THE stars came out in Dungog yesterday as screen actors, directors and writers arrived from Sydney by train for the fourth annual Dungog Film Festival.
Film-maker Gillian Armstrong, of My Brilliant Career acclaim, was joined on the Countrylink service from Central by the likes of Cameron Daddo, stage star Caroline O’Connor, writer Bob Ellis and Underbelly duo Gyton Grantley and Georgina Haig.
Dungog will host screenings of 167 Australian films over the next three days.
For our highlights of the festival, click here
From Errol Flynn’s 1933 debut to Underbelly’s next episode, the festival will present 12 features, 12 documentaries, 132 shorts, five classic movies and three TV programs.
The historic James Theatre hosted last night the world premiere of the Murwillumbah-shot drama Lou, starring British acting great John Hurt.
Officially opening the festival, NSW Arts Minister Virginia Judge said the event injected more than $2million into the area’s economy, as up to 6000 people visited.
The NSW Government invested $20,000 in this year’s festival, including $10,000 to support ‘‘In the Raw’’, a series of live film script readings by professional actors.
“It’s a valuable opportunity to see and experience a film before the cameras start rolling,” Ms Judge said.
Festival founder and director Allanah Zitserman said Government support was important.
Last night’s opening night party included a cabaret performance by O’Connor, whose new movie Surviving Georgia premieres tomorrow.
Actress Sophie Lowe, an AFI award nominee for her title role in last year’s Beautiful Kate, is due in Dungog today ahead of tonight’s premiere of her horror movie Road Train, also starring Haig, Home and Away’s Bob Morley and Twilight newcomer Xavier Samuel.
To visit the festival's home page, click here
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