For over three decades, the Brisbane International Film Festival has connected Queensland audiences and industry with the world’s leading filmmakers.

Building on the legacy of founding directors Anne Demy-Geroe, Gary Ellis and programmer David Stratton, whose vision established the Chauvel Award and Cinesparks, BIFF 2025 honours its past while evolving into a live collaboration between filmmakers, musicians, visual artists and audiences. We call this Cinema Elevated.

This year, the Brisbane International Film Festival celebrates 33 years as Queensland’s premier film festival. With the city gearing up for its global spotlight in 2032, BIFF enters a bold new era – reimagined for a contemporary, international Brisbane.

Organised by emotion rather than genre, BIFF’s roster of 62 films opens a window on a world of experiences and perspectives. No matter what your mood or taste, let BIFF take you on a journey through the hearts and minds of the world’s best filmmakers.

BIFF 2025
27-30 November 2025
Various locations around Brisbane
www.biff.com.au

The festival was created with the help of the National Union of Australian University Students and Nimbin was their third edition after events in Sydney and Melbourne. It was, however, the first event under the Aquarius moniker. Its stated intent was to celebrate alternative thinking and sustainable lifestyles and lasted for ten days. It is credited for starting Australia’s hippie movement.

This doco tells the story through archival footage and interviews with event organisers, performers, townspeople and participants. It also features several animated cartoon graphics to help fill in the details. It was such an outlier event for its time, it garnered a lot of television coverage so the filmmakers were able to ferret out some great footage. The contrast between audience members and members of the media and local authorities is hilariously stark.

With the current harsh divide between people who have a political agenda and those who just want the world to be a better place, an event like this would be nearly impossible to pull off. Some of it seems very naive but there were actual endeavours that came out of this mindset back then that did improve things. A dedicated group actually had success in stopping the deforestation of a local rainforest for example. If it were to happen today, Live Nation would have to figure out a way to properly monetise it.
Rob Hudson

The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) is a celebration of cinema as art, entertainment and industry, for everyone seeking bold and unforgettable experiences.

An annual event, held over 11 days from Thursday 24th October to Sunday 3rd November 2024 and spread across several wonderful locations in Brisbane.

This years festival will showcase over 40 feature films and 40 short films from home and abroad, filmmaker Q&As, industry and student events.
www.biff.com.au/

The documentary Teaches of Peaches tells this story in her own words and the words of friends mixed with archival live footage and well-known video clips. Her journey has been a fascinating one and her bravery in not following expectations shows a true punk rock spirit. Few in the music business have been this courageous or immune to the expectations of others.

Her concerts are such a joyous communal experience because they are so inclusive. Looking out into her audience will defy your attempts to categorise the participants. The only common traits are the broad smiles on their faces and the swing in their steps. This is mirrored by the diversity of the performers that join her on stage.

The film does a wonderful job of giving you access to her world and the strange and wonderful people that inhabit that world. It also gives you insight into her creative process, one where you find it is made of more feel than technique. It’s a work that will be a treat for fans and for those with little or no knowledge of her music and career, it will provide a viable starting point for further exploration.
Rob Hudson

The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) is a celebration of cinema as art, entertainment and industry, for everyone seeking bold and unforgettable experiences.

An annual event, held over 11 days from Thursday 24th October to Sunday 3rd November 2024 and spread across several wonderful locations in Brisbane.

This years festival will showcase over 40 feature films and 40 short films from home and abroad, filmmaker Q&As, industry and student events.
www.biff.com.au/

The set-up is basic as we catch a preoccupied-looking Johnson exiting the airport and grabbing a cab from the rank to transport her back into Manhattan. Behind the wheel is Clark (Penn) a twenty-plus-year veteran of driving people where they want to go. He is a keen observer of the human condition and those decades have not been wasted.

They soon strike up a conversation that will slowly reveal hidden secrets and expose the depths of their internal conflicts. It is fascinating watching, or rather hearing Penn slice through Johnson’s defences with his observations on why people do the things they do. He gets her to reveal herself to him in a way she has never done before.

The strength of the film resides in the words spoken by the actors with such consummate skill. The script is so full of wonderful nuance and drive, it doesn’t waste a single word. By the film’s end, you will feel like you got to know these two people intimately and your world will become better for it. If you love film, you will love this.
Rob Hudson

The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) is a celebration of cinema as art, entertainment and industry, for everyone seeking bold and unforgettable experiences.

An annual event, held over 11 days from Thursday 24th October to Sunday 3rd November 2024 and spread across several wonderful locations in Brisbane.

This years festival will showcase over 40 feature films and 40 short films from home and abroad, filmmaker Q&As, industry and student events.
www.biff.com.au/

How crazy you might ask. Well, there are wanking zombies who put out fires with the climax of a circle jerk, an adjunct who climbs on top of a giant brain and self-immolates herself and Cate Blanchett with one of the worst faux German accents ever put to film. Oh, and the leader of Canada sports the type of ironic man bun that would put any barista to shame.

