Gold Coast Film Festival 2019

Overview

Film festivals usually follow a pretty standard formula with movies, events, panels and parties making up the bulk of the program. But the Gold Coast Film Festival, now in its 17th year, does things a little differently. Of course, it has films — 107 of them (to be precise). But nestled among the screenings and workshops are plenty of outdoor activities too, including several chances to watch flicks on the beach — aka exactly what everyone wants from a film fest on the coast, especially Brisbanites road tripping down south.

With three world premieres, ten Australian premieres and four Queensland premieres on its lineup, GCFF has plenty to keep cinephiles busy.

The list of what movie buffs will be viewing is a long one. Opening night kicks off with the Aussie premiere of eco-conscious documentary 2040 from That Sugar Film's Damon Gameau, closing night brings Gold Coast-made war film Escape and Evasion — and everything from local highlights to star-studded standouts feature in-between. Look out for Northern Territory rom-com Top End Wedding, Colombian drug drama Birds of Passage, or the truly distinctive thrills of Cannes winner Border. On the star-studded front, Robert Pattinson journeys into space in weird and wonderful sci-fi High Life, Tessa Thompson dallies with crime in Little Woods and Andrew Garfield plays detective in mesmerising noir mystery Under the Silver Lake.

Sprawling beyond the festival hub at HOTA (the Home of the Arts), there are outdoor pop-up cinemas by the shore at Surfers Paradise and Coolangatta, an evening of Jackie Chan-starring kung fu flicks in a laneway, a 50 First Dates movie night on a boat and Boogie Nights in a brewery. You can also head into the hinterland for a bit of horror, watching Cabin in the Woods and new homegrown thriller The Furies in the best possible location.

The Gold Coast Film Festival takes place between Wednesday, April 3 to Sunday, April 14. To view the full program and purchase tickets, head this way.