The details for this year’s Perfect Light Film Festival have been confirmed, with keen film enthusiasts and creativities within the arts industry getting ready for the three-day filmmaking extravaganza set to take place from Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24.
With just two short weeks to go before the eighth Perfect Light Film Festival, Festival Director, Steve Bastoni, and Festival Producer, Meg Pascoe, are both eager to return to Broken Hill, coming off the back of delivering the Peninsula Film Festival on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula last month – which featured Broken Hill local Jason King’s Chum earning third place.
“Broken Hill is such a unique part of the country. We always find some little new discovery, there’s always some new little treasure to unearth,” Mr Bastoni told the Barrier Truth.
“It’s amazing how many artists there are living out in Broken Hill. It’s always amazing to come in and see the different sorts of arts that have been created out that way,” Ms Pascoe added.
“Last year, we had quite a few filmmakers make the trek from different states to come over to the film festival in Broken Hill. It really illustrates how the Perfect Light Film Festival is getting a solid, great name on the arts calendar in Australia and New South Wales.”
While there’s a screening of 2022 Australian comedy Wog Boys Forever and a Q&A with the film’s director, Frank Lotito, at the Silver City Cinema on Friday night, and a filmmaking workshop at Broken Hill Civic Centre on Sunday morning, the highlight of the event for many is the screening of short films on Saturday night at Sturt Park.
Having called for entries both locally and nationally, Mr Bastoni said more than 100 people entered their films into the Perfect Light Film Festival. His job was to cut that number down to 12 finalists – and an Emerging Filmmaker entry – which were announced last week and includes Jason King’s Chum, starring Eliza South.
“Some of the films are fantastic. You can be sure the quality of the films is going to be very high. There’s a great mix of comedy and drama in there. There’s also a horror or two, so we’ll have something for everyone,” Mr Bastoni said.
“We are so lucky to have Sturt Park. I mean, it’s just this lush oasis in the middle of the desert. It’s this beautiful green, it’s like an emerald carpet that we sit on every year to watch the films under the sky, under the stars. It’s pretty special.”
The judging panel for this year’s Festival includes actor, director, and producer Frank Lotito (The Lookalike, Growing Up Smith, Wog Boys Forever), Screen Australia’s Development and Investment Manager, First Nations, Dr Jessica Byrne (Locusts, The Lost Sheeps, No Place for Weak), and actor Charlotte Chimes (Neighbours, Six Months, One Perfect Match).
The Perfect Light Film Festival takes place from Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24. Entry is free to each event across the three days. For more information, visit www.perfectlightfilmfestival.com.au.
