‘Punching above our weight’: industry visibility and community engagement in rural and regional film festivals

ABSTRACT

In Australia, the most visible film festivals are clustered around urban centres, yet there is a flourishing network of film festivals outside of major cities. In the state of Queensland, the festivals in regional and rural areas provide crucial visibility for the industry, local community and emerging filmmakers. Following the growth in film festival scholarship, and research on global digital distribution, the impetus for this research was to examine why so many film festivals continue to operate in Queensland. Using a broader mapping project as context, this article examines how the specificity of place shapes the identity of two case study festivals, their audience, and connection to community. The research identifies three key concerns: the distinctions between regional and metropolitan festivals; the duality of these festivals as both inward and outward facing events; and the challenges of viability that face the future of Queensland’s festival sector. In 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic caused further disruption to the national and international screen industries. While this upheaval continues to affect the screen industry, it is important to understand the role that film festivals already play in cultivating and sustaining local audiences and communities, and consider strategies to support their ongoing viability.

KEYWORDS:

• Regional cinema
• film festival
• screen culture
• screen distribution
• audience

Acknowledgment

The authors gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the interviewees, who kindly shared their time and expertise, and the excellent research assistance of Emily O’Grady and Chanel Lucas.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical clearance

This project has received ethical clearance (approval number 0000021859) from the Human Research Ethics Committee at Central Queensland University.

Notes

1. ‘Grey nomads’ is a term popularly used in Australia to refer to domestic travelers, often of retirement age, who undertake driving or camping holidays across the country. These travelers often visit locations that may be of less interest to international travelers, or that are less accessible without vehicular transport.

Additional information

Funding

This project has received funding from Central Queensland University’s School of Education & the Arts, and from the Digital Media Research Centre at Queensland University of Technology.

Notes on contributors

Tess Van Hemert

Tess Van Hemert is a Lecturer in Media and Entertainment Industries in the School of Communication at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), in Brisbane, Australia. She is a Chief Investigator in the Digital Media Research Centre and her current areas of research include global screen distribution and exhibition, and gender equality and diversity in the screen industry.

Elizabeth Ellison

Elizabeth (Liz) Ellison is Deputy Dean (Research) at Central Queensland University in Noosa, Australia. Her current areas of research include Australia’s creative industries and regional arts, with a focus on Australian beaches, writing, film and television, and also postgraduate education in the creative arts.