PRESS RELEASE
Earlier today Member for Upper Hunter, George Souris, launched submissions the first annual Dungog Festival.
The Dungog Festival, a new event for The Hunter showcasing film, food, music and local community, will be held for the first time from 28 to 31 August this year, the event will showcase Australian and international films, with a program of food, music and community events providing a complete cultural experience in the beautiful surrounds of the Hunter Valley.
“I’m delighted to be here on behalf of the NSW Government for the launch of the new Dungog Festival,” Mr Souris said. “The Government is committed to supporting the creative industries and the Australian film industry, as well as fostering great regional events that bring so much to the local community. With this in mind, we have entered into a partnership with the Dungog Arts Foundation to support The Dungog Festival for the next three years, through our tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. The Dungog Festival is expected to attract about 3,000 visitors and deliver around $3.6 million in visitor expenditure over the next three years, so it will play a key role in growing the local economy.”
Chair of the Dungog Arts Foundation, Martin Addison, said the The Dungog Festival is owned and operated by the people of Dungog.
“We look forward to inviting thousands of visitors to share great film, food, wine and live entertainment with us, amidst the fresh air and beauty of the Upper Hunter Valley. Dungog has a strong reputation for outstanding destination festivals and we intend to continue that reputation with the new Dungog Festival. A world-class cinema program is just the beginning, with a full four days of events and activities supporting the film program and encouraging visitors to explore and enjoy the local culture and countryside.”
Submissions to the cinema program of the Dungog Festival are now open. Organisers are seeking Australian and International short films (under 30mins) and feature length films to be considered for the inaugural program. Filmakers can visit dungogfestival.com.au now, to submit their films.