, and look forward to seeing this competition grow in stature in the coming years,” Mr Moore said.
“I encourage audiences to experience as many of these captivating BIFFDOCS films screening over the final weekend of BIFF, including Dancing With Dictators, This Is Not a Film, A Bitter Taste of Freedom, Sons of Perdition, Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom, Upside Down: The Creation of Sony Records, The Look and the new Morgan Spurlock film, Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope.”
BIFFDOCS is a new initiative to recognise the best of international documentary making. Together with Screen Queensland’s support of documentary production in the state, it demonstrates the Queensland Government’s commitment to this immensely popular format.
“In 2010-11, the Queensland Government supported the production of 12 documentaries through Screen Queensland. Investment levels through the agency’s Documentary Production program increased from $278 000 in 2009-10 to $830 000 in 2010-11,” Ms Barron said. Among the 19 films selected for the BIFFDOCS prize was Queensland-produced documentary, The Trouble With St Mary’s, which received $35,000 documentary production investment from Screen Queensland in 2009-10.
Arirang screens again at Tribal Theatre at 3.00pm Friday 11 November. A third screening will also take place at Tribal Theatre at 11.00am Sunday 13 November.
Films Selling fast!
If you thought you didn't need to book to get into BIFF, think again!
Many of the sessions are selling out and approaching capacity, including second sessions of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Melancholia, and the closing night film The Skin I Live In. Book early to avoid disappointment.
For more updates, follow BIFF on Facebook and Twitter.
09 Nov 2011 – Critical Mass is at BIFF
Critical Mass is looking for arts experts, audiences, critics and the general public to participate in review writing and discussions about art and culture.
Critical Mass uses social - and new- media tools such as a blog, Twitter and Facebook to foster rich cultural conversations about the arts, including films at BIFF.
Contributors to Queensland’s cultural scene have been invited to participate in Critical Mass and write about their experiences and perceptions of films in the Brisbane International Film Festival program. These writers have already covered 2011 Brisbane Festival and Queensland Music Festival and are set to bring film, visual art and design in to the discussion.
Join the conversation by:
Reading the reviews: www.criticalmassblog.net and posting your comments.
Taking part in the Twitter discussion via the #criticalmass hashtag. Join the conversation with us via @CriticalMassAQ.
Attending the BIFF events – some of the Critical Mass entries will be based on events in the BIFF program.
Selling fast!
Tickets for the remaining days of the festival are proving popular, with more sell out sessions expected. The encore screening of A Dangerous Method is already at capacity, with second showings of The Orator, The Trouble With St Mary's, Happy Happy and Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope selling fast. Book early to avoid disappointment.
08 Nov 2011 – more sessions selling out fast!
BIFF tickets are selling quickly, with many sessions at or close to capacity!
Second sessions of Like Crazy, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Orator are proving popular, as is Tribal Trivia night. Make sure you book early to avoid disappointment.
07 Nov 2011 – BIFF Photos
The BIFF happy snappers have been doing the rounds of screenings and events, capturing the excitement of the festival. Has your photo been taken? View the official BIFF Facebook albums to find out!
Selling fast!
We continue to encourage BIFF patrons to buy tickets early, with sell out sessions increasingly common!
Closing night's The Skin I Live In is the hottest ticket in town at the moment, with The Trouble with St Mary's, Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Curse of The Gothic Symphony also proving popular. Book early to avoid disappointment!
06 Nov 2011 – Film Selling fast!
Expect more full houses over the coming days, particularly at the purpose built drive-in. If you haven't already bought tickets to Red Dog, it is now sold out. Crawl and Drive are also selling well.
Bubbles @ BIFF continues to be popular, with Melancholia and Goodbye, First Love selling fast. Repeat sessions of A Dangerous Method, Like Crazy and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy are also approaching capacity. Book early to avoid disappointment!
05 Nov 2011 – Film Selling fast!
After sell out sessions during the first two official days of the festival, many more are filling fast.
The second sessions of The Orator and The Curse of the Gothic Symphony are close to capacity, as are The Clouds Have Stories: The Art of the Torres Strait Islands, Queensland Shorts and Crawl and Drive at the drive-in.
Tribal Trivia Night also promises a full house, so register today to send off our beloved venue in style. Book early to avoid disappointment!
04 Nov 2011 – Mystery Film from Fantastic Fest
Looking for the unexpected? Fresh from the magical archive of Austin's Fantastic Fest comes a mystery 35mm print escorted personally on the plane by programmer Lars Nilsen.
