Included in the 12 day festival are incredible events featuring the Gold Coast Film Festival Awards Gala including the Chauvel Award, Women in Film Lunch, Script to Screen, Emerge! Student Shorts Gala and two incredible Industry events.

GCFF will open on Wednesday April 30 from 5:30pm with the Australian Premiere of THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND, a Sundance Film Festival favourite directed by James Griffiths and starring Tim Key, Tom Basden, and Carey Mulligan.

Described by the Los Angeles Times as a “warm hug” the deeply charming feature follows Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island and dreams of getting his favourite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan) back together.

Closing out the festival on Sunday May 11 from 5:30pm is the World Premiere of BLUE HORIZON joining stars Pete Murray, David Cook, Damian McCoy and Chantal Elyse along with writer and director, Gold Coast’s own Josh Hale on the Red Carpet.

Filmed on the Gold Coast the story follows a successful musician, Maris Le Marcus who is facing jail time and forced into a state-run wellness centre as part of his probation. Following a chance meeting with Douglas, a resident living with severe Cerebral Palsy, both men bond over their similar upbringings and form an unlikely duo. Together they show each other that sometimes you need to step outside of your image to find yourself.

Tickets are on sale now to all Opening and Closing Night Red Carpet Galas and our incredible featured events through www.gcff.com.au and full program will be announced and tickets available from Thursday April 3.

The Gold Coast Film Festival is supported by the Queensland State Government through Screen Queensland, Australia’s Gold Coast, Tourism and Events Queensland along with Experience Gold Coast and venue partner HOTA (Home of the Arts).

Gold Coast Film Festival 2025
30 April – 11 May 2025
HOTA – Gold Coast
www.gcff.com.au

Celebrated Australian music icon Paul Kelly will perform live at the festival alongside Meg Washington, Brendan Maclean, Beddy Rays and other special guests at the How to Make Gravy – Live in Concert event on the HOTA Outdoor stage hosted by Richard Wilkins and featuring performances from the BINGE Original film soundtrack. Leigh Whannell, co-creator of the billion dollar Saw and Insidious franchises, joins AACTA Festival with an exclusive in-conversation on his work and his immense contribution to the horror genre. Back by popular demand, Australian director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) will unpack his latest project, the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man.

The Festival has also announced an exclusive discussion with the creators of the upcoming Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar, with Samantha Strauss, Liz Watts, Jeffrey Walker and Que Minh Luu taking you behind the scenes of the shocking con-story centred on one the world’s first wellness influencers. Also added is a panel featuring storytellers from the Torres Strait islands, moderated by Screen Queensland’s Danielle Ah Boo, which will highlight the skill and talents of Torres Strait creatives who are redefining what it means to tell a story.

Whether you’re a fan of the macabre or an aspiring filmmaker, visionary brothers Colin and Cameron Cairnes unpack Late Night With The Devil. For garden enthusiasts, presenters Costa Georgiadis and Millie Ross reveal the magic that makes Gardening Australia a household favourite. Plus Millie Holten shares the inside scoop on her viral sensation Long Head, with the creators of Lesbian Space Princess, to discuss how bold storytelling is reshaping the world of animation. For lovers of comedy, AACTA Festival presents the 25th Anniversary screening of The Dish!

The AACTA Festival 2025
5-9 February 2025
HOTA, Gold Coast
www.aactafestival.com/

In a world exclusive exhibition, Pop Masters: Art from the Mugrabi Collection, New York, pairs these three superstars alongside artists inspired by their legacy. Together they paint a unique picture of Pop Art across the past 60 years to present Australia.

Pop Art is larger than life. Often witty and always insightful, it comments on commercial and popular culture by reimagining the world around us – transforming the everyday into the extraordinary.

In the spirit of Pop Art, this exhibition is adventurous and shamelessly bold, featuring legendary artists that defined a generation. Walk the creative cross-roads between art and life and ask yourself – what, actually, is Pop?

In Australia for 15 weeks only and exclusive to HOTA, come together to discover a story of Pop and experience this incredible collection of works up close, direct from New York. Be part of something extraordinary.

The featured artists are – Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Katherine Bernhardt, Kwesi Botchway, George Condo, Damien Hirst, Kaws, Joel Mesler, Richard Prince, Tom Sachs, Julian Schnabel, Mickalene Thomas and Tom Wesselmann.