The seven leaders of the free world are presented as almost petulant children and it’s funny to see them act so juvenile and unprepared for the onslaught of weird about to descend upon their tightly-knit world. For reasons that are never fully explained, they start the summit under a gazebo all by themselves in the middle of an empty and mysterious German forest.

This was after they were taken to an archaeology dig where they had their picture taken while holding shovels and smiling with a two-thousand-year-old mummy with his penis tied around his neck in a box occupying centre stage. Weird falls way short as a descriptor. The running gag is that throughout all the insanity they still need to write their introductory speech, which ends up being about building a giant sundial. You know these are all the normal things that make up an entertaining and outrageous film.
Rob Hudson

Rumours is currently screening at the Brisbane International Film Festival and will be released in Aussie cinemas December 5!
The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) is a celebration of cinema as art, entertainment and industry, for everyone seeking bold and unforgettable experiences.

An annual event, held over 11 days from Thursday 24th October to Sunday 3rd November 2024 and spread across several wonderful locations in Brisbane.

This years festival will showcase over 40 feature films and 40 short films from home and abroad, filmmaker Q&As, industry and student events.

Rumors BIFF Session details
Palace Barracks
Saturday 26 October | 3:00PM

Dendy Portside
Friday 1 November | 6:15PM

New Farm Cinema
Friday 1 November | 5:00PM
www.biff.com.au

Written and directed by Jacob Richardson, whose feature film debut comes two years after he made headlines with his short documentary SALT OF THE EARTH (the story of the man who invented Chicken Salt) at Adelaide Film Festival 2022, THE AEGEAN was shot on the remote Greek island of Kythira, with a multinational cast and crew including many Brisbane locals.

The film stars Hollywood icon Costas Mandylor (SAW), who gives a beautiful, nuanced performance in a unique change of pace from his well-known horror fare, returning to his ancestral homeland of Greece to deliver a truly heartbreaking turn as a widowed sailor. He’s joined by Greek rap superstar LIGHT (aka Nero Greco), who plays a ruthless villain, and British newcomer Nicky Dune. Produced by Australian production company Film Focus Productions, this is truly an international odyssey.

The Aegean BIFF Screening
27 October 2024 – 7:15pm (arrivals/red carpet from 5:30pm)
New Farm Cinemas, Brisbane
www.biff.com.au

BIFF is a carnival of cinema in Brisbane’s cultural heartland showcasing World and Australian premieres, exclusive preview screenings and filmmaking talent within Red Carpet screenings, industry panels, filmmaker Q&As, and networking opportunities.

BIFF proudly profiles our region to filmmakers and screen industry professionals on a national and global stage with a spotlight on the thriving industry in South East Queensland.

Brisbane International Film Festival 2023
26 October – 5 November 2023
Angelika Film Centre, Dendy Coorparoo, Dendy Portside, New Farm Six Cinema and Reading Cinema Newmarket
www.biff.com.au

BIFF is a celebration of cinema in Brisbane’s cultural heartland, attracting award-winning international films combined with world-class Australian and independent cinema releases.

In addition to being an iconic arts and culture festival, BIFF drives significant economic impact to the City through interstate and travelling intrastate guests and audiences, as well as profiling the region to filmmakers and screen industry professionals on a global stage.

Over 11 days, BIFF will provide unprecedented access to filmmakers, cast and crew for film lovers and industry professionals alike, across a range of screenings, events and industry talks.

Keep your eyes peeled on the Brisbane International Film Festival 2022 official website for further information, to view the full program and to snap up tickets.

Brisbane International Film Festival
27 October – 6 November 2022
Various locations across Brisbane
www.biff.com.au

With a fresh program team ringing in a new era for BIFF, the 2021 festival will see excellence in programming combined with unforgettable events and a renewed focus on industry and education.

Submissions are now open in two categories – feature films and shorts films – and BIFF welcomes submissions across all genres and from all corners of the world.

Festival Director Emily Avila said with international borders currently closed, the power of cinema to transport audiences was more potent than ever.

“Our programming team is seeking films that are bold, diverse, immersive and unforgettable – work that is both thought-provoking and creatively ambitious,” Avila said.

“More so than any other time in recent history, films programmed at BIFF will also be portals for us to visit regions of the world that are currently beyond our reach, and we look forward to considering works that connect Brisbane to our wider world through the shared cinema experience.”

Avila said by bringing conversation to the fore, BIFF 2021 will highlight the greatest new strokes in international cinema alongside a celebration of the movie experience and local creatives.

“For 11 days in October, Brisbane will welcome filmmakers and audiences from all over Australia, showcasing the best parts of our subtropical city for Queensland’s biggest and most fantastic film event,” Avila said.

“BIFF will be a must-attend for new filmmakers in particular, with a comprehensive program of events geared towards connecting emerging talent with the broader Australian industry.”

BIFF 2021 is run by organising body Film Fantastic and supported by Founding and Principal Sponsor, Screen Queensland.

Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich said she encourages Queenslanders to submit their productions into the nationally renowned festival.

