The Gold Coast Film Festival will unleash its own version of ‘Fright Night’ when it hosts the Australian premiere of a bloody survival thriller in the spine-tingling dark of Springbrook.
Dubbed ‘Horror in the Hinterland’, the one-off event on Saturday 13 April will see a horde of brave film fans make their way up a dark, winding road to a pop up cinema surrounded by trees for a movie experience like no other.
A highlight of the festival, which runs from April 3-14, the 18-plus event will begin with the premiere of The Furies, the debut feature of writer/director Tony D’Aquino that has been described as “reinventing the old school slasher movie”.
With the film’s creators and selected cast in attendance, it will be followed by a screening of the 2012 twisted slasher flick Cabin in the Woods.
Gold Coast Film Festival Director Lucy Fisher says the pop up outdoor cinema would be one of the most unique film screening locations the Gold Coast had to offer.
“Our goal is to continually raise the bar when it comes to creating unique film experiences and Horror in the Hinterland ticks all the boxes on that front,” she said.
“Hosting the Australian premiere of The Furies is a coup in its own right but doing so in a setting that will have the audience sitting even closer to the edge of their seats is something else.
“This will be one of those rare movie-watching moments that live long in the memory of those with enough courage to make their way up the mountain.”
