Movie buffs will get to experience the perfect blend of cinema and adventure when the legendary Australian town of Winton rolls out the red carpet for the sixth annual Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival (VSOFF) this month.
To be held across nine memorable days from June 28, the truly unique film festival boasts a packed program featuring something for everyone from current hits such as Top End Wedding and 2040, both versions of Storm Boy, Friday Fright Night with Escape and Evasion and The School, workshops and masterclasses, tours to local film locations and live entertainment, all thanks to Queensland Government’s Year of Outback Tourism Events Program.
The daily Brisbane Airport Corporation Breakfast with the Stars will also offer festivalgoers the rare chance to discuss all things cinema with special industry guests such as Steve Le Marquand, Alex Duke, and Megan Drury, over a cuppa and slice of toast.
Inspired by the Sundance Film Festival, VSOFF is the world’s largest film festival dedicated to Australian film and has proven a magnet for cinema-loving locals and adventure-seeking tourists who relish the chance to watch the country’s best films under the stars at Winton’s 100-year-old Royal Open Theatre, the oldest open-air cinema still operating in Australia.
VSOFF Director Mark Melrose said the festival delivered a cinematic experience like no other in a country town that had rightly earned its reputation as the “Hollywood of the Outback”.
“With films such as Nick Cave’s The Proposition and Ivan Sen’s Mystery Road and Goldstone having been filmed in the area, Winton is a key destination on the Australian cinematic landscape and we love nothing more than sharing our love of film with visitors,” he said.
“The festival’s theme this year is ‘Great Big Adventures!’ and that’s what people are guaranteed when they hit the open highway and head to Winton for The Vision Splendid, much like the actors who have travelled far and wide to bring a little of Australia to Hollywood and beyond.
“This is the most authentic Australian cinema experience you will ever find.”
2019 will also see the return of The Vision Splendid Qantas Short Film Competition, with budding independent filmmakers from across Australia and the world invited to create a short film addressing the theme ‘The Great Big Adventure’.
Other festival highlights will include the opening night screening of outback noir thriller Locusts, the official after party at the historic North Gregory Hotel, a screening of Top End Wedding starring Miranda Tapsall from Love Child fame, nine days of masterclass luncheons with Australian film heavyweights, the always popular Kids Club and tours of Winton’s adored film locations.
Festival passes are now on sale at the official Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival website, which also features a wealth of information for visitors including how to get to Winton and where to stay in and around town. Visit www.visionsplendidfilmfest.com
Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival is funded under the Year of Outback Tourism Events Program during the Year of Outback Tourism 2019.
