From Brazil to Buninyong: Film Festival is back

A carefully curated selection of movies from around the globe is set to screen at Buninyong Town Hall when the venue hosts the annual Buninyong Film Festival.

Buninyong Community Events is running the fest over Friday 19 to Saturday 20 June, bringing acclaimed Australian and international films to the big screen, and offering mulled wine, a Friday night supper, guided historic walk, and Saturday evening Festival Dinner.

Now in its 32nd year, the festival aims to provide access to films that may not otherwise be screened outside of Melbourne, and over the years it has built a loyal following of visitors and local film buffs.

“The Friday night is opening night and we’ve got two films – the Wolfram Australian film and It Was Just An Accident from Iran with supper between films,” Buninyong Community Events vice-president Lisa Cressey said.

“We usually feature an Australian film on opening night.”

Saturday morning starts with two films – the Spanish-French film, Sirat, and UK production Twiggy, which is described as “an intimate, star-studded dive into the birth of an icon, and everything that followed”.

“During the lunch hour we have a free guided walk,” Cressey said.

“This year the CFA are going to show us the Avenue of Honour and they will be able to give us a bit of history about that.”

Saturday afternoon features the Aussie film Pasa Faho that portrays a side of Melbourne and its migrant communities largely under-represented on screen, followed by Brazilian film The Secret Agent, a Cannes standout set in 1977 Brazil.

“Our festival dinner is a delicious two-course dinner at The Shared Table who we’ve been working with for quite a few years now, and after that we’ve got the finale film One to One about John Lennon and Yoko Ono,” Cressey said.

The final film offers an expansive and revelatory inside look at Lennon and Ono’s life in Greenwich Village, New York City in the early 1970s, providing an immersive cinematic experience that brings to life newly restored footage of the famed couple’s only full-length concert.

Cressey said the festival is especially well-loved by those who enjoy discussing their films after watching them.

“I just love the whole idea that this festival has been going for so long and it’s now like an institution,” she said.

“It’s a beautiful old fashioned film festival that appeals to film buffs and people who like deep interesting films that make you talk.”