NOW in its 12th year, The Border Mail International Film Festival brings together another fine crop of the world’s best films to the Border.
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The festival opens on Wednesday night with emotional Australian love story Force of Destiny, starring David Wenham.
Director Paul Cox will open the festival, which will be just the second screening of the film, after it opened the Melbourne Film Festival.
Cox is not shy of tackling difficult topics.
His 1990 film A Woman’s Tale explored terminal illness and ageing, and Innocence (2000) was about a love affair between two septuagenarians.
In Force of Destiny, Wenham plays a sculptor diagnosed with liver cancer who finds his true love as the reality of death looms.
Cox has a close affiliation with the subject matter.
He met his current partner during rehabilitation treatment after his own liver transplant.
Regent Cinema’s marketing manager Lucas Mellier said Cox’s appearance is one of several special features scheduled as part of the festival, which runs until Sunday, August 30.
Molly Reynolds will talk about her work with Australian cinema greats David Gulpilil and Rolf de Heer in her trilogy Charlie’s Country, Still Our Country and Another Country, which will close the festival.
The writer, director and producer of Fairless – Marcus Cobbledick – will also be involved in a question and answer session after the screening of Fairless on Wednesday, August 26.
Fairless is a 45-minute documentary on the life of Shepparton cyclist Stephen Fairless, who represented Australia at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
The film adaptation of the 1995 book Holding The Man will screen on Friday, August 28, with a celebration of gay and lesbian life part of the pre-screening activities.
As well as discussion sessions, organisers have teamed-up with Border businesses to offer pre-movie food and drinks packages as part of some screenings.
Regional brewers, winemakers and foodies will be on hand when the documentary Foodies opens on Monday.
The Border Mail International Film Festival runs from August 19 to 30.
A special two-page festival preview will be published in Tuesday’s Border Mail, for more information visit regentcinemas.com.au.
