Open air venue adds to film festival’s ambience

The tropical ambience of Munro Martin Parklands will set the scene for the annual Understory Film Festival screening on 7 November.

Tickets officially went on sale this morning for the staging of the Understory Film Festival Screening and Awards Night – an evening dedicated to recognising the expertise, energy and commitment of student, emerging and professional filmmakers living in the Far North.

Open to emerging and professional filmmakers from the Far North region, the festival welcomes submissions each year for short films of 8 minutes or less across a vast selection of genres including comedies, documentaries, music videos, animations, experimental and more.

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said the festival provided local filmmakers the chance to showcase their works to a wide and appreciative audience.

“The Understory film Festival offers film lovers and filmmakers alike the perfect opportunity to celebrate the stories of Tropical North Queensland through the medium of short film,” Cr Manning said.

“With this year’s event to be hosted in Munro Martin Parklands bring a picnic basket, a low set chair or a rug, and take the chance to enjoy a selection of short films produced right here, under the tropical night sky.”

The awards ceremony screens the best of the best, with short-listed entries in the running for awards across seven categories, as well as the People’s Choice Award.

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Applications for filmmakers close at 4pm on Tuesday 6 October, or Thursday 1 October for entries in the High School Student Category, which must be submitted via a teacher liaison or Head of Department from the school.

A free symposium will be held preceding the festival at the Cairns Performance Arts Centre from 2pm to 4pm.

Film enthusiasts will be encouraged to participate in a candid conversation with screen industry professionals including Molly Reynolds, Dena Curtis, Caden Pearson and Douglas Watkin.

Tickets are available from Ticketlink https://www.ticketlink.com.au/.

For more information on Understory Film Festival, including how to enter, visit https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/facilities-sport-leisure/arts-culture/understory-film-festival.