Star guests and must-see movies at Byron Bay International Film Festival

AROUND 250 people are expected to attend the opening night of the Byron Bay International Film Festival this Friday, which will kick off with a red-carpet gala screening of Birthright at Palace Byron Bay, followed by an after-party featuring karaoke at Japanese eatery Tokyo Doll.

Festival director Jaimee Skippon-Volke said she was pleased with ticket sales so far, with some screenings expected to sell out.

They include Saturday night’s screening of the documentary Journey Home: David Gulpilil in Byron Bay, which features an introduction by his close friend, actor Jack Thompson.

“Jack’s been coming to the festival since 2010,” Skippon-Volke said. “He’s only missed one since he first came.”

The film offers rare insight into Yolŋu culture and ceremony, highlighting the significance of Gulpilil’s return to Country after his passing.

Due to popular demand, additional screenings are scheduled in Ballina on October 23 and again in Byron Bay on October 26, the festival’s closing weekend,.

“He’s just such an icon,” Skippon-Volke said. “It’s such an interesting film. It really gives us a deep insight into what life was like for David stepping between the two worlds of being an international actor and a leader in his community.”

Another highlight is the world premiere of Common Wealth in Byron on Sunday, October 19, which has proven so popular it will screen simultaneously in two cinemas, with an encore presentation planned in Ballina on October 25.

Filmed across eight countries, the documentary follows filmmaker and former Home and Away director Kane Guglielmi on a personal journey exploring alternative economic and political systems in pursuit of greater global peace, unity and fairness.

“Being the world premiere is a bit of a draw, but it’s also very topical as lots of people right now are having the same thought — that the system is broken and surely there’s a solution,” Skippon-Volke said.

She said that festivals like this give audiences the chance to discover new films before they reach wider acclaim — as Road to Patagonia did after premiering at BBFF in 2022.

This year, the festival is expanding its footprint, with events to be held at Star Court Theatre in Lismore and The Drill Hall Theatre in Mullumbimby for the first time. Screenings will also return to Brunswick Picture House and Lennox Head Cultural Centre.

The Byron Bay International Film Festival runs from October 17 to 26.

For the full program and tickets, visit bbff.com.au