Winehouse biopic to open film festival

THE biopic of British singing powerhouse Amy Winehouse Back to Black will open this year’s North Bellarine Film Festival (NBFF) later this month.

The screening of the film at the festival in Portarlington, which will run from November 15 to 16, coincides with the 18th anniversary release of her album Back to Black.

Originally released in 2006, Winehouse’s highly influential and Grammy-Award winning album was a commercial and critical success.

The 2024 feature film, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and starring Marisa Abela as Winehouse, follows the tragic true story of the singer before her untimely death at 27 in 2011.

Now in its eighth year, the NBFF has become the Bellarine Peninsula’s premier event for watching feature and short films, drawing an audience of film lovers and filmmakers from across the region, Victoria, and interstate.

The two-day program at Parks Hall comprises a selection of feature and short films and special guest talks from established and emerging filmmakers.

The festival opens on November 15 at 7.30pm with a “Women in Film” program stream highlighting true stories of remarkable women by female directors.

Screening alongside Back to Black is the multi award-winning short Daisy by St Leonards actor/producer/screenwriter Cassidy Krygger, about her great-grandmother’s pursuit of true love in defiance to the societal conventions of 1930s Australia, followed by a Q&A with Krygger.

The November 16 program features both Short Film and Emerging Artist program streams, with three awards – the Emerging Filmmaker Award, the Emerging Documentary Award and the People’s Choice Award – presented to Victorian filmmakers aged 25 or younger.

“The North Bellarine Film Festival is a popular event on the city’s arts and culture calendar and has been delivering high quality cinema to residents and visitors to the region since its inception in 2017,” NBFF chair Bill Lussier said.

The NBFF will be held at Parks Hall, 87 Newcombe Street, Portarlington.

Doors open from 6pm, with a cash bar offering a selection of drinks and snacks for purchase.

Ticketholders also have access to a Festival Hub at nearby Pier St Café from 6pm to 7pm each evening, offering complimentary canapes and transport to Parks Hall.

For more information on the festival and to buy tickets, head to northbellarinefilmfestival.org