BigPond Adelaide Film Festival wrap figures and awards

The 2011 BigPond Adelaide Film Festival has been a huge success with 30 sold out sessions and an overall increase in attendances of 22%, contributing to a 16% increase in box office revenue from 2009.

BAFF audience members also voted via SMS and online to vote the stunning new Australian film SNOWTOWN (Best Feature) ,the thrilling and poignant SENNA (Best Documentary)  and the moving THE PALACE (Best Short) in the BigPond Audience Awards.

Of the 48 Australian films that screened at 2011 BAFF, ten new Australian features from established and emerging filmmakers had their world premiere, amid the 150 films from 49 countries that screened throughout the festival's duration.

BAFF has been visited and enjoyed by numerous key figures in the international film community including Judy Davis, Fred Schepisi, Bob Connolly and Sophie Raymond, John Sayles, Tracey Moffatt, Douglas Trumbull, Steve James, Pamela Yates, Dorota Kedzierzawska, Tony Krawitz, Amiel Courtin Wilson, Glendyn Ivin, Maeve Darmody, Leon Ford, Brendan Fletcher, Dean Daley Jones, Warwick Thornton, Beck Cole, Tom E Lewis, Rolf De Heer, Dario Russo, Bob Byington, Khaled Abal Naga, Matthew Bate, Sophie Hyde and Bryan Mason, and jury members Julietta Sichel, Trevor Groth, Pierre Rissient, Hossein Valamanesh and Robin Gutch.

Some golden moments of the festival have included:

• The huge response to the opening night world premiere of MRS CAREY'S CONCERT followed by a surprise performance by student Emily Sun and the Marryatville High School orchestra which was greeted by a standing ovation and led to the film makers securing a national release of the film through Palace Cinemas
• The surprise Woody Allen video tribute and response by Judy Davis on being presented with the Don Dunstan Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Film Industry
• A resounding response for director Justin Kurzel, producers Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw and the young stars Lucas Pittaway and Daniel Henshall at the world premiere of SNOWTOWN which sold out all three sessions at the Festival
• A standing ovation for director Tony Krawitz, producer Darren Dale and the family members of Cameron Doomadgee's family after the World Premiere of THE TALL MAN
• A moving Q&A with Tanya Liedtke's brother Boris following the screening of LIFE IN MOVEMENT
• A standing ovation for director Beck Cole, producer Kath Shelper and the cast after the World Premiere of HERE I AM
• The announcement of a US and Canadian release at the World Premiere screening of SHUT UP LITTLE MAN which went on to receive a special honourable mention in the TEN Evening News Competition.
• Lynnette Wallworth's beautiful Rekindling Venus receiving an invitation to the London Olympic Games Cultural Festival
• The overwhelming popularity of new Australian films
• INCENDIES (by French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve) winning the Ten Evening News International Award for Best Feature Film, and TWO by Maya Newell winning the F4 Award for Outstanding New Documentary Talent

BAFF Chair, Cheryl Bart said ‘This year's festival has generated excitement not just for the diversity and strength of the program but for the overwhelming response to the new Australian works we've presented here over the past 11 days. It's particularly pleasing to see how many South Australian filmmakers have screened their work to acclaim and there is a strong sense of a new generation of significant talent here. Our ambition to create a festival that encourages conversation and creative collaboration has certainly been delivered.

For more information, visit BAFF's website www.adelaidefilmfestival.org. You can also find BAFF on Facebook www.facebook.com/BAFFestival and Twitter www.twitter.com/baff2011.