The Coastal Surge Film Festival, now in its second year and being supported by Creative Art Central, is running this year as part of the 2024 Lakes Festival.
2023 was a sellout event at the Avoca Beach Theatre, and this year Festival directors Amelia Foxton and Glenn Fraser are excited to announce that films curated from around the world and locally will be presented over two nights.
“As filmmakers ourselves, it’s really important that we respect the contract between audience and creator,” Fraser said.
“Getting people together to celebrate compelling stories as a community is what it’s all about.”
The first of the events is a short film and documentary night on Thursday, November 7, at Avoca Beach Theatre from 6pm with red carpet photos and films starting from 7pm.
Friday, November 8, is a music video competition at the Everglades at Woy Woy from 7pm that showcases the best of modern music videos from the Central Coast, Hunter and beyond.
“Our hope is to bring talented local musicians together with the Coast’s filmmakers and really encourage collaboration on future projects,” Foxton said.
Local filmmaker Ben Campbell whose film Joseline is screening said film festivals such as Coastal Surge championed local films and brought local filmmakers with local audiences together.
“This can only strengthen the creative community to enable more opportunities on the Central Coast,” he said.
The first film for 13-year-old filmmaker Lily Dyson is making landfall at the festival.
“This is a great opportunity for me as a young girl wanting to be a director – here I get to show the world what I can create,” she said.
Director of Symptoms May Include Death, Dean Russell, said he was equally excited.
“Having this film debut right here in its home of the Central Coast is truly special, and I can’t wait to be a part of showcasing all the amazing talent this beautiful place has to offer,” Russell said.
As a testament to the growing influence of the festival, renowned filmmakers Bill Bennett and Jenniffer Cluff, makers of the recently successful The Way, My Way, will be on hand to open the festival.
“Filmmakers the calibre of Bill and Jennifer truly understand the cathedral experience of cinema and the magic of an audience, so it’s amazing they’re getting behind the festival like this,” Foxton offers.
The Avoca Beach Theatre event is also an opportunity to mix with well-known filmmakers and actors such as Susan Prior (Puberty Blues), Rob Carlton (Paper Giants), Stephen Hunter (The Hobbit), Chris Hayward (Newsfront) and Tony Bonner (The Lighthorsemen).
“Rather than trekking to Sydney for a cultural fix, we’re bringing it right to the lap of the Coast”, Fraser said.