11th Brisbane International Film Festival

BIFF Trivia Night

Monday 8 July

The inaugural BIFF Trivia Night kicks of this year, the night before our Opening Night Celebrations. Can you name the actress who made the most tearful speech at this year's Oscars or who the director of Mad Max I and II was? If you know the answers to these questions - or even if you didn't - our BIFF Trivia Night is for you! You can team up with 8 to 10 of your friends or phone us and we'll team you up with a new set of friends. Test your film knowledge to win fabulous prizes, including a home DVD entertainment system donated by Total DVD.

For $20 you'll get entry to the event, pizza and a complimentary drink and the chance to win and assortment of prizes. We're even offering a prize for the most creative team name!

Join us for the inaugural BIFF Trivia Night on Monday, 8 July, at this year's Festival Bar, Jo Jos in the Queen Street Mall, for a fabulous night of fun! Register your place now via biff@biff.com.au or 07 3007 3007

BIFF Opening Night

Tuesday 9 July

The Opening Night of BIFF always goes off with a bang and 2002 promises to be a glitzy and glamorous affair. The Opening Night film is ideal - Festival in Cannes! This satirical and hopelessly romantic film offers an insight into the cutthroat behind the scenes goings on of the most celebrated film festival in the world - Cannes. So step into your Cannes glamour-gear and prepare for cocktails, champas, and Cannes-festival-like-fever.

Tickets for opening night are $65 and this includes the screening as well as a smashing after party!

Showcase Screening 1

Thursday 11 July

The British Council presents Birthday Girl

Supported by
4KQ and Komodo Club

After her Golden Globe-winning turn as a courtesan-with-a-heart-of-gold in Moulin Rouge, as well as her classy portrayal in haunted-house drama The Others, actress Nicole Kidman returns to the big screen shortly with Birthday Girl. This British production, which premiered at Venice in 2001, will launch the BIFF Showcase Screenings on Thursday, 11 July 2002 at the Greater Union Hoyts Regent Theatre. Witty and slick, the film is riddled with surprises and plot twists that will leave you spinning. With its surprising sense of humour, energetic pace and excellent cast, Birthday Girl should not be missed!

Post-screening the party will continue into the night with some 500 revellers joining us for a party to match the slick and thrilling film.

Tickets to the Showcase Screening and party are $25. For the early-risers a limited number of film-only tickets will be available for $15. Call 07 3007 3007 or email biff@biff.com.au to book.

Free Screening: The Crowd

Sunday 14 July

The Festival will present a free screening of the masterpiece - The Crowd.

Mick LaSalle's review of The Crowd from the November 8, 1995, San Francisco Chronicle said " Some silent films acclaimed as masterpieces aren't masterpieces at all ("Pandora's Box," "Intolerance"). Others really are masterpieces ("Four Horseman of the Apocalypse," "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari") -- but 70 years later, who wants to look at them? "The Crowd," a 1928 silent drama opening today for a two-day run at the Roxie Cinema, belongs to a precious third category. It's as good as people say, and it's worth seeing now.

It's no barrel of laughs, however. "The Crowd," directed by King Vidor, is not an easy movie. It's not in any way driven by star power. In its spirit and approach, it's completely outside the mainstream of films made in its time, or ever. It's an art film, but an expensive one, made by a major studio."

You can read the synopsis of this film in the schedule section of this website, suffice to say that it is moving without being unequivocally happy or tragic; courageous and big-budget but without major stars, about an ordinary couple struggling with everyday life. We're delighted to present this free screening at Brisbane City Hall on Sunday 14 Juy at 2:30pm.

Australian Children's Film Festival

Sunday 14 July
to
Sunday 21 July

The Australian Children's Film Festival brings the world to Brisbane! It will feature five films from around the world, targeted at nine to twelve year olds (the film A Children's Midsummer Nights Dream may be suitable for older children). Offering a range of completely refreshing and non-patronising, original works that are not stripped of their artistry simply because they are geared for a younger audience, the Festival aims to focus entirely on the positive aspects of film. It will seek out and expose children to a world of humanistic films for youth, which engage their imaginations, spark their creativity and respect their intelligence.

Tickets to the Australian Children's Film Festival films are only $4 per person, so bring the children and enjoy the company of Hildegarde the duck, Minoes the cat, Puck, Emil and the little magic pearl.

BIFF Fast Film Finalists Screening

Sunday 14 July

Presented by
Cutting Edge Post

Filmmakers from all around Australia have had just 50 days to script, shoot and edit a short film for BIFF's national short film competition. The rules of Fast Film are simple: the film must be less than five minutes long and must include a FISH (other than in the opening and closing credits).

A free open-air screening of the finalists will take place during the Valley Fiesta in the Valley Mall, with the winner being awarded $3000 cash and $5000 worth of post-production facilities from Cutting Edge Post. The runner up receives $1500 cash. Be amongst the first to enjoy the fastest and most furious filmmaking in Australia! Sunday 14 July, 7:00pm

Showcase Screening 2

Tuesday 16 July

Kissing Jessica Stein

Supported by
Channel 10 & Jorge

If Sex In the City on Monday nights is just not enough "sex and the single girl" entertainment for you, then join us for this hilarious romantic comedy.

Jessica Stein is sort of a Jewish Bridget Jones. She works in a publishing house with her friend Joan and smug ex, Josh. Determined to cure her loveless state, she goes on a string of disastrous dates. Her interest is finally piqued by a personals ad quoting Rilke-the only trouble is that it was placed by a woman.

Though she's resolutely straight, Jessica decides to meet the ad's author and discovers, to her surprise and chagrin that they have a lot in common-including their heterosexual histories. They strike up a warm and quirky courtship, but when Jessica realises she is falling for Helen, she is forced to confront her friend's pre-conceptions, her mother's apprehensions, and her own insecurities.

This bouyant New York comedy blends pitch-perfect performances with a deliciously smart script. The perfect date movie-regardless of preference! So bring your date to this film and party afterwards at Jorge!

Tickets to the Showcase Screening and party are $25. For the early-risers a limited number of film-only tickets will be available for $15 - but you'll be sorry if you don't join us for this party!

Chauvel Event

Thursday 18 July

David Stratton will host an on-stage question and answer session with this year's Chauvel recipient Jan Chapman, where he will discuss her career and show clips from some of her films.

The audience will also have the opportunity to ask questions. Don't miss this unique opportunity to meet and congratulate Jan Chapman

Date: Thursday 18 July
Time: 7:15 pm
Venue: AAPT Cellular One Cinema One, Greater Union Hoyts Regent Theatre
Cost: Free

Closing Night

Sunday 21 July

Unfortunately, all good things must eventually come to an end! BIFF wraps up for another year on Sunday 21 July. The closing night film is a scorcher - Insomnia. Al Pacino delivers his best performance in years as a flawed cop battling sleep-deprivation and guilt as he tracks down a cold-blood killer (Robin Williams in a rare turn as the bad guy).

LAPD's star detective Will Dormer (Pacino) and his partner Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) are sent to the sleepy Alaskan town of Nightmute to investigate the disturbing murder of a seventeen-year-old girl. Dormer and Eckhart close in on the primary suspect, a reclusive mystery writer (Williams), and Dormer is forced into a game of psychological cat-and-mouse by the brilliant, malevolent killer. Under the constant light of the midnight sun, he has nowhere to hide, not even in his nightmares.

Moody and taut with psychological suspense, the latest feature from the talented British director Christopher Nolan (Memento) will bring the 11th AAPT Cellular One Brisbane International Film Festival to a close. Tickets for this gem are $15.