Whilst the title of the film is a closely guarded secret, make sure you follow the festival on Facebook and Twitter for more information tomorrow. And Lars might just give away a few hints when he chats with BIFF director Richard Moore at the Campos Coffee Conversations on Saturday 5 November.
Mystery Film from Fantastic Fest screens at Tribal Theatre at 9.30pm Saturday 5 November.
Selling fast!
Session on Friday and Saturday are selling fast, with many certain to be at capacity. A Dangerous Method, Classical Notes, Mysteries of Lisbon and The Human Centipede 2 are the hottest tickets for this weekend. Sessions of Melancholia are also filling fast, as is closing night.
Book early to avoid disappointment!
03 Nov 2011 – Tickets Selling Fast and some sold out!
The Orator joins Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy among the sold out sessions at BIFF, however don't despair - there are second showings of both!
We advise getting in quick for Le Havre, The Human Centipede 2 and Red Dog at the drive-in. Book early to avoid disappointment!
02 Nov 2011 – Tickets Selling Fast!
As the festival moves closer, a number of sessions are selling fast.
There are only a handful of tickets remaining for the first session of The Orator, with the second session also close to capacity.
A Dangerous Method, The Tall Man and Fantome Island are also proving popular. We advise buying tickets early to avoid disappointment!
02 Nov 2011 – QNFA finalists announced
In the lead up to the historic 25th anniversary event, nominees for the Village Roadshow Studios Queensland New Filmmakers Awards (QNFA) have been announced.
More than 85 entries were received from emerging Queensland talent, with 25 receiving a nomination for the 13 awards in Australia’s longest running industry-sponsored competition. Aspiring filmmakers from Queensland film schools provided a wealth of submissions, with Griffith University, Bond University, QUT and JMC Academy generating high entry rates. In the competition’s first year of recognising up and coming filmmakers over 30 years old, the general categories also received a significant number of entries, with each hotly contested.
“We hope to see this year’s nominees go on to bigger and better things – including eventually screening their films at the Brisbane International Film Festival,” said Richard Moore, Head of Screen Culture at Screen Queensland.
An industry judging panel selected the nominee shortlist, with winners to be announced at the QNFA awards ceremony on Sunday 13 November 2011. QNFA will bring the 20th Brisbane International Film Festival to close at a gala event at the State Library hosted by 612 ABC Brisbane Mornings presenter and award-winning journalist Terri Begley. Prizes in all 13 categories will be awarded at the ceremony, with a selection of finalists films screened at the event.
For more information, please visit www.biff.com.au.
27 October 2011 – Out-of-This-World Opening Night Planned for BIFF
The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) takes over the city from 3 – 13 November and will launch next Thursday 3 November evening with the Australian premiere of UK comedy Attack the Block and an out-of-this-world themed after party with special BMX stunt riders set to perform for Opening Night crowds.
BIFF Opening Night is one of the most popular events on the festival program as it offers filmmakers and film fans the opportunity to come together to enjoy one action-packed evening. Festival Director Richard Moore said he was particularly proud that they could revise the 2011 BIFF Opening Night ticket price to make the event more accessible.
“We believe BIFF is a film festival for everyone so we have adjusted the ticket price of Opening Night accordingly,” Moore said.
“Thanks to some tough negotiation and wonderful sponsors, BIFF Opening Night tickets are now $30 each which means more film fans, particularly students, can afford to join in the fun and party with festival guests.”
However the general public Opening Night ticket allocation is strictly limited so Moore recommends those interested get in quick!
“With so many festival guests arriving to showcase their films at this year’s festival, we don’t have as many tickets for the general public so it is a case of first in first served,” Moore said.
Moore also would like to remind those Opening Night guests looking to meet industry players that the person who could give you your big break could very well be the person next to you on the dance floor!
BIFF Opening Night will take place on Thursday 3 November, 7pm, at Palace Barracks cinema.
Red carpet arrivals from 6.30PM
Film commences at 7.00PM
After Party commences at 9.00PM
$30 per person includes admission to the movie, the After Party including canapés, drinks and themed entertainment. Ticket can be purchased at www.biff.com.au
26 October 2011 – Around the Wold in 50 Films!
The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) will celebrate its 20th anniversary with an extraordinary program of 135 feature films that features the grand total of 50 Australian premieres.
50 films will enjoy their very first Australian screening at the festival, taking audiences on a journey around the world without leaving Brisbane!