“We support film festivals because they play a central role in the ecosystem of our industry by providing a launchpad for filmmakers to showcase their talent and find an audience, whatever their career stage or where they live in the state,” Munnich said.

“The Queensland screen industry is booming with local, interstate and international production, which creates huge opportunities for creatives to work in an industry they love.

“Your submission into BIFF could ignite further career opportunities in our dynamic and active local screen sector.”

Films selected for the 2021 program will also be eligible for a number of new awards, to be announced in the lead up to the festival.

Submissions close Friday 30 July 2021. All submissions are via FilmFreeway.

BIFF strongly encourages submissions from filmmakers who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, female, LGBTQIA+, living with disability, regionally-based and culturally and linguistically diverse.

Brisbane International Film Festival 2021
1 – 31 October 2021
Various locations around Brisbane
www.biff.com.au

Presented by the Australian Cinémathèque at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) and city-wide cinema partners, BIFF 2020 launches on Thursday 1 October with the Australian premiere of Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s High Ground 2020 and closes on Sunday 11 October with the world premiere of Wayne Blair and Nel Minchin’s inspiring documentary Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra 2020.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Queenslanders would be eager to return to the State’s largest film festival.

‘While many film festivals have only been able to offer digital programs in 2020, I’m delighted BIFF will deliver a traditional, in-cinema experience, while continuing to observe all measures to keep staff and patrons safe,’ the Premier said.

‘It’s because we’re continuing to manage the COVID-19 health response, that we’re able to deliver Queensland’s economic recovery plan which means being able to hold events like this again in a safe and measured way.

‘Through Screen Queensland, my Government is proud to support festivals like BIFF and continue to back projects from the script to the screen, supporting thousands of jobs for local creatives and injecting millions of dollars into the Queensland economy.’

Amanda Slack-Smith, Artistic Director of BIFF 2020 and Curatorial Manager of the Australian Cinémathèque, QAGOMA said COVID-19 safety measures would be in place for all screenings, across all six BIFF 2020 venues.

Ms Slack-Smith said this year’s festival highlights included the Australian premiere of Nine Days 2020, Edson Oda’s poetic investigation into the meaning of life, the Australian premiere of Red Post on Escher Street 2020, the latest film by Japanese cult superstar Sion Sono, and Brazen Hussies 2019, Catherine Dwyer’s powerful documentary on the Women’s Liberation Movement in Australia.

‘We are thrilled to have international features such as Zoé Wittock’s stylish debut feature Jumbo 2020, a tale of a young woman who becomes romantically enchanted with a fairground ride, and mesmerising documentaries including Max Richter’s Sleep 2019, Natalie John’s behind-the-scenes look at the composer’s ambitious eighthour performance for a sleeping audience and P.S. Burn This

Letter Please 2020, Michael Seligman and Jennifer Tiexiera’s revelatory exploration of the hidden history of the 1950s drag scene in New York,’ Ms Slack-Smith said.

The Festival’s Patrons, multi-award-winning Australian actor Jack Thompson and Academy Award-nominated film editor Jill Bilcock, have also chosen a number of films from their many years in the industry to screen at BIFF 2020.

Thompson’s selected films include the 1985 classic Burke & Wills, the moving 2001 Australian story Yolngu Boy, The Assassination of Richard Nixon 2004 in which Thompson shares the screen with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, and Mark Lamprell’s 2020 comedy Never Too Late.

‘Bilcock’s extraordinary editing prowess is evident in the films she’s selected for the Festival including Baz Luhrmann’s critically acclaimed Romeo + Juliet 1996, Sam Mendes’s Road to Perdition 2002 starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude Law, Ana Kokkinos’s 2008 feature Blessed, and Jocelyn Moorhouse’s visually sumptuous The Dressmaker 2015 featuring Kate Winslet,’ Ms Slack-Smith said.

Lovers of fine food and cinephiles alike will be delighted by a screening of The Truffle Hunters 2020, followed by a one night only truffle-inspired dining experience.

‘The Truffle Hunters is a heart-warming Cannes-selected documentary following a group of fascinating characters and their beloved dogs as they roam the Italian countryside in search of the elusive and lucrative ingredient,’ Ms Slack-Smith said.

‘Inspired by the film, GOMA’s Executive Chef Douglas InnesWill will craft a bespoke two-course menu infused with the earthy aroma and taste of truffles.

‘Music + Film will return to GOMA’s purpose-built Cinémathèque during BIFF 2020, with a screening of the fantastical adventures of a female sky pirate in the restored and tinted feature film, Filibus 1915.

‘More than 100 years old, Filibus is a joy-filled adventure tale, and will be accompanied by the world premiere of a new score by David Bailey played on the Gallery’s 1929 Wurlitzer organ.’

BIFF 2020 will be presented at QAGOMA’s Australian Cinémathèque, the only facility of its kind in an Australian art museum, and at valued partner venues Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo, The Elizabeth Picture Theatre, New Farm Six Cinemas, Reading Cinemas Newmarket and the State Library of Queensland.

Brisbane International Film Festival 2020
1-11 October 2020
Various venues throughout Brisbane
www.biff.com.au