June 15, 2015
The Big Screen Film Festival’s red carpet opening night drew a good crowd at the Nanango Cultural Centre … in fact, it was almost “packed to the rafters” for special guest actor Ryan Corr.
Ryan may have shot to stardom in his role in the TV series, but he is also one of the main stars in “The Water Diviner”, the historical Gallipoli drama which headlined the festival’s opening night on Friday.
A special Anzac display – complete with a live “Waler” from the 11th Lighthorse re-enactment troop at Caboolture, uniforms and a (decommissioned) World War I .303 SMLE rifle – greeted guests as they arrived at the Cultural Centre.
Inside, they snacked on finger foods and local wines before enjoying a screening of Russell Crowe’s 2014 film.
The festival of Australian films, which is now in its ninth year, is jointly presented by the National Film and Sound Archives (NFSA) and the South Burnett Regional Council.
It is sponsored by Nanango’s Heritage Bank and Screen Queensland.
The future of the Festival was thrown into doubt last year when the Federal Government reduced the NFSA’s budget.
But thanks to lobbying by the South Burnett Regional Council, the Nanango season was saved.
Local film buffs enjoyed three days of screenings, which kicked off with a matinee performance of “Felony” on Friday afternoon and concluded with an afternoon screening of “Strangerland” on Sunday.
Along the way patrons also enjoyed a Gala Charity Fundraiser on Saturday night and the Heritage Bank Nanango Paper Plane Championship on Sunday morning.
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said the Festival had grown to become a highlight of the region’s annual cultural calendar, and was something the South Burnett was very proud to host.
“We are the only region in Queensland that has hosted Big Screen for nine years straight,” he said.
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