From highly anticipated A-List cast films like UK release, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, to the first documentary entirely filmed and made in East Timor, Uma Lulik; the 2011 BIFF program promises audiences a broad spectrum of cinematic experience, with many surprises. Of the 50 Australian premieres in the 2011 program, there are several films which promise to be some of the most popular of the festival including:
Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon will enjoy its Australian premiere at BIFF and the multi award winning artists are rumoured to attend the special screening allowing fans a unique opportunity to learn their background story and get up close to their idols.
Gold Coast brothers Paul and Ben China will premiere their film Crawl at BIFF’s purpose built Drive-in Theatre, off the back of their award winning success at LA’s recent Screamfest Festival.
Let the Bullets Fly with martial arts king, Chow Yun Fat is now the highest grossing domestic film in China of all time, and will have its first Australian screening at BIFF.
The Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Like Crazy, a bittersweet portrait of love at a distance, will enjoy its Australian Premiere at BIFF.
Director Pedro Almodóvar, arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation, will premiere The Skin I Live In starring Antonio Banderas, as the closing night film of festival.
BIFF will also feature 3 world premieres, all local documentaries including; The Trouble with St Mary’s, The Clouds Have Stories: The Art of the Torre Strait Islands and Prelude.
A full list of the 50 films that will have their Australian premiere screening at BIFF and their country of origin are as follows:
• Arirang (South Korea)
• Attack the Block (UK)
• Bernadette: Notes on a Political Journey (Ireland)
• Bitter Taste of Freedom (USA/Russia)
• Boatload of Wild Irishmen (Ireland)
• Burnt by the Sun 3 (Russia)
• ...But Film Is My Mistress (Sweden)
• Clouds Have Stories: The Art of the Torres Strait Islands (Australia)*
• Cinema Komunisto (Serbia/Montenegro)
• Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope (USA)
• Corridor, The (Canada)
• Crawl (Australia)
• A Dangerous Method (UK/France/Germany/Canada/Switzerland)
• Dancing with Dictators (Australia)
• Drive-In Delirium Presents Trailerpalooza (Australia)
• The Drunkard (Hong Kong)
• Fantome Island (Australia)
• 50 Best Kills (USA)
• Goodbye, First Love (France/Germany)
• The Human Centipede 2 (Netherlands/UK/USA)
• I Wish (Japan)
• In the Company of Eric Rohmer (France)
• La Voz Dormida (Spain)
• Las Acacias (Argentina /Spain)
• Let the Bullets Fly (China)
• Like Crazy (USA)
• The Look (France)
• Manborg (Canada)
• My Little Princess (France)
• No More Fear (Tunisia)
• On Borrowed Time (Australia)
• The FP (USA)
• The Orator (New Zealand/Samoa)
• Penumbra (Argentina)
• Policeman (Israel)
• Prelude (Australia)*
• Revenge: A Love Story (Hong Kong)
• Sibérie (France)
• The Skin I Live In (Spain)
• Sons of Perdition (USA)
• Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon (USA)
• This Is Not a Film (Iran)
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (UK/France)
• Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardomn(USA)
• Trouble with St Mary’s, The (Australia)*
• Uma Lulik (East Timor)
• Upside Down:The Creation Record Story (UK)
• We Who Have Lived La Dolce Vita (Italy/France)
• You’ve Been Trumped (USA)
• The Zero Hour (Venezuela)
* Denotes World Premiere
In addition to the 50 Australian premieres, BIFF will be presenting Australia’s richest documentary competition BIFFDOCS, a “Let’s Go Surfing” program strand celebrating this rich subject matter, a Filmmakers In Focus program, and exclusive collaborations with the La Mirada, Fantastic Fest and Cannes Film Festivals. BIFF takes place in locations throughout Brisbane from 3 – 13 November, 2011.
The full program can be viewed online at www.biff.com.au/2011-programme
19 Oct 2011 – Chauvel Award recognises importance of film adaptations in major screen production development initiative worth $40,000
Screen Queensland’s $40,000 adaptation development initiative will embrace the legacy of one of Queensland’s formative filmmakers through a re-formatted Chauvel Award at the 2011 Brisbane International Film Festival, Screen Queensland CEO Maureen Barron announced.
Launched during the 2011 Brisbane Writers Festival at the popular Books to Box Office session, the initiative now known as the Chauvel Award, offers a development package for the best screen adaptation of a novel.
