The 8th Byron Bay International Film Festival celebrates extraordinary individuals speaking their truth.
The highlights include:
- The international premiere of the brilliant documentary, When My Sorrow Died: The Legend Of Armen Ra & The Theremin. A glamorous life story spanning exile, bullying, the power of image in New York in the 80s, stunning drag performances, alcohol addiction, aids and suicide, revelation and redemption. Nominee for Best Film and Best Documentary. Armen Ra and Producer Matt Huffman who has twice worked with Clint Eastwood attending from L.A.
- Groundbreaking Australian gay surf documentary Out in The Line-Up, which cracks open homophobia in surfing as we follow two gay surfers around the globe united by a common goal to bring the issues out into the open. Already gathering a lot of buzz, this eye-opening and emotive film features former state Champion Surfer, David Wakefield, former World Longboarding Champion Cori Schumacher and professional big-wave rider Keala Kennelly. Nominee, Best Surf film-reviews. filmmakers Thomas Castets and Ian W Thompson attending the screening.
- Little Lies captures one man’s descent into a dangerous game of truth and lies with a rent boy after the death of his life partner. filmmakers attending.
- Into The Streets A documentary about Sydney’s first-ever Mardi Gras and the birth of a new movement in Australia.
- Swim is about a young woman waking from the haze of a big night out to find her beautiful friend beside her. Will she want the same thing? Stars Isabella Giovinazzo (Home & Away). Director, Isabella Love-Dack was nominated for Young Australian filmmaker Of The Year.
Festival Director, J’aimee Skippon-Volke says, “This year’s BBFF selection of GLBT interest films are not simply ‘gay films. These are films everyone should see about finding your courage, speaking your truth and being seen for who you truly are.”
She adds, “A dear gay friend told me he thought we were brave for running a gay film on opening night. But in my view, this isn’t a ‘gay film. It’s an everyone film. Armen’s human story is inspiring, highly entertaining and its themes are universal. The fact he is gay is secondary.”
