The BLUSSH Romance Festival is Brisbane’s newest festival celebrating films and literature through a romance lens.

The festival boasts a diverse program that includes premieres, previews, retrospectives, iconic classics, and adaptations from book to film. Romance literature and its subgenres will be explored across three panels during the festival, featuring notable authors and industry experts.

The pink carpet will be rolled out at the Angelika Film Centre, the home of BLUSSH in Woolloongabba, for the Opening Night Gala with the Australian Premiere of One Perfect Match, a film shot entirely on location in Brisbane and produced by the renowned Jaggi Entertainment. The romantic drama follows matchmaker Lucy Marks as she navigates the complexities of love and professional life. The film will be followed with a post-screening Q&A featuring Director Jo-Anne Brechin and principal cast members with an After Party to wrap the evening.

Key highlights of the BLUSSH Romance Festival program include:

On The Screen – In Motion 

The Great Escaper– In the summer of 2014, a World War 2 Veteran sneaks out of his care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in Normanby. Starring Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson.

The Gift That Gives – Follows the story of Callum Mori, an author who makes his first television appearance. Now Callum finds himself in a love triangle between his best friend Linda and Television presenter Kate. (Plus Q&A with Director Joy Hopwood)

Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe – Mexican American teenagers explore their friendship while struggling with racial, ethnic and sexual identities in 1987 El Paso, Texas.

Romeo and Juliet – The rivalry between Verona families the Capulets and the Montagues affects the romantic relationship of Romeo and Juliet. A classic in the repertoire of Baz Luhrmann, another chance to see his works on the big screen some 28 years after its release.

Twilight – When Bella Swan moves back to her small hometown of Forks, she falls in love with Edward Cullen, a mysterious classmate. A book to screen teenage romance phenomena, it’s time to see this classic on the big screen again as the film turns sweet 16 in 2024.

On The Shelf – In Conversation

BLUSSH Romance Festival features a series of book events and author signings throughout the four-day extravaganza. Notable authors such as H.M Hodgson, Stacey McEwan, Jordan Clayden-Lewis, Anna Campbell (Karen Schwarz), Michelle Beesley, and Amy Andrews will be part of the engaging book events, offering attendees a chance to delve into the world of romance literature.

On Friday’s We Read Fantasy – A truly entertaining conversation with HM Hodgson and Stacey McEwan, two fierce and fabulous authors, whose pens weld magic, create incredibly complex worlds, unravel deep and dark characters and set pages on fire with levels of spice that make even a bad girl blussh.

Prose Progression: In Conversation With Emerging And Established Writers – Meet Brisbane emerging writers Michelle Beesley and Jordan Clayden-Lewis, and the exceptionally talented and established writer Anna Campbell who has released 11 bestselling books with HarperCollins and Hachette and more than 35 as an independent author.

All Loved Up –  In conversation with author Amy Andrews who will talk about her career, her inspiration, her favourite characters, her award nominated books and what’s next for the romance writer.