The BORLFF program comprises a lovingly curated selection of odd and wonderful films from the 1950s through to the 1990s, each — crucially — featuring at least one scene with a hand-drawn lightning effect. Why theme a film festival around this, you ask? Well, because it rules. Obviously.

The festival will run over a two-week period as a series of themed double features, all at Brisbane’s beautiful New Farm Cinemas. Tickets are available for individual features or as a special combo deal, with a BORLFF season pass available for the true lightningheads out there who need to see every single zap.

BORLFF – Brisbane Only Rotoscoped Lightning Film Festival
29 July ‐ 7 August 2022
New Farm — Five Star Cinemas
www.events.humanitix.com/borlff

Returning to New Farm Cinema, which, since its reopening has quickly established itself as Brisbane’s premiere location for all things cinema, from festivals, independent, cult and non-mainstream work to blockbuster cinema. There is no better place to create this connection for the Brisbane queer community than New Farm Cinema who has a special history to queer culture with the original site, the heritage listed Village Twin, cited as a gay beat in 70s/80s Brisbane.

The opening night film, And Then We Danced, from director Levan Akin is a passionate film driven by the liberating power of dance. Sparking violent protests from ultra-conservative groups in contemporary Tbilisi, the film stands as a powerful statement of intent for BQFF’s 21st edition.

Brisbane Queer Film Festival
05-15 March 2020
New Farm Cinemas, Brisbane
www.bqff.com.au

Taking place at the Elizabeth Picture Theatre, New Farm Cinemas, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Institute of Modern Art, the festival is also proud to shine a spotlight on female talent in its fourth year — from the pioneering Věra Chytilová to the rising local talent of Alena Lodkina, more than 80-percent of the films programmed are directed or co-directed by women.

Once again offering a carefully curated, propulsive showcase of cinematic excellence, QFF 2018 opens with a night of new Australian cinema. Soda_Jerk’s controversial and acclaimed Terror Nullius will launch the festival with a film that’s equal parts political satire, eco-horror and road movie. A rogue remapping of national mythology, Terror Nullius was created through an intricate remix of Australia’s pop culture and film legacy.

Finally, the 2018 festival comes to an end with two sporting films, though of a quite varied bent. First comes the documentary John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, a study of the tennis player at the height of his career as the world champion — and facing the hardest loss of his career at the 1984 Roland-Garros French Open.

It is followed by Diamantino, QFF’s closing night film, a fictional piece that marvels as the world’s greatest soccer star loses his touch and sets off on a delirious odyssey where he confronts neo-fascism, the refugee crisis, genetic modification, and the hunt for the source of genius. The latest collaboration from QFF regulars Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt, it’s in love with every form of storytelling and concocted from pure pleasure.

Queensland Film Festival
July 19 2018 ‐ July 29 2018
Elizabeth Picture Theatre, New Farm Cinemas, Gallery of Modern Art and the Institute of Modern Art
www.qldff.com

The announcement of these four films—spanning three continents and a range of styles, traditions, and subject matter—signals QFF’s commitment to quality and variety in cinema, according to Festival co-director John Edmond.

“There’s Jealousy, the latest work by a French master director; the highly anticipated The Duke of Burgundy; and Eight, a claustrophobic local effort shot in one bravura take.”

“We’re also thrilled to screen the The Forbidden Room, which imagines a delirious alternative history for early cinema as it jumps from lurid tale to lurid tale,” says Edmond.

The QFF has also announce that Australia’s best known film critic, David Stratton, will be its patron this year.

As QFF patron Stratton lends the Festival his strong endorsement. Festival-goers will also benefit from his critical acumen upon release of the Festival’s full program in June. Here Stratton will offer his personal recommendations and help put QFF’s contribution in context.

While he is a household name for his film criticism in print (The Australian) and especially on television with partner Margaret Pomeranz (The Movie Show 1986–2004; At the Movies 2004–2014), Stratton strongly identifies with another aspect of his professional life: his work as a curator and historian.

It was in this capacity that Stratton first influenced film culture in Queensland. In 1966—his first year as director of the Sydney Film Festival—he played an important part in helping to establish the Brisbane Film Festival.

“In some way, Brisbane’s international film festival has been a part of my year ever since. I always looked forward to travelling up for BIFF,” Stratton says.

“Unbelievably, next year it will be 50 years since that first Brisbane Film Festival, and I’m very pleased to support QFF in reintroducing this kind of film festival for local audiences”, he adds.

Stratton was the director of the Sydney Film Festival from 1966–1983. Stratton made SFF Australia’s premiere film festival during his tenure and took a strong stand against film censorship. He currently teaches—over the span of 10 years—the course “A History of World Cinema” at Sydney University. The second of these 10-year courses began in 2009 and is scheduled to conclude in 2018.

With a half-century relationship to Brisbane’s film culture and an unparalleled commitment to curating the world’s most important cinema, QFF could have no more appropriate patron than David Stratton.

QFF’s full program of around a dozen feature films, as well as supporting shorts, will be released in June. Tickets will be available through the New Farm Cinemas website, and in person at the box office.

The Queensland Film Festival 2015
24-26 July 2015
New Farm Cinemas
www.qldff.com