Press release from AUM
Gympie’s Heart of Gold International Film Festival are set to launch their 2010 program today.
In news to hand, a locally made short film made starring David Wenham – ‘Glenn Owen Dodds’ – has won the prestigious International Prix Canal+ prize at the world’s most important short film festival, Clermont Ferrand in France – a career breakthrough for these Queensland filmmakers.
Glenn Owen Dodds will have its Australian premier at the Heart of Gold Film Festival 11-14th March.
The 2010 Heart of Gold Int’l Film Festival proudly present a program of positive and uplifting films. Please refer to the press release attached and contact me for program copies, images or to arrange an interview with the festival’s Artistic Director Malcolm Blaylock, or film makers from the 2010 line up.
The Heart of Gold Film Festival congratulates the Glenn Owen Dodds team, and thanks you for your support.
An international film festival set in the gold rush heartland of the Sunshine Coast, screens for the 4th year from March 11-14th 2010. The Heart of Gold International Film Festival is the first film festival in Australia to exclusively screen entertaining, thought provoking, and positively skewed films. Regarded as one of Australia’s preeminent film events, the Heart of Gold International Film Festival 2010 will present a total of 171 films. 166 shorts and 5 feature length films will screen showcasing the work of filmmakers from 22 countries.
In order to take Heart of Gold to its next stage, the Festival Board recently recruited Malcolm Blaylock as Artistic Director. Blaylock, who has directed and produced the St Kilda Film Festival at various times from 1999 – 2004 and continues to curate its international film program, is delighted to take on the role. He has also served as a jury member for Interfilm Berlin and Spain’s Short Film Festival Bilbao, and Blaylock is a regular visitor to the world’s best film festivals and has recently returned from Clerment Ferrand in France. Known for his role in expanding and developing the Darwin Festival where he implemented a substantial film program, Blaylock believes that the Heart of Gold International Film Festival appeals to the new breed of film makers due to its unique positive point of view.
“There are so many good films, from all over the world. As I travelled the various film festivals this year I was looking for films that were entertaining and that fitted our unique brief. Regardless of genre, each film had to have somewhere within its premise – no matter how deeply or darkly placed – a positive spin on the world and a positive view of humanity”, says Blaylock.
The 2010 program features quality films across all genres: comedy, drama, animation documentaries and student films have been selected for their excellence in film making. Amongst the 171 films is Australian actor Bud Tingwell’s last film titled The Last Bottle. Frank Woodley (of Lano & Woodley comedy duo fame) brings more humour to the program through his short animation Chicken of God. Kat Stewart [Underbelly] appears in a strong supporting role in a beautiful film titled Trampoline and David Wenham delivers a classic performance in a movie titled Glenn Owen Dodds [GOD] which carries the tagline -“Want to know the meaning of life? You’ve got five minutes.” The film recently premiered at the most prestigious short film festival in the world: Clermont Ferrand, and won the International Prix Canal+ Prize – a career breakthrough for the three young Queensland film makers responsible for its creation. This award winning film will have its Australian premier at the Heart of Gold International Film Festival.
Closer to the heartland are some outstanding local film productions. The Gympie Pyramid Story: a documentary about an ancient pyramid said to be found in Gympie, Eugene the Storyteller: an insight into the world of bush medicine as told by an Indigenous elder from Gympie and Somewhere Near Tapachula: a touching documentary about a mission in Mexico run by Gympie locals that provides a refuge for disadvantaged children and therapy through surfing. The film sublimely shows how easily these kids take to the surf and the joy they reap from it.
The international program features too many gems to mention here. Among them are: Grisen – The Pig [Denmark], The Butterfly Circus [USA], Just a Pitch [France], John & Karen [UK] all of which further contribute to a great line up of films which Blaylock says are some fine examples of truly great short films from around the world.
The festival presents a fantastic family program which includes the stunning animation titled Lost & Found [UK]. Narrated by British actor Jim Broadbent, this gorgeous feature film is about a little boy and his unsolicited mission to get a lost penguin back home to Antarctica. Also part of the family program is Luc Jacquet’s first film since March of the Penguins entitled The Fox and The Child: a beautifully shot feature film about a life changing encounter between a fox and a young girl set amongst breathtaking scenery.
Heart of Gold International Film Festival offers special events, documentaries, workshops, seminar programs and the very popular Filmmaker Presents sessions along with its extensive short film program from around the world that will collectively inspire you, make you laugh and warm your heart.
Statistics
Australian Premieres : 76
World Premieres: 11
International Premieres: 3 (first time screening outside of their country)
International films
21 international countries are represented:
Belgium, Bosnia, Canada, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Ireland,
Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Singapore, USA.
Australian filmmakers include:
Frank Woodley
Frazer Bailey
Tim Dean
Rodney March
Genevieve Clay
Miranda Nation
Trudy Hellier
Sebastian Danta
Rene Hernandez
Alex Holmes
John Alsop
Anton Beebe
Stephen Kanaris
International filmmakers include:
Khen Shalem (Israel)
Gili Dolev (Scotland)
Philip Hunt (England)
Surpiyo Sen (Germany)
Marcos Borregon (Spain)
Marika Vaisanen (Finland)
Robin Haig (Scotland)
Ari Sandel (USA)
Special Programs:
Adam Elliot Retrospective – 4 short films: Uncle, Cousin, Brother and Harvie Krumpet.
The Boys Are Back – South Australian feature film directed by Scott Hicks [Shine] starring Clive Owen.
The Heart of the Journey – multi-media documentary told though photography, interviews and music.
Heart of Gold International Film Festival
Gympie Civic Centre
Gympie, Sunshine Coast QLD
11 – 14th March 2010
www.heartofgold.com.au