By JESSE GRAHAM
FILM lovers should set aside the weekend of 17 to 19 June for an annual event sure to inspire, with the Warburton Film Festival bringing worldwide films to the Upper Yarra Arts Centre.
The festival will open on Friday 17 June with its ‘Show us your Shorts’ program, screening short films by young film-makers in the Yarra Ranges and beyond.
The short films will run from 1pm to 5pm, before awards are handed out to the best of the lot, and the Official Grand Opening will begin at 6.30pm.
From there, Putuparri and the Rainmakers will be screened, following the story of one man struggling to fulfil his destiny in the face of Australia’s Indigenous history. The film’s director Nicole Ma will take part in a Q&A session after the film.
In total, the festival boasts nine feature films, made in France, Germany, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Brazil, among other countries.
A dinner and trivia event will also be held on Saturday 18 June, before the festival’s final day on Sunday.
The Yarra Ranges Film Society (YRFS), in partnership with Yarra Ranges Council and the Upper Yarra Community Enterprise, has organised the festival, which is in its 33rd year.
Festival co-ordinator and YRFS vice-president Sally Ahern said the society had been busy dropping brochures off along the Warburton Highway and into the city, to draw as many visitors as possible.
YRFS treasurer Laurie Hastings said that, on average, each screening draws more than 100 attendees, and that he hoped residents from the area would stop by to see the festival.
“We do have quite a lot of people from other places, from Melbourne and around the state – but I think there’s been a lot more local interest,” he said.
“It’s picked up quite well – I’ve been involved for 15 years and in the last four or five years it’s really taken off.”
Ms Ahern and Mr Hastings said each year’s festival aims to have films from different countries than the last year’s event, and to showcase movies that many people may not have seen.
“We do try to get films that haven’t necessarily had a wide distribution – it’s not good putting on films that everyone’s seen,” Mr Hastings said.
“So we try to find really good films that, for whatever reason, haven’t had a commercial release – or, if they have, it’s been a fairly limited one.”
Mr Hastings said that one of the festival’s films, Force of Destiny, was directed by festival patron and supporter Paul Cox.
Ms Ahern said that having Ms Ma at the festival to speak about her film would be an opportunity to add to the experience of seeing her film.
“It puts on another layer to what you’ve actually seen, doesn’t it?” she said.
Tickets to individual screenings are $13.50, or $12 for concession holders – with $12 per film or $11 for concession holders when buying a multi-pass of three or more films.
Visitors can purchase a season ticket for all nine films for $100, $95 for concession holders or $40 for those under 16. Alternatively, they can buy ‘The Lot’ and get entry to all nine films with entry to the festival dinner and the grand opening for $125, or $115 for concession.
The Show us your Shorts event has free entry, but bookings are essential.
For more information, visit www.warburtonfilmfestival.com.au, call 5966 4500 or visit the Arts Centre at 3409 Warburton Highway, Warburton.
