Feast of the screen

Noosa International Film Festival (NIFF) begins today with filmmakers and enthusiasts from around the world converging on Noosa for all things cinematic.
Festival president Campbell Corfe said the festival, now in its second year, had built on last year’s success to grow interest in Noosa to become a filmmaker destination.
“We’ve had an excellent platform that we’re building on,” he said.
“It has an aspiration to create a film industry in Noosa.”
The festival is designed in three parts including international films, a series of workshops and the screening of some outstanding feature films including a world first with the release of the Australian thriller Jungle starring Daniel Radcliffe. There will be awards presented to the winners of the NIFF Open Short Film Competition at a special presentation this evening.
“We’ve had about 130-140 international films come in from 30 countries and we’ve curated them to 55 we’re presenting,” Campbell said.
Films will be screened at The J Theatre, Noosa Arts Theatre, Eumundi School of Arts Hall and BCC Cinemas Noosa.
He said filmmakers from across the world will travel to Noosa and take part in the festival and some will be involved in a series of workshops being staged at Peppers Resort and The J Theatre.
“We have people like director Rolf de Heer and sound man James Curry who will take people behind the scenes of their iconic films like Ten Canoes,” Campbell said.
“John Searle is coming back as founding patron. He will be presenting a screening of The English Patient for which he won an Academy Award.”
A world first will be the screening on Friday night of Jungle in which Daniel Radcliffe plays Israeli Yossi Ghinsberg who embarks on an improbable dream that turns into a harrowing journey when with two fellow adventurers they follow a charismatic acquaintance into the jungle.
NIFF’s premier Opening Night party is an event not to miss. Rub shoulders with cinema greats and visiting filmmakers, have your photo taken on the carpet and then get ready for a wild adventure as Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) takes us deep into the Bolivian rainforest in the thrilling new release, Jungle. Friday 6.30pm at BCC Cinemas.
World cinema feature films run at the BCC Cinemas Saturday and Sunday starting with the world’s first fully painted feature film, Loving Vincent (4pm) then John Seale revisits The English Patient with audience Q&A (6.45pm). On Sunday, see French romance Souvenir or I Am Not Your Negro told in the words of James Baldwin.
Short film sessions run all day Saturday and Sunday with films from 31 countries. A comedy session is at 4pm (The J) and finalists on Sunday evening.
Tickets are available, so to view the program and book visit www.niff.com.au