March 16, 2016
The Big Screen Film Festival will get to celebrate its 10th anniversary in the South Burnett this year, thanks to a $20,000 funding injection from the Nanango Heritage Bank.
Arts Portfolio chair Cr Ros Heit told today’s Council meeting that Nanango Heritage Bank – a long-time sponsor – had agreed to expand its contribution after Federal Government funding for the festival was axed last October.
The event will be renamed the Heritage Bank Nanango Film Festival, and the South Burnett Regional Council will continue to supply the Nanango Cultural Centre as the venue.
The festival’s focus is on contemporary Australian films released in the previous twelve months, or which are about to be released.
A popular feature of the former Big Screen Film Festival was the appearance of famous Australian actors as special guest stars.
Previous festivals have brought Sigrid Thornton, Martin Sacks, Magda Szubanski, Ryan Corr and John Wood to the region, amongst many others.
Last year more than 1000 people attended screenings of eight Australian films; a further 200 attended the Festival’s gala opening night.
The Big Screen Festival was developed by the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) and was shown at multiple locations around Australia.
The South Burnett was the only location in Queensland where it ran, and was regarded as one of the best by the Canberra-based NFSA.
This year’s film festival will run on May 27-29.
