The Gold Coast Film Festival is an 11-day extravaganza of celebrated genre and pop culture films from some of Australia’s most prominent filmmakers.
From drama to family, horror to thriller, animation to kids films, the festival is held at a variety of locations with an assortment of movies, docos, and Q&As to suit the whole family.
Established in 2002, the Gold Coast Film Festival promotes all aspects of filmmaking, and has showcased major international films such as ‘Unbroken’, ‘San Andreas’, and ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’. A popular filming location of Hollywood blockbusters, the Gold Coast will be used to film upcoming feature films ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and ‘Kong: Skull Island’. For interested filmmakers and students, the festival also runs a series of free workshops and seminars designed to inspire and educate filmmakers on the benefits of shooting in the area.
Featured seminars and sessions include 'Enhance Storytelling with VFX', 'The Future of Editing', 'Crowdfunding Your Next Project', and 'First Time Directing'. These seminars are just a few examples of some of the extraordinary upcoming events that bring together film fans, students, emerging filmmakers and established professionals.
Another aspect of the festival is SIPfest (Shorts In Paradise Festival), an annual showcase of the best short films from across Australia. Coming up next month, SIPfest will transform the golden Surfers Paradise beach into a veritable cinematic viewing experience, with vibrant and unique ten-minute masterpieces from some of the best short filmmakers across the country. Thrillers, dramas, comedies, and docos are just some of the featured shorts. Viewers can also cast their vote for the best short to take home the People’s Choice Award.
Children are also encouraged to attend the festival, with The Monster Zoo Augmented Reality Film-Making Adventure Workshop especially designed for kids aged 6-12. Held at the Robina Community Centre, the workshop seeks to teach children how to make their own documentaries for friends and family, and includes a session for children to show off their handiwork.