“We are delighted to deliver two major awards that recognise great storytelling from development through to production stages in the re-formatted $40,000 Chauvel Award and the new $25,000 BIFFDOCS Award for documentaries. These awards are part of Screen Queensland’s role in the development and encouragement of new cinema in Queensland,” Ms Barron said.
In the past, the Chauvel Award recognised accomplished veterans of the industry.
“With domestic production levels on the rise in Queensland, we want to recognise the work of producers and writers at an earlier stage in a project’s life and, through the Chauvel Award, provide much-needed funds towards the development of a production that could stand alongside other great adaptations by Australian filmmakers,” Ms Barron said.
“Born in 1897 in the Queensland regional town of Warwick, Charles Chauvel was a trailblazer in the early days of the international screen industry, and his career in film is characteristic of the great work happening in Queensland to this day.”
Chauvel’s films celebrated Australian history and stories through his features and documentaries, often challenging the nation’s social fabric through films like 1953’s Jedda—the first film to centre on Indigenous Australian characters, and ahead of its time in its portrayal of some of the assimilation practices of its era.
“As a filmmaker, Charles Chauvel’s work reflected the rapidly evolving film industry of his era, and so the Chauvel Award has also evolved to the changing needs of Queensland’s screen production industry.”
Adaptation was part of Chauvel’s legacy, including the 1936 Australian western Rangle River based on a story by the great Zane Grey, the international bestselling author who is among the most-adapted in cinematic and literary history with well over 100 films adapted from his work.
“The adaptation of literary works is integral to sharing Australian stories through film, yet Australia adapts fewer works than any of the other leading film industries including the United Kingdom or the United States,” Ms Barron said.
“By taking this award, which is part of BIFF’s history, and attaching it to a program designed to see more Queensland films developed, we are recognising the importance of literary source material for film.”
The Chauvel Award is competitive and open to all Queensland-based producers with a $2,000 bonus for attaching a Queensland writer to the project. Applications close on 24 October, with the successful candidate announced during the 2011 Brisbane International Film Festival, which runs from 3 to 13 November 2011.
The 2011 BIFF program features a number of high-profile international and Australian films that are adaptations, such as:
- Closing film The Skin I Live In (inspired by Thierry Jonquet's Mygale)
- Australian premiere of Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy (based on the international bestseller by John Le Carre)
- Australian box-office hit Red Dog (based on Louis de Bernières’ novella)
- Australian documentary The Tall Man (based on the book by Australian author Chloe Hooper)
10 Oct 2011 – Brisbane International Film Festival celebrates 20 years
Arts Minister Rachel Nolan tonight announced the Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) will celebrate its 20th year with more than 100 films over 11 days at multiple venues. Launching BIFF 2011, 3 - 13 November, Ms Nolan said this year's festival will offer film buffs an entertaining mix of local and international films, retrospectives and colourful events.
"This year the drive-in movies return to Brisbane with winner of the Best Director award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival Drive, and popular Australian movie Red Dog showing amongst others at Northshore Hamilton," Ms Nolan said.
"Australian and Queensland films feature well with this year's festival with a line-up of films that demonstrate home-grown talent.
"Gold coast production Crawl will screen alongside Daniel Marsden's The Clouds Have Stories which was specially commissioned film by organisations at the Cultural Centre South Bank, as part of the Torres Strait Islands: A Celebration exhibition.
"The Queensland Symphony Orchestra will also debut with their collaboration of Prelude and The Curse of the Gothic Symphony.
"This year's festival will look back over a successful 20 years, returning to one of its first venues at the State Library of Queensland for a variety of events including two Industry Days and celebrating history of the Tribal Theatre with a trivia night and movie marathon before it closes its doors for the last time.
"Living up to its name, the Festival also brings the best of film internationally, presenting highlights from the 2011 Cannes, Toronto, Venice and Locarno film festivals.
"Since the first festival in 1992, more than 375,000 film-goers have enjoyed BIFF and I have no doubt this year will continue its trend of drawing bright and creative people to Brisbane.
"The festival will provide a much needed economic boost for Queensland and is one of the reasons the Queensland Government has backed BIFF from its inception, to today. This year the Government has provided $370,000 to stage the festival, through Screen Queensland."
The event was also the launch pad for a new $40 000 initiative from Screen Queensland to honour trailblazing Queensland filmmaker Charles Chauvel. The Chauvel award offers a development package worth up to $40 000 for the best screen adaptation of a novel.
"The award is open to all Queensland-based producers with applications closing on 24 October," Ms Nolan said.
