Dream With Your Eyes Open at the Byron Bay International Film Festival

Each year some of the world’s most exciting film talent join thousands of film lovers at BBFF, in beautiful Byron Bay, for a dynamic and truly distinctive film festival experience known for its trademark friendly, laid-back vibe and characteristically open, expressive and appreciative audiences.

Covid-19 has crushed the festival dreams of thousands of filmmakers world-wide, BBFF is an extremely social festival and streaming content just did not feel right for us in 2020. We're fortunate here in Australia that covid is under control and so have been able to develop a special physical edition of the Film Festival Oct 23rd to Nov 1st 2020 - although social distancing regulations limit our possibilities and audiences remain timid when it comes to their entertainment choices.

Because we've had to downscale the size of our festival we've rolled all 2020 entries over for consideration in our 2021 Festival.

To benefit ass many filmmakers as possible we've brought together an amazing array of important industry buyers and leaders to help judge our 2020 Nominees creating opportunities for filmmakers in these difficult times.

We hope our 2021 Festival will be aligned to our usual festival format - complete with attendance from International Filmmakers.

“Arguably Australia’s most successful regional event”
– SBS Film

Independent filmmakers are the heart and soul of this festival, whose quality programming of hundreds of entertaining, inspiring and eye-opening films from over 40 countries sets the stage for filmmakers at all stages of their careers to showcase outstanding work across all genres.

Mix business with pleasure at the gala red carpet opening and closing night parties, or simply over a quiet drink at the sunset bar, mingling with leading Australian and international industry figures, and where you can make new friends, spark ideas and collaborate.

“BBFF will grow into a ‘go-to event’ because of the way BBFF enables filmmakers to exchange ideas.”
BBFF Patrons, Actor Jack Thompson & Film Reviewer Peter Thompson

As a BBFF VIP Accepted Filmmakers are given the opportunity to expand their horizons with free masterclasses, workshops, seminars, networking drinks and parties.

The festival is also passionate about Virtual Reality and the opportunities it creates for filmmakers. 2016 saw the introduction of 2 new awards for Virtual Reality Creators and a number of events that were aimed at established VR Developers as well as those looking to dive into this new realm. The Realities Mediums are no token gesture at this festival - for the past 4 years BBFF has held Co_Lab_Create - a Realities Thinktank for Professionals already working in the field attracting World Leaders from Australia and across the Globe. This event has been designed - and is proven - to create business outcomes for attendees.

It’s all just a short stroll from world class beaches, great cafes, bars and restaurants, live music, shopping and the colourful, cruisy and creative streetscape, for which Byron Bay is renowned.

“We have travelled the world with our film, from Berlinale to San Francisco International Film Festival, and the Byron Bay Film Festival is absolutely world class - filmmaker friendly, professionally run, and featuring top notch, bleeding-edge independent films. Add the inspirational setting and the people, and the gestalt is pure magic!”
- David Lee Miller, Filmmaker, USA

If your creativity is cutting edge and you have a message to tell, be a part of this humanistic festival that’s fusing artistry, education and innovation to enhance our worldview and collective social dialogue through the power and storytelling of film.

STILL WANT TO KNOW A LITTLE MORE ABOUT BYRON BAY & BBFF? READ ON!

An alternative lifestyle mecca, surfers' utopia, filmmakers' hub and millionaires' playground. Byron Bay's vibrant, artistic, freethinking community is a melting pot like no other.

The Byron Bay International Film Festival is an Australian Film Festival that screens a diverse programme of films, of ALL LENGTHS and ALL GENRES, many of which reflect the interests and values of our unique local community - maintaining a strong emphasis on social and environmental issues, human rights, diversity and multiculturalism, creativity, indigenous culture, spirit, healing, connecting to nature, conscious thinking and positive living, music of every variety, colourful characters, humour and, of course being Byron Bay, surfing.

BBFF provides a platform for independent filmmakers in all stages of their careers. We believe in creating opportunities wherever possible and we aim to profile selected filmmakers and promote their films both before and after our festival. We bring the work of talented creatives to an appreciative and intelligent audience and our festival is supported by some of the heavyweights of the Australian Film Industry.

Byron Bay is said to have the highest concentration of filmmakers in Australia outside of a metropolitan area. The inaugural Byron Bay Film Festival was held in February 2006 and focused solely on Australian films and the back catalogue of our local filmmakers. Byron Bay is a magnet for people from all around the globe both passing through or making Byron their home and so it seemed fitting that BBFF should metamorphosis into an International Film Festival.

With the community and media squarely behind us BBFF continues to grow each year. In 2019 the festival screened 175+ films, Music Videos and VR Experiences over 75 Sessions, ten days across 6 venues. BBFF is supported by Australian Film Industry leaders, distribution companies, TV buyers and film industry organizations that provide judges for us creating further opportunities for participating filmmakers. Filmmakers are shown hospitality at our Filmmakers Bar and a number of invitation only events.

Our selection panel has extremely diverse tastes, as does our local audience. Life in Byron Bay is about as ideal as it gets and so as well as bringing our audience films which resonate with their lives and interests we like to transport our audience away from their sub-tropical paradise and let them experience stories, people and places worlds away.

Although the bulk of our programming is aimed towards an adult audience we run family-friendly screenings as well as screenings for local schools and so we are always on the lookout for great family/children-friendly films.

ABOUT BYRON BAY
In Australia, and increasing world-wide, Byron Bay is renowned for our quality of life - a small yet cosmopolitan town with miles of white sandy beaches, clear blue sea and some of the best surf breaks in Australia, surrounded by lush sub-tropical rainforests and picturesque rolling countryside.

Originally a whaling town Byron Bay was first invaded by surfers and then soon after hippies who lingered on after the Aquarius Festival which was Australia's Woodstock. In the 80's some of the biggest names of Australian film bought property in and around the bay and A-list celebrities continue to buy property and holiday here. Byron is home to some of the biggest festivals in Australia including the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Splendour in the Grass and The Byron Bay Writer's Festival.