Entertainment
11 September, 2024
Head to Karumba for film festival
A NEW film festival is hitting Karumba this weekend, with “The Ocean & Outback Film Festival” set to attract film enthusiasts to the remote town.
The film festival is entirely free to attend and includes an outdoor short film festival on Saturday 14 September in Karumba, kicking off at 6pm with the region’s Indigenous Dance Troupe.
Festival director and well-known Australian actor, Steve Bastoni, says there’s no better place to sit than under the stars, in Australia’s outback and watch a collection of short films.
“We have market and food stalls, the bar at the Recreation Club will open and serve food and drinks and of course, a selection of the best films in Australia,” he said.
“Actor Marcus Graham and Australian personality Tania Zaetta will head to Karumba to form our 2024 judging panel.”
Marcus is known for his work on TV shows “Blue Murder”, “Good Guys Bad Guys”, and “Jack Irish”, and is joined by Bollywood star Tania Zaetta from “Who Dares Wins” and “Fat Pizza”.
On Sunday, 15 September, a free filmmaking workshop will be held at Karumba’s Les Wilson Barramundi Discovery Centre from 10am-2pm.
The public are invited to come along and hear from experts on how to make a short film for future film festivals.
Short films screened at film festival are by invitation only, with 10 short films selected by organisers to be screened on the Saturday night. The films are competing for cash prizes which will be awarded on the night.
In addition to the final 10 films, a special Local Filmmaker category is open to local Gulf of Carpentaria filmmakers with workshops running in schools, equipping students with filmmaking skills to enter their own short film.
A cash prize of $150 will be awarded by our judges to the winning Emerging Filmmaker from the region.
“The festival provides the perfect launching pad for filmmakers, it offers the chance for your film to be seen by the public, the opportunity to network with industry leaders in film and for your work to be recognised,” Steve said.
The Film Festival forms part of the annual Outback By The Sea Festival (September 13-21) which runs over a week and includes live music, film and other entertainment.
“The Ocean & Outback Film Festival will be the opening event to the Outback By The Sea Festival and local film making enthusiasts will have access to a range of workshops and assistance in the lead up to produce their own short film, which will then be shown on the big screen,” said Mayor Bawden from Carpentaria Shire.
Screen Queensland’s CEO, Jacqui Feeney is delighted to support the Ocean & Outback Film Festival through its Screen Culture Fund.
“This is an initiative that not only showcases the talent of our local filmmakers but also enriches the cultural fabric of Queensland’s outback communities. This festival is a testament to the power of film in connecting and inspiring emerging practitioners to tell their stories,” she said.
For more information visit: www.ooff.com.au