"The successful project will be announced during the 2011 Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) from 3-13 November with a $2000 bonus available if a Queensland writer is attached to the project."
Festival Director Richard Moore said that as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, BIFF returns to the State Library of Queensland for select screenings, while tickets will be sold from the iconic ticket booth in the Regent Foyer, a favourite festival haunt for much of BIFF's history.
"As the festival's director, I'm thrilled to be able to offer such an exciting array of local and international cinema to the city during the festival's milestone year," he said.
The full program and tickets for BIFF 2011 will be available online at www.biff.com.au from 11am tomorrow. The program will also be available in The Courier-Mail on Saturday 22 October.
03 Oct 2011 – Leading documentary film makers fight it out for BIFF's top prize
Minister for Arts Rachel Nolan unveiled the full list of titles for Australia’s richest documentary award.
Ms Nolan said the nation’s newest documentary competition, part of the Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF), has attracted an impressive array of nineteen titles from across the globe, all vying for the $25,000 prize. In its first year, BIFFDOCS has attracted a remarkable collection of documentary titles from around the world, and Brisbane audiences will be the first in Australia to view them,” Ms Nolan said.
“It’s worth travelling to attend the festival just for this collection alone, which has attracted films that are both surprising, entertaining and thought provoking.
“Among the list of international documentaries is This Is Not A Film directed by leading Iranian dissident Jafar Panahi.
“One of South Korea’s most celebrated filmmakers, Kim Ki Duk, has also entered the competition with his disturbing autobiographical statement Arirang, winner of the 2011 Cannes Un Certain Regard section.
“Both documentaries premiered at this year’s Cannes film festival, along with The Look, a portrait of actress Charlotte Rampling; and Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom, a biography of one the legendary stars of Hollywood’s ‘golden era’.
“Four Australian documentaries are also in the running for the top prize, including The Trouble With St Mary’s, directed by Brisbane’s Peter Hegedus, On Borrowed Time, directed by David Bradbury, along with Fantome Island and Dancing With Dictators.
“Directed by Sean Gilligan, Fantome Island reveals the fascinating and moving tale of a leper colony off the coast of Townsville, while Dancing With Dictators, directed by Hugh Piper, tells the story of Australian newspaper editor Ross Dunkley, who was recently released from incarceration by the Burmese Government.”
The prize winner will be announced at the conclusion of the festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary from 3 to 13 November 2011. The competition will be judged by Richard Moore, Head of Screen Culture and Festival Director of BIFF, celebrated documentary film maker and producer Mark Lewis, David Tiley editor of online screen journal Screen Hub, and local filmmaker Phoebe Hart.
26 Sep 2011 – BEHIND THE CURTAIN: BIFF reveals nine more titles
The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF), which celebrates its 20th anniversary from 3 to 13 November 2011, today announced nine intriguing new films in the upcoming program. These titles join the recently publicised opening and closing night films, and reveal another tantalising glimpse of the exciting festival in store for Brisbane’s cinephiles, which will be officially unveiled on 10 October 2011.
A number of highly anticipated films are on the list, including the Australian premieres of David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method and the latest adaptation of John le Carré’s spy thriller, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, both direct from the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals.
Starring Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen and Keira Knightley, A Dangerous Method centres on the relationship between psychoanalysts Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein, putting a new spin – and a spanking – on the battle of the sexes; and is director Cronenberg’s first feature in four years. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy boasts an all-star cast of Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch, with director Tomas Alfredson delving into the inner echelons of cold war espionage.
After receiving a special mention in the Orizzonti Awards section of the Venice Film Festival, The Orator will make its local debut at BIFF. The world’s first feature in the Samoan language, the film is a simple tale of love, ritual and honour. Filmed entirely on location in Samoa with a cast of untrained actors, The Orator promises to be a real discovery for Australian audiences.
In another glimpse of the BIFF program, and representative of a strong line-up of American independent films at this year's festival, is Sundance dramatic prize winner Like Crazy; BIFF's early nomination for the ultimate date movie of the year! Featuring a radiant performance by certain rising star Felicity Jones opposite Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence, the film chronicles a romance tinged with doubt, a touch of bitterness and an abundance of love.
The latest film from cinema’s “bad boy” Lars von Trier is also on its way to BIFF, in the form of the acclaimed, award-wining apocalyptic drama Melancholia. Before he was ejected from Cannes earlier this year for alleged anti-Semitic remarks, the director left audiences gasping at the audacity of his image making, with his leading lady Kirsten Dunst earning the best actress accolade at the festival.
