The Byron Bay International Film Festival celebrates the spirit of Byron Bay through the universal medium of film and showcases some great environmental and conservation films.
Screening over 10 days, from March 2-11, in beautiful sub-tropical Byron Bay, with world class beaches only a short stroll from festival venues, and World Heritage Rainforests and National Parks a short drive away, Byron Bay provides a glorious backdrop for the festival.
A history of open-mindedness and creativity has put Byron firmly on the world map for people seeking a positive change in lifestyle or perspective.
A progressive place where new technologies and practices are embraced, green awareness and eco living are promoted, Byron is a place where ‘quality of life’ sits high on the list of life priorities.
The festivals program reflects this, maintaining a strong emphasis on social and environmental issues, conscious thinking and positive living.
Top enviro picks for this year’s festival are:
Bimblebox A world Premiere of this timely documentary about coal expansion in Australia. The Bimblebox Nature Refuge lies in the path of what will be the earth’s largest coal mines. One woman, Paola Cassoni, decides to resist the “China First” project that will destroy her Nature Refuge and supply energy to Asia for the next thirty years. Paola’s decision brings the viewer on a tour of Australia’s “Quarry Vision”.
Manufacturing Stoke Surf. No other sport is so intrinsically linked to nature. And yet, in becoming the multi-billion dollar industry it is today, a great paradox has arisen. Surfers are directly connected to the earth’s pulse and yet a majority of the materials used are environmentally toxic. Manufacturing Stoke, is an introspective look into the surfing culture’s struggle for positive environmental change. Follow this link to the movie trailer.
Miss South Pacific What does a beauty pageant in Suva, Fiji have to do with climate change? Quite a lot, as it turns out. This short doco film about the 2009-2010 Miss South Pacific Pageant saw contestants addressing the theme of Climate Change and its impact on Pacific Island countries, eloquently and passionately imploring judges, spectators, and the world at large to reduce global carbon emission lest their island homes be lost to rising seas.
Minds in The Water A feature-length documentary following the quest of professional surfer Dave Rastovich and his friends to protect dolphins, whales and the oceans they all share. Through Dave’s journey—a five-year adventure spanning the globe from Australia to the Galapagos, Tonga, California, Alaska and Japan—we see one surfer’s quest to activate his community to help protect the ocean and it’s inhabitants.
The Hungry Tide Putting a human face to the issue of Global Warming, veteran documentarian Tom Zubrycki zeroes in on the lives of the people living in Kiribati, the globe’s lowest-lying nation. Each year the water rises, and we’re shown the villages of people desperately trying to keep the “hungry tide” from washing their homes away.
Waste Not Out of sight, out of mind. Once we’ve thrown something away, do we really understand ‘what happens next’? More importantly, do we realise that these mountains of waste have the potential to be reused and become an important resource? Waste Not looks at big picture solutions by adopting the zero waste/maximum efficiency economic model.
Byron Bay International Film Festival will take place from March 2-11.
Further information is available at www.bbff.com.au
