“FILM FESTIVALS,” according to Sydney actress, director and producer Pauline Chan, who today launched the 16th Canberra International Film Festival, “are the most important platform to showcase new work.” 

She should know. From a small part in “Bangkok Hilton,” she’s now directing and producing films. Her latest, the Chinese-New South Wales coproduction “33 Postcards” starring Guy Pearce and Claudia Karvan, is one of the many international entries in this year’s event. In her view, cinema could portray “visions from afar” and she astonished those present when she said that the film will be screened before the Italian Parliament on October 18, proving her point.

Chan told those gathered at any cinema that she had begun as a short filmmaker and now was on the jury of major film festivals. From her perspective, one of the best things about festivals was the opportunity for  directors to meet their public face to face.

Retiring chair of the CIFF board, Virginia Hausseger, who had returned from long service leave overseas just in time to be at the launch, formally handed over to her successor, the distinguished filmmaker Nicole Mitchell, but not before she had talked up a 264 per cent box office increase, 40 per cent content increase, 100 per cent audience increase, the introduction of membership (now 800 strong) and the achievement of a regular “comfortable annual surplus.”

Hausseger praised Canberrans for having “really embraced screen culture in a way we haven’t had the opportunity to do before” and festival director Simon Weaving for his “passion and a sharp eye.”

Prof Stephen Parker, Vice Chancellor of the University of Canberra, which founded the festival in 1996, spoke of his love of film from his university days- especially a very interesting Andy Warhol film. After momentarily, as it seemed, conferring upon Weaving a Ph.D., he took it back, but pointed out that the festival director was indeed a Ph.D. candidate at UC and Hausseger an adjunct professor.

Next up was Ivan Slavich, representing TransACT, the principal partner in the festival for the fifth year. Far from pulling out of the festival in the wake of TransACT’s entry into the iiNet Group, they had now come up with a TransACT-CIFF app for Apple and android phones. The app, now downloadable, allows people to view the CIFF program, check out movie trailers, and search for favourite films and enter competitions running throughout the festival.

Of course all eyes were on Weaving, who introduced a program made up of 60 films from 30 countries to be shown in 97 screenings. This year, as Hausseger had prefigured, there will be special emphasis on film talk that only such a “deeply international” city asCanberramade possible. Critic Margaret Pomerantz, for instance would be on hand to 3 days to host talks in the festival lounge at Dendy. In all, there would be 18 such special events with 21 guests, including American B-grade film director Larry Cohen and star Laurene Landon. As well, the “twisted sisters” Jen and Sylvia Soskia will be in town with their latest film, “American Mary”.

Weaving said he was well aware that his last two festivals had featured rather grim opening nights with (admittedly brilliant) films like “The Hurtlocker,” so he’d been determined to open this year with a comedy. He will, on October 31, with Ken Loach’s special jury prize-winner fromCannes, “The Angel’s Share” a feel-good comedy for which it would be appropriate to wear kilts.

The festival would conclude on November 11, he said, with Save Your Legs,” an Australian Bollywood comedy about a cricket team going toIndia, written by and starring Brendan Cowell,.

With an impressive line up of 14 Australian premieres, he’s also secured winners of the Palme d’Or inCannes, the Venice Golden Lion and  the Berlin Golden Bear awards.

It was hard to avoid the conclusion that Weaving is a fan of monster movies, with the National Film and Sound Archive hosting an extraordinary bunch, including an Irish film where the monster proves to be allergic to alcohol—the locals head for the pub to stave off his attacks.

16th Canberra International Film Festival, at Dendy and Arc cinemas, Wednesday October 31 – Sunday November 11. For all information and bookings visit wwww.canberrafilmfestival.com.au