One year after its inception, the Queensland Film Festival will take place at New Farm Cinemas for another round of on-screen talent and off-screen creative genius.
The event hopes to stimulate conversation around the art of filmmaking, as well as inviting film-lovers to attend panel discussions and take in the best of contemporary international cinema.
Festival co-director John Edmond answered some questions about the event.
What kind of preparation goes into creating and organising an event like the QFF?
Organising QFF is a long process; we've already started working on QFF2017. There are three rough stages: conception, when we figure how it will look overall, what size it is, etc; preparation, as we arrange partnerships and events, and lockdown films as they debut at the various major festivals; and then execution, as Cannes, the last major festival we can nab films from, passes and we can snap our programme together and finalise such things as the website, ticketing and other collateral, as well as start to focus on print coordination and promotion.
How will the creative team strive to ensure attendees are really able to appreciate this art form?
This is a good question which we often think about. Often films can speak for themselves, they have their own presence. However, we also like to alert our audiences to interesting analysis or interviews about the films. Introductions can also be important. For instance, in Brisbane we have the pre-eminent expert [Greg Hainge] on the Phillipe Grandrieux, with a book on the director's work coming out shortly, so it only makes sense to have him introduce the Australian premiere of Grandrieux's latest, 'Despite the Night'. With Eugene Green's work, we have a free discussion panel on his distinct Baroque aesthetic. And just the order and scheduling of the films draws out various resonances that may not be obvious. For instance, on the first Sunday of the festival, we have 'Naked Lunch', an adaptation that draws on the author, William Burrough's life, 'The Sky Trembles and the Earth is Afraid and the Two Eyes are not Brothers', an adaptation that draws on the life of an associate of William Burrough's, the author Paul Bowles, and mixes it with a documentary on the making of 'Mimosas', whose screening then concludes the day. So there is a clear through line that sees the films reflecting on one another.
'Marketa Lazarová' directed by František VláčilWhat kinds of things will people be seeing at this year's festival?
Whether it's a cult movie like 'Naked Lunch', a comedy about masculinity like 'Chevalier', an animated work like 'The Red Turtle', or even a documentary about freight ships, people at QFF2016 will be seeing great films. Our emphasis has been on an exacting sense of quality. I don't expect every single person to like every single film, but I think every single film in the programme has an immediate and obvious sense/clarity of purpose.
Are there any particular genres that you think people will be warming towards more than others this year?
This may be a fairly niche genre, but I suspect the most popular genre of the festival will be whatever genre 'The Love Witch' is. Technicolor Pastiche Witch Sexploitation? This is by an independent filmmaker called Anna Biller, who has exerted almost total control over the film (right down to the background paintings) and it's been great to see 'The Love Witch' slowly develop momentum over the year since its Rotterdam debut.
'Heart of a Dog' directed by Laurie AndersonWhat's your favourite aspect of an event like this?
It would be a tie as to what my favourite aspect would be. Either during the preparation when we're watching amazing screeners and starting to figure out how they can work together, or when the festival has started and we can begin to enjoy it. You get to exhale, enjoy a movie on the big screen, and then chat with people about the movie afterwards. It's actually deeply enjoyable.
What makes this years festival different from last years?
I think the key difference between this year's festival and last year's, is confidence. We've doubled in size, maintained our focus on high quality, and produced a schedule that's both audience friendly and that flows with a sense of purpose.
The Queensland Film Festival will be held at New Farm Cinemas from 15-24 July.