Fans of international cinema will rejoice at box office sensation Let The Bullets Fly, starring one of China’s biggest and best known stars, Chow Yun Fat. The martial arts master will delight audiences as he plays against type in this much anticipated Chinese Western, whose action-packed, adventurous and humorous effort has made it the highest grossing domestic film in China’s cinematic history.
A mammoth undertaking comes to its cinematic conclusion when BIFF screens the double-headed continuation to the Oscar winning Russian epic Burnt By the Sun. From controversial director (and close friend of Vladimir Putin) Nikita Mikhalkov, the World War 2 epic Burnt By The Sun 2 is quite possibly Russia’s most expensive movie ever, followed by third instalment The Citadel direct from its world premiere at the Montreal Film Festival.
Norway’s dark and brooding King of Devil’s Island will also screen in the 20th anniversary BIFF program. Starring Scandinavian superstar Stellan Skarsgard as the governor of a sadistic boys home, the tense drama explores the juxtaposition between rebellion and freedom, in a gripping effort based on a true story.
These nine films join the previously announced opening night film, English alien comedy Attack the Block; closing night film, the Spanish gothic thriller The Skin I Live In and the much anticipated music documentary Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon, on the BIFF 20th anniversary bill.
Tickets to these three special event screenings and passes are on sale now. Tickets to the nine films go on sale with the full 2011 BIFF program on 11 October 2011.
19 Sep 2011 – BIFF is back with aliens and Almodovar
The countdown is on to this year's Brisbane International Film Festival, with tickets on sale from today for the opening and closing night movies.
Arts Minister Rachel Nolan has revealed the opening night film on Thursday 3 November will be Attack the Block and the festival will close on Saturday 12 November with The Skin I Live In.
"The festival starts with one of the year's most exciting movies - Attack the Block starring English comedian Nick Frost and a bunch of teenagers defending South London, and the world, from aliens," Ms Nolan said.
"This spirited science fiction film is directed by Joe Cornish (co-writer of the upcoming film The Adventures Of Tintin), and is one of those films that immediately becomes an audience favourite.
"Closing the festival 10 days later is the Australian premiere of the latest film from Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar - The Skin I Live In.
"Starring Antonio Banderas, The Skin I Live In premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival to great acclaim, and comes to Brisbane directly off the back of its Spanish release.
"It has been described as 'a combination of dark thriller, gothic horror story and poetic myth' and 'Almodovar at his daring, provocative and allusive best'".
In between opening and closing nights there will be more than 100 films from around the world on offer, including the Australian premiere of Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon. Ms Nolan said this film documented the Kings of Leon members' upbringing in Nashville, and coincided with the band's Brisbane tour date on Tuesday 8 November at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Ms Nolan said 2011 is a big year for BIFF, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
"It's timely to reflect on how much Brisbane has changed in 20 years - in 1991 when BIFF started there was no Gallery of Modern Art and South Bank was still a year away from being opened," she said.
"Today Brisbane has been transformed into an arts and culture hotspot of the Asia-Pacific region, due in large part to events like BIFF and the government's commitment to modernise Queensland's capital city."
BIFF runs from 3 to 13 November 2011 at Tribal Theatre, the State Library, the Palace Barracks and Palace Centro cinemas. Tickets on sale at www.biff.com.au from 2pm, Monday 19 September.
Brisbane International Film Festival 2011
Dates and Venues:
Brisbane 03–13/11/11 Palace Barracks Cinema, Palace Centro Cinemas and Tribal Theatre
Event ticket: See BIFF website for ticketing options
Official Site: www.biff.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/brisbaneinternationalfilmfestival
Twitter: www.twitter.com/brisfilmfest
| other festivals |
| Audi Festival of German Film 2012 The Audi Festival of German Films is back with a bang in 2012 with more than 30 feature films and a premium crop of short films screening over 2 weeks. Read more >> |
 |
| Stay up to date with modmove news |
| about modmove |
| What to know how we got started? Read more >> |
| read the modmove blog |
| Check out all the random stuff that didn't make it to the website! Read more >> |
| contact Us |
| If you have any queries or if you would like more information about modmove, we would love to hear from you! Read more >> |
| join our mailing list |
| subscribe to the mailing list and receive the modmove newsletter. |
| search |
| search modmove for previous news and reviews. |
Privacy Notice | Contact Us | Site Map | Copyright © 2009 modmove.com | Entertainment and Popular Culture in Review at modmove.com