THE INAUGURAL GLENELG FILM FESTIVAL KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND

The festival will be held at Colley Reserve this Saturday, March 23 from 2 pm.

Image by Morgan Sette

The inagural Glenelg Film Festival takes place this weekend at Glenelg’s Colley Reserve. Festival Directors Sarika Young (the brains behind Model Agency Kalou Models) and Nick Buckland (who runs acting agency Buckland and Gun) promise the Festival Event will be a thrilling day full of cinematic excitement, with the festival holding the world premiere of two films and an awards ceremony for the best local talent. 

The preparation for the Festival Event began last year in May when monthly screenings of films were held to determine what movies would be shown at the festival. Over 80 local, national, and international filmmakers entered the competition, with ten films shown at each screening. The audience then picked their favourite, along with the judges, with the films with the most votes being selected for this Saturday’s Festival Event. 

14 films have been selected across all genres, ranging from thriller and romance to sci-fi and comedy, with each vying for awards in six categories: Best Actor, Best Cinematographer, Best Sound, Best Art Department, Best Director, and Best Film.

While there will be ticketed seating for filmmakers and special guests, the event is free and locals are encouraged to head down and enjoy the day. Not only will all the films nominated be shown on the big outdoor screen, but there will also be several local food and beverage stalls, including Beach Burrito and Five Eleven Distillery. If that’s not enough, performances by Precizion Dance and Fusion Beats Dance will be happening during the day. There’s also the chance to chat with professionals about getting into the film industry, along with industry memorabilia up for sale and other retailers involved. 

“We will open with a fabulous Welcome to Country and Aboriginal cultural dance,” Festival Co-Director Sarika Young said in a statement. “We will also showcase other cultural performances such as Bollywood Dance celebrating Bollywood film, and Latin performances. All of this will display Australia’s mix of cultural diversity, especially in the film industry.”

The Glenelg Film Festival runs from 2 pm to 10 pm at Colley Reserve this Saturday, March 23. You can find more details about the event here.