AWARD-WINNING FESTIVAL OPENERS ANNOUNCED
6 PREMIERE FILMS AT HEART OF GOLD’S OPENING NIGHT!
The 9th Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival (HOGISFF) held in Gympie from the 6-9 of October, is kicking things off this year with a stellar lineup of Opening Night films. Featuring 3 Australian premieres and 3 Queensland premieres, it’s set to be a standout evening of cinema at Gympie Civic Centre’s, Heritage Theatre.
Artistic director Emily Avila has carefully handpicked the program of 120 shorts with the help of Heart of Gold’s dedicated screener groups. She can’t wait to share the treasured selection of films with this year’s festival attendees:
“Heart of Gold’s unique mission to program heartwarming films is what sets us apart, but our 2016 selection of international short films would sit comfortably amongst the world’s top tier festivals.”
“Our Opening Night films include a strong rep
resentation of new Australian filmmaking talent and female directors, both of which Heart of Gold seeks to support. From the touching animated documentary The Shining Star of Losers Everywhere to the joyous comedy Spice Sisters to festival favourite Phil’s Camino – Opening Night at Heart of Gold is unmissable and an excellent introduction to the four days of quality cinema and regional hospitality we have planned for audiences.”
Opening slate as follows:
The Battle (3:00, Sophie Hexter & Poppy Walker, Australia, Documentary)
Kayah Guenther is a young artist struggling to find his place in the world. Born with trisomy 21, he narrates his story through dance. ‘The Battle’ explores themes of identity, power, passion and despair. Australian Premiere (Screened at: Oberhausen)
The Spa (8:06, Will Goodfellow, Australia, Comedy)
When retiree Don declares he no longer wants the new spa that’s just arrived at his door, Ivan the delivery man tries to uncover why. Queensland Premiere (Screened at: Palm Springs, St Kilda, SFF)
The Shining Star of Losers Everywhere (18:37, Mickey Duzyj, USA, Animation/Documentary)
In 2003, Japanese racehorse Haru Urara became a national icon after enduring a losing streak of epic proportions. Australian Premiere (Screened at: Sundance, Hot Docs, SXSW – winner Best Short Documentary, Hot Docs 2016)
The Drover’s Boy (10:48, Margaret McHugh, Australia, Documentary, Student)
This hybrid documentary, based on a ballad by bush legend Ted Egan, retells the story of a forbidden love in 1920’s outback Australia. Queensland Premiere (Screened at: AIFF, SFF – Winner, Best Indigenous Film, Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2016)
Spice Sisters (14:54, Sheila Jayadev, Australia, Comedy)
Bored and restless with her life in suburbia, a former Bollywood star sets her sights on winning a place on a popular reality cooking show. Queensland Premiere (Screened at: SFF – Winner, Event Cinemas Screenplay Award 2016)
Phil’s Camino (27:44, Annie O’Neill, USA, Documentary)
Phil is a free-spirited man with Stage 4 cancer who dreams of walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Australian Premiere (SXSW, AFI)
Filmmaker Margaret McHugh will be in attendance at Thursday’s Opening Night and will also be hosting a masterclass on her award-winning hybrid documentary The Drover’s Boy on Friday 7th October. The masterclass ‘Hybrid Documentary: Fact or Fiction?’ will explore the hotly debated genre of documentary filmmaking and the different ways filmmakers use fictional storytelling techniques to tell real stories. It will also examine Margaret’s own creative process through a case study of her film as well as touching on festival submission strategies and the basics in marketing a short film. This is an unmissable event for aspiring, emerging and established filmmakers alike!
To purchase tickets, go to: http://www.heartofgold.com.au/#buy