The Legends of Pop Art Exhibition
18th February – 4th June 2023
HOTA, Surfers Paradise
www.hota.com.au

HAIR, which also stars Queenslanders Matthew Manahan in the role of Claude and Angelique Cassimatis (Priscilla/Saturday Night Fever) as oxygen-conscious Jeanie, has already performed in Perth and Geelong to rave reviews and will head to Wyong, Wollongong and Sydney before concluding with two shows on the Gold Coast, on October 11 and October 12.

HOTA’s Outdoor Stage provides the unique opportunity for the audience to experience the iconic tunes of HAIR (including Aquarius, Let the Sun Sunshine In and of course, Hair) underneath the stars.

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of HAIR at The Metro Theatre in Kings Cross in 1969. The 60s were divisive, with young people passionate about issues like the environment, free-love and peace, and rebelling against the conservative mainstream. The arts pushed the boundaries, and HAIRwas revolutionary concept, complete with bell-bottoms, trippy tunes and the infamous nude scene. The original production launched the careers of some of our finest artists. Reg Livermore played Berger, John Waters played Claude and Marcia Hines was imported from the USA to play the role of Jeanie (and never left). HAIR also launched the career of one of our most respected directors Jim Sharman.HAIR was the first of a trio of hugely successful rock musicals he directed for the late Harry M. Miller.

HAIR will be produced by David M. Hawkins (Liza Minnelli, Hedwig and The Angry Inch, Cabaret) who has assembled a talented local creative team lead by maverick director Cameron Menzies (CONTACT, STATUS) with Set Design by Adam Gardnir, Musical Direction by Tina Harris, Costume Design by James Browne, Choreography by Amy Campbell and Lighting Design by Paul Lim.

The issues of 1969 are still relevant today, and although the perspective is different, passionate young people continue to push for progress against conservative views on gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights and climate change. HAIR is a timeless tale of revolution and radicalism.

WARNING this show contains: Full Frontal Nudity, Sexual References, Drug References, Racial Slurs and Strobe Lighting Effects.

Patrons are reminded to only buy tickets from the official ticket agents listed below so as to avoid “reselling” sites such as Viagogo who typically advertise heavily online and often mislead consumers into paying much higher prices than necessary.

Hair the Musical
HOTA, Home of the Arts – Gold Coast
Friday, 11 October – Saturday, 12 October
www.hota.com.au

HOTA is the exclusive home of HAIR in Queensland and follows an opening launch program for the Outdoor Stage last year which featured exclusive performances by acclaimed artists Tim Minchin, Laurie Andersonand Neil Finn.

Two shows will be performed on the HOTA Outdoor Stage on Friday October 11 and Saturday October 12, with the pre-sale wait list at www.hota.com.au/theatre/hair. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 9am, May 15.

HAIR will be produced by David M. Hawkins (Liza Minnelli, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Cabaret) who has a assembled a talented local creative team with Set Design by Michael-Scott Mitchell, Choreography by Amy Campbell, and Musical Direction by Glenn Moorhouse. Leading the creative team is maverick young director, Declan Greene. His recent production Blackie Blackie Brown was a huge success, gripping audiences with its bold script and innovative storytelling. It sold out in Sydney and Melbourne and is set to return later this year.

HAIR celebrates sixties counterculture in all its barefoot, long-haired, radical glory with an infectious, energetic rock beat. The show features a Grammy® Award-winning score including the hit songs Aquarius, Good Morning, Starshine, Hair, I Got Life and Let The Sun Shine.

Fifty years ago, the original Australian production of HAIR was produced by the late Harry M. Miller and directed by Jim Sharman. It ran for two years at the Metro Theatre in Kings Cross to sell-out crowds, controversy and rave reviews, kick-starting the careers of many of Australia’s most prolific performers including Reg Livermore, John Waters and Marcia Hines.

HAIR is set in the 1960s, a turbulent, anarchic and exciting time in which people were losing faith in the establishment, austerity measures and the Vietnam War. Hippie counter culture, experimentation and free-love eschewed conformity and the world collectively let their HAIR down. Today, amidst global turmoil, issues like human rights, the environment, freedom of religion, race and gender equality continue to dominate dinner party and water cooler discussions across the country – and now, on social media. HAIR’s themes of identity, community, global responsibility and peace continue to resonate, getting to the heart of what it means to be a young person in a changing world.

Whilst in his final year at NIDA, Hugh Sheridan was cast as ‘Ben Rafter’ in Australia’s highest rating family drama Packed to the Rafters and continued in the role for five seasons receiving three Silver Logie Awards for Most Popular Actor. Following Rafters, he starred the telemovie Never Tear Us Apart, Opera Australia / ABC’s musical co-production The Divorce and the hit series, House Husbands.

