All eyes on Gympie film festival | Noosa Entertainment | Events, Movies and TV Guide for Noosa

Gympie's Heart of Gold film festival offers something for both young and old.

ALL eyes are on Gympie as the Heart of Gold International Film Festival screens a world-class line up of comedies, dramas, animations and documentaries including 76 Australian and 14 world and international premieres.

When the festival begins on Thursday, audiences will be treated to a program that showcases the work of film makers from more than 22 countries.

With a total of 171 films (166 shorts and five features), special events, a family program, industry workshops, free forums and visiting guests from as far afield as Moscow, Japan, USA and all around Australia, Heart of Gold – the country’s first film festival to exclusively screen entertaining and uplifting films – is set to capture the imagination of the global film community.

Among the international films making their world-first screening are: Butterfly Circus  (USA), an extraordinary story of inspiration and hope for a limbless man; and Moscow My Love   (Russia), about a Nigerian student who finds himself in Moscow hoping to discover love.

Films making their Australian debut include  Denmark’s Grisen (The Pig), the story of a man who is comforted by a painting of a pig with a Mona Lisa smile, and from the Netherlands,   About Fish & Revolution, where we join a man who ponders the meaning of fishing and marriage, while out fishing.

Many Australian shorts will be premiered for the first time in our country alongside those which have received critical acclaim at festivals around the world.

Local gem Alone, Together  takes us behind the scenes at grand final day for the Roosters, while Frank Woodley’s  Chicken of God  – about a lucky chicken with the face of Jesus – is sure to warm audience hearts.

The Gympie Pyramid Story,  Eugene the Storyteller  and  Somewhere Near Tapachula  bring the inspirational stories of local people home to Gympie.

Since Heart of Gold launched its 2010 program in February, two Australian films selected for the festival –  Glenn Owen Dodds (G.O.D)   and  Franswa Sharl   have both been awarded major international prizes.

G.O.D, starring David Wenham, will make its Australian premiere at the festival.

To ensure Heart of Gold’s ongoing success, artistic director Malcolm Blaylock travelled to film festivals around the world, seeking films that were entertaining and fitted this festival’s unique brief.

 “The festival will showcase artists of imagination, creativity and exceptional technical expertise who possess a potent storytelling ability which will make you laugh and cry, often at the same time,” Malcolm said.

Beyond the program premieres and award winning films, the festival offers a great deal more. The festival’s bar and cafe make it a place to meet for comedy and cake or drama and drinks.

Heart of Gold is an opportunity to rub shoulders with filmmakers, jurors, media and friends – to share critical thought about the world of film and simply enjoy the festival buzz.

AT A GLANCE
WHAT: The Heart of Gold International Film Festival
WHEN: Thursday, March 11th – Sunday, 14th March 14
Daily film sessions commencing 9am
Take One Screenwriting Workshop Thursday 9.30am and Friday – SOLD OUT
Free Forums Saturday and Sunday 9.30am  
WHERE:Heritage Theatre and The Fossicker’s Room, Gympie Civic Centre, Mellor St Gympie 
GALA EVENTS:  
Opening Night Films and Party
Awards Ceremony, Art with Heart Auction, Cocktail Party and Winning Films
Closing night film 
SPECIAL EVENTS & SCREENINGS
Take One: Screenwriting Workshop
Filmmakers Present
Family Program
Documentary Program
Feature Films and Multi Media Presentation
Adam Elliot Retrospective  
TICKETS: $14/$10 available from the Civic Centre Box office during the festival – check website for special package tickets and Special Event ticket prices
CONTACT: info@heartofgold.com.au or (07) 5483 7000 

FOR THE FAMILY
THE Family Program is for kids up to about 10 years old and their families. An enchanting and entertaining selection of films that will keep both children and adults enthralled and engaged. Two programs of family shorts include stories of a curious space alien; an infestation of elephants; a rapping canary; and a goat with an appetite for life who discovers that time is dangerously delicious. The third family program is the beautiful feature film  The Fox and the Child  , narrated by Kate Winslet. This new film from Luc Jaquet (director of March of the Penguins) takes its audience inside a world they will never forget with the story of an impossible friendship.

FILMMAKERS PRESENT
A GREAT way to meet filmmakers and gain an insight into the creative process is by attending the Filmmakers Present sessions. Visiting filmmakers from Australia and overseas will re-screen their films, and discuss the filmmaking process and the realities of the film industry. This is a rare opportunity to get to know the filmmakers and gain an understanding of the filmmaking craftin an informal environment.
Thursday, March 11: Father; Moscow My Love; Father Joe   and  The Bangkok Slaughterhouse. 
Friday, March 12:  Harry the Great, Transformation; Adult Beginners Ballet.
Saturday, March 13:  The Package; Salt; Glenn Owen Dodds.
Sunday, March 14:  He. She. It; Be My Brother; Boundless.  

SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP
TAKE One: An introduction to writing for the screen is a practical workshop led by Rob George who has worked extensively in film, TV and theatre. Find out how to use the basic tools of screenplay writing in order to create your home video, YouTube program, short film or feature.

FREE DAILY FORUMS
HEART of Gold will also present a series of free forums, daily at 9.30am focusing on the film industry from both an international and an Australian perspective, with a particular emphasis on short film. They will take the form of a panel presentation and discussion, moderated by Heart of Gold’s artistic director Malcolm Blaylock, and followed by a Q&A session.

DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM
HEART of Gold presents three specific documentary programs. Topics range from the difficulties facing women in Cambodia’s notorious karaoke bars to a fascinating historical examination of the origin of the peace symbol. One of the programs is a feature length documentary of a young woman seeking surgery to control her epilepsy. Entitled Rachel: A Perfect Life, it is an immensely moving story of one woman’s fight to control her own life and destiny. Rachel is now a local resident of the Gympie region.