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CLOSING NIGHT PARTY + FILM

That’s a wrap! Celebrate the films that have brought you joy this year and share the moment with like-minded film lovers after the closing night film. This year sees an incredibly strong selection of short films from Queensland, Australia and the world. As part of our closing night celebrations, we reveal the winners of the BIFF Short Film Competition. Tickets are limited and include the World Premiere screening of the documentary Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra, drinks and nibbles.

FIRESTARTER: THE STORY OF BANGARRA

A compelling and vivid celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lived experience and storytelling, Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra looks back at the last 30 years of Bangarra Dance Theatre and the role of its dynamic artistic director Stephen Page.

Directors Wayne Blair and Nel Minchen interweave insightful and moving interviews with Bangarra dancers, including core trio Stephen, Russell and David Page, with vibrant home movie footage of the Page family growing up in Brisbane. Firestarter draws parallels between Bangarra’s story and the politics of Australia, charting cultural milestones such as the audience turning their back to Prime Minister John Howard, and the troupe’s potential boycott of the 2000 Olympic opening ceremony. This electric story is told with power and grace, celebrating the transformative potential of art and creating an insightful portrait of one of Australia’s pivotal arts organisations.

World Premiere