Theatrically Hugh’s credits include the sold out, one man show, Newley Discovered, at the 2009 Adelaide Cabaret Festival, for which he was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award. He then took Newley to the Sydney Opera House and New York’s Snapple. In late 2012, Hugh starred alongside Geoffrey Rush and Magda Szubanski in the Gordon Frost production, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, for which he won a Green Room Award. He was recently given a residence at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill Jazz in LA and is currently enjoying much success with his band California Crooners Club on the festival circuit and they will be releasing their debut album mid 2019.

With her incredible voice, stunning looks and engaging personality, Paulini is one of Australia’s most uniquely talented performers. The Fijian-born singer songwriter first enthralled the nation on the inaugural series of ‘Australian Idol’. Audiences instantly fell in love with Paulini’s impressive five octave range – a voice still unrivalled, and like no other in this country. Since then Paulini has forged a hugely successful career. Her debut album ‘One Determined Heart’ and smash single ‘Angel Eyes’ achieved double platinum status, both hitting the #1 spot. She is still one of only 10 Australian female solo artists to have a #1 album on the Australian ARIA Charts. Shortly after the release of her third solo album ‘Come Alive’, Paulini landed and played the lead role of Rachel Marron in the 2017 international award-winning musical The Bodyguard, cementing her status of one of Australia’s most gifted performers. Most recently, Paulini is starring in the hit musical ‘Saturday Night Fever’.

Producer David M. Hawkins said, “After seeing the 2009 Broadway revival of HAIR, I’ve wanted to bring the American Tribal Love Rock Musical back to Australia. It seemed fitting to wait for the 50th Anniversary to create a brand-new production to tour Australia that’s imbued with the essence of the counter-culture. And there is no one better to bring it to the stage in 2019 than one of Australia’s most exciting young theatre makers Declan Greene, with his roots firmly placed in our counter-culture, just of another generation.”

“There are a handful of commercial musicals that have truly changed the theatrical landscape. HAIR, with its rock score and social impact, certainly fits the bill. I think it is important this show is staged now; HAIR is a great reminder of how far we have come in many ways and how much we still have to do. It’s frightening how relevant some themes still are 50 years on, so LET THE SUNSHINE IN – the tribe is once again assembling!”

Hair
Friday, 11 October and Saturday, 12 October at 7pm
HOTA, Gold Foast
www.hota.com.au

Co-presented by HOTA, Home of the Arts this exciting rendition of WICKED will showcase a talented line up this June, telling the beloved tale of the extraordinary adventures in Oz and a profound friendship between Glinda The Good Witch and Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West.

After a nationwide search to cast the leading ladies, Emily Monsma, a Gold Coast local and graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, will play Glinda (The Good Witch) and seasoned performer, Samantha Dodemaide, finds her way back to Oz after her breakthrough role as ‘Dorothy’ in the Australian tour of THE WIZARD OF OZ, starring as Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West).

Producer Matt Ward said the casting of ‘Glinda’ and ‘Elphaba’ was a critical piece of the production, and both Emily and Samantha will join a talented crew of key professionals engaged to stage this muchloved production.

“WICKED holds a place in so many hearts worldwide and we are beyond thrilled to be bringing this calibre of a production to the Gold Coast and giving audiences a level of performance that hasn’t been seen before.”

“After months of searching the country, we are excited to cast our lead roles who will flourish in their on-stage personas, and who will work alongside some of the industry’s best with our highly professional and experienced team,” he said.

Having performed in over 30 local productions and most recently wrapped a two-year run as ‘Marty’ in GREASE THE ARENA EXPERIENCE, Emily Monsma brings a wealth of experience to the stage alongside her counterpart who is also no shadow to the spotlight.

Samantha Dodemaide currently performs in the Australian production of EVITA as an understudy to Tina Arena, cast as ‘Eva Peron’, and has played numerous other title roles prior to heading down the yellow brick road, such as in the Australian-Japanese tour of SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN and the production of VIOLET, proving her star is on the rise.

In addition, over 30 performers will be cast for various roles in the iconic production over the coming weeks, with auditions taking place at HOTA on February 15-17.

WICKED will be directed by Tim Hill (RENT, Mary Poppins, Into The Woods, FAME The Musical), with set design by Maria-Rose Payne (THOR, Aquaman, RENT), and digital design by local Gold Coast company, IKONIX.

Matt said that it was his focus to produce an exceptional standard of show for the Gold Coast that brings to life the story and is why he partnered with HOTA to present WICKED later this year (25 June – 6 July).

“At its core, WICKED tells the untold story about the unlikely but profound friendship between two young women who first meet as sorcery students and take very different paths to fulfil their destinies,” said Matt. “It resonates and is filled with such a wealth of great songs and magical characters.”

“I’d encourage any fan, or for those who have yet to experience the wonder of WICKED, to secure their tickets early – the magic is just beginning.”

WICKED
25 June – 6 July 2019
HOTA, Home of the Arts – Gold Coast
hota.com.au

Also announced was the first outdoor program at HOTA featuring big names, collaborations and local talent.

Kicking off the 2018 outdoor program at HOTA is none other than Australia’s brilliant showman and provocateur, the internationally acclaimed Tim Minchin. This special free concert to officially launch the HOTA outdoor program for 2018 will be held on 17 March; Minchin’s first in Australia for years.

Standouts in the 2018 program include Australian music legend Neil Finn, the mighty Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and in a major coup for the region, multi-award winner and pioneer, musician and film director, Laurie Anderson will leave her home in New York to take up residency at HOTA.  Tickets for Tim Minchin can be secured by subscribing at hota.com.au, the rest of the program will be on sale from 9 February.

Announcing the news this morning was City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, HOTA Chair Robyn Archer AO, and HOTA CEO Criena Gehrke along with supporters and friends of the precinct.

“We’ve talked about the cultural precinct becoming the city’s cultural heartland. What better than to name the precinct Home of the Arts. Everyone knows home is where the heart is,” said City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.

“A new name, a spectacular new venue, and a wonderfully energised new program comes as the result of many years of planning and hard work by multiple teams and a huge commitment from the City of Gold Coast,” said HOTA Chair Robyn Archer AO.  “This moment is the inspirational beginning of a new era for the Gold Coast, for both its residents and its millions of visitors. At last, the sixth largest city in Australia has created a brilliant state-of-the-art platform for the commissioning, producing and presenting of the most exciting artists from the region, the nation and the world,” she said.

“That HOTA has been able to attract artists of the quality of Tim Minchin, Laurie Anderson and Neil Finn to its opening program is a testimony to a starry future: the instinct to set them alongside a wholly local new work like The Spirit of Churaki, the musical richness of the QSO, and grand-scale community participation shows that HOTA is welcoming to one and all. HOTA unapologetically embraces the broadest sense of culture and at the same time insists on excellence every step of the way.”

Also unveiled today was a spectacular new mural by New York based street artist MOMO on the walls of the tower at HOTA. Best known for his huge, playful, complex and brightly coloured abstract murals, the internationally famed MOMO was chosen from more than 120 submissions to create a spectacular piece that heralded the coming of HOTA.

“The MOMO mural is a proud statement of the new direction that we have taken as we become HOTA, Home of the Arts.  To attract an artist of MOMO’s calibre is a real coup and underlines the commitment we have to bringing great art and artists to the Gold Coast, as well as ensuring artistic leaders share their knowledge and skill via mentorships with our local artists,” said HOTA CEO Criena Gehrke.

The unveiling and launch of HOTA today is the result of years of work, and a vision driven by City of Gold Coast.  “This magnificent and state-of-the-art $37.5 million Stage 1 is just the beginning for HOTA, and there is much more to come. Today we pay tribute to a truly extraordinary new precinct for not only our region and state, but for the country – it is a place where artists from all over the world can converge and perform, create and mentor,” said Mayor Tom Tate.  “The next stage of construction, scheduled to begin in mid-2018, will be a new green bridge across to Chevron Island which will be followed in late 2018 by a new Art Gallery. Once built, it will be the largest regional art gallery in Australia. The Gallery will become a cultural beacon showcasing the City of Gold Coast art collection and hosting international exhibitors of a calibre never seen before on the Gold Coast,” he said.

HOTA CEO Criena Gehrke said HOTA presented a once-in-a-generation transformative program for the cultural life of the Gold Coast.  “Surrounded by parkland and lake with Surfers Paradise as the backdrop, HOTA, Home of the Arts is a place for live performances, lake-side strolls, star-gazing, farmers markets, cinema-watching, art and new-ideas, gathering, dance, creation and more.  We are now home to the Gold Coast Film Festival, and are working with The Farm, Bleached Arts and The Walls,” she said.  “We call out to all fans and followers of arts, entertainment, creativity, music, storytelling and more – come and visit, go for a swim, dry off your sandy feet and wander over to the outdoor stage to experience world class artists. Welcome home!”

Tim Minchin In Concert
17 March – 7pm
HOTA – Outdoor Stage, Gold Coast
www.hota.com.au