The Bangalow Film Festival has become the latest film arts event to postpone its activities until further notice due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
The festival was due to open today, with screenings of films like Tracker, The Cats of Gokogu Shrine and Creatures of Habit, plus a line-up of guests including Rolf de Heer, Warwick Thornton, Gary Sweet, Mark Leonard Winter and Aaron Pedersen.
After receiving instruction from Byron Council and emergency services to close until further notice, the organisers of Bangalow Film Festival (BFF) today (6 March) made the decision to not go ahead with the festival.
The cyclone, which is officially at a Category 2 storm (according to the Bureau of Meteorology) has been described as ‘extremely erratic‘ by acting Gold Coast mayor, Donna Gates.
‘We agree with Byron Council that safety is our first priority and that until Cyclone Alfred has passed there is no way to be certain how the weather will unfold,’ Christian Pazzaglia, Festival Founder, said in a press release.
‘For all our partners, ticket holders and friends we will be announcing new dates shortly with all tickets transferable. We are sending love to everyone in the Northern Rivers and look forward to bringing the magic of cinema to Bangalow very soon. We ask for your patience as there may be delays in responding to all inquiries.’
Pazzaglia also said that the extreme weather would have an impact on power and internet for the organisers, so responses to email enquiries would be slower than usual.
BFF joins the Alliance Française French Film Festival, as another screen festival affected by the cyclone, along with many south-east Queensland-based cinemas.
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Full list of film festivals and cinemas affected by Cyclone Alfred
Bangalow Film Festival: postponed until further notice.
Alliance Française French Film Festival: cancelled until Saturday8 March, with opening night now taking place on Friday 14 March at Palace Barracks.
Dendy Cinemas: Coorparoo, Portside, Southport and Dendy Powerhouse Outdoor Cinema:Â closed from Wednesday 5 March until further notice.
Event Cinemas: Brisbane City, Capalaba, Carindale, Chermside, Coomera, Indooroopilly, Kawana, Loganholme, Maroochydore, Mt Gravatt, Noosa, North Lakes, Pacific Fair, Robina, Southport, Springfield, Strathpine and Toowoomba: closed Thursday 6 March until Friday 7 March.
Five Star Cinemas: Elizabeth, Regal, New Farm, Red Hill: closed from Wednesday 5 March until Friday 7 March. Yatala Drive-In: closed from Tuesday 4 March until Friday 7 March.
Palace Cinemas: Palace James Street and Palace Barracks: closed from the afternoon of Wednesday 5 March until Friday 7 March.
Reading Cinemas: Newmarket, Jindalee and Harbour Town: closed from Wednesday 5 March until further notice.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to hit Brisbane and south-east Queensland by Friday 7 March. Live updates are available here.
Other arts festivals and institutions affected by the cyclone
From ArtsHub:
Brisbane’s premier cultural institutions, including Queensland Theatre, Museum, Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) are bracing for probable flooding ahead of Cyclone Alfred later this week. The venues, all situated close to the Brisbane River, last faced catastrophic flooding in 2022.
As of Tuesday, QPAC said its shows would continue throughout the week but was updating its site by noon daily.
Staff across the multiple institutions told ArtsHub that emergency meetings were scheduled over the weekend for Monday’s first order of business. Since then, staff have proceeded with flood mitigation plans that have been consistently revised and updated since the persistent flooding in 2011 and 2022.
The 2022 crisis posed a significant delay in constructing a new theatre venue for QPAC, the completion date of which was revised to mid-2024. The theatre is yet to open, and Cyclone Alfred could shift its completion back even further.
Multiple factors, including persistent heavy rainfall, caused the 2022 floods. Cyclone Alfred, recently upgraded to Category 2, will likely feature similar (or more) rainfall, with the added threat of significant winds.
With multiple days of warning and 2022 as a recent memory, the Brisbane arts community is as prepared as possible for when the cyclone hits landfall locally, which is forecast for early Thursday morning.
Read the rest of the article here.
ArtsHub: Brisbane arts precinct braces for dangerous Cyclone Alfred
