Screening to support historical society

The North Bellarine Film Festival and the Bellarine Historical Society are presenting classic Australian film My Brilliant Career next week as a fundraiser for the society.

The 1979 Australian period drama film is directed by Gillian Armstrong and stars Judy Davis, Sam Neill and Wendy Hughes.

Based on the 1901 novel of the same name by Miles Franklin, My Brilliant Career follows a young woman in rural, late 19th century Australia, whose aspirations to become a writer are impeded by her social circumstance and a budding romance.

The film was Davis’ first leading film role before going on to a stellar career on stage, television and in film.

My Brilliant Career also launched Neill onto the international stage, which saw him act extensively in film (including this year’s Jurassic World: Dominion), television and as a narrator.

The North Bellarine Film Festival was established in 2017 and is held each November along with smaller events throughout the year.

The Bellarine Historical Society was established in 1976 and is located in the old Bellarine Court House on High Street in Drysdale where a vast collection of items and documents from the region’s past are housed. The society is open to visitors on the third Sunday of each month.

‘The North Bellarine Film Festival is happy to support the Bellarine Historical Society which has an important role in documenting and educating residents and visitors about the region’s history and cultural identity,” festival president Bill Lussier said.

“My Brilliant Career is a classic Australian film that helped launch the careers some of the region’s finest actors and has, since its release in 1979, become part of this country’s identity.”

Bellarine Historical Society president Lorraine Stokes said her group had an important role in documenting the lives of the area’s early settlers – particularly the women – who built the northern Bellarine into a thriving agriculture society through the 1800 and 1900s.

“It is the custodian of many important items and documents dating back hundreds of years and relies exclusively on a team of dedicated volunteers.

“The society welcomes the North Bellarine Film Festival’s support and assistance in bringing My Brilliant Career, which documents an important time in Australian society, to the big screen.”

My Brilliant Career will be screened at Parks Hall, 87 Newcombe Street in Portarlington on July 22 at 7pm.

Tickets are available through Trybooking or at the door subject to availability.