2012 Heart of Gold International Film Festival in hiatus

Welcome to the wonders of The Heart of Gold International Film Festival. We bring you four days and nights of cultural celebration; of magical, exciting, thought provoking and entertaining films; films that will feed the spirit and connect with your soul; films that will make you both laugh and cry and above all films that are joyful and that will provide you with a positive vision and hope for humanity.

This year the festival will feature nearly 200 films from 34 countries. The festival features a range of special events and screenings with a particular focus on films from Ireland, the Netherlands and India.

In addition there are two programs of Australian Indigenous films, made by some of Australia’s remarkable indigenous filmmakers and performers. They present a variety of stories that represent the Australian Indigenous experience.

Green Screen Environmental shorts from Interfilm Berlin are also a new addition. This program combines inventive, funny, enchanting, but also confronting films that highlight the state of our planet and human behaviour towards it.

One of the highlights this year will be the highly acclaimed New Zealand film “BOY”. It has been described as “exhilarating”, “hilarious”, “heart-warming” and “a sure crowd pleaser”. It will be a hit with the whole family.

The family program has been expanded and will feature three shorts programs, with five screenings over three days.

This festival is a wonderful celebration of imagination and storytelling and I invite you to immerse yourself in its offerings.

Malcolm Blaylock
Artistic Director

Welcome to this year’s Heart of Gold International Film Festival, a great event exclusively screening films which are both thought-provoking and uplifting.

This four-day film festival will feature more than 200 films from 34 countries, with 85 Australian Premieres and 15 World Premieres, and there will also be the opportunity to meet the film-makers, who have journeyed from around the world and across the country to take part in this inspiring and welcoming Queensland event.

Right across the State, thousands of Queenslanders, community groups and local councils put countless hours in to ensuring that their events are a success – and the Heart of Gold International Film Festival is a prime example of that.

One of our Toward Q2 ambitions is to create a diverse economy powered by bright ideas, which is why we support events like the Heart of Gold International Film Festival through the Queensland Events Regional Development Program.

It’s particularly great to see the festival entering its fifth year. Queensland, and the Gympie community, has been hit hard in recent months and I’m delighted that this Festival can go ahead with the support of Events Queensland.

Now more than ever, events will play a vital role in the recovery and rebuilding of our flood-affected regions.

Because in tough times, regional events just like this one attract tourists, fuel the local economy and instil a tremendous sense of pride in local communities.

As part of our recognition of the outstanding contributions of individuals in regional communities, Queensland Week 2011 (4-13 June) will also be dedicated to the heroes of the flood and the recovery.

We will work with the Gympie Regional Council and other councils in flood affected areas to ensure we recognise those who played a significant role during the crisis and those who are now playing a role during the recovery.

Enjoy the festival and I hope you will have an opportunity to discover more of Queensland’s great events this year.

To find out more about what’s in store go to www.qldevents.com.au

Anna Bligh MP
Premier of Queensland

Gympie Regional Council is proud to support the fifth Heart of Gold International Film Festival in Gympie. On behalf of the Councillors and residents of the Gympie Region, it is a pleasure to extend a very warm and sincere welcome to all filmmakers and visitors for this very inspiring and unique Festival.

The mission of the Festival “to screen and promote films that nourish our minds and spirits, inspire hope and above all, make us smile” is heartening after a less-than inspiring start to 2011 across Queensland due to the battering by Mother Nature. The positive concept behind the Festival and the enthusiasm it generates within and for the Gympie Region is indicative of the community spirit within this Region and Council is proud to sponsor such an event. The Festival generates international interest as well as great community support from volunteers, artists and business alike.

Tourism, including significant events such as the Heart of Gold International Film Festival, has played a major role in this Region’s continuing development and when coupled with our abundant natural resources, an enviable lifestyle and fascinating history, the Region has much to offer residents and visitors. The historic “Mary Valley Rattler” steam train commences its journey in Gympie and rambles through the picturesque Mary Valley to Imbil. Kilkivan and Goomeri offer historic highlights and tempt tastebuds with locally grown produce such as redclaw crayfish, olives and cheeses.

The coastal part of the Region has the unique coloured sands at Rainbow Beach and the magnificent waters of The Great Sandy Straits and includes the attractive and ever-growing townships of Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach.

I hope your stay in Gympie is a pleasurable and successful one and that you have the opportunity to take advantage of some of what our Region has to offer.

Cr Ron Dyne
Mayor
Gympie Regional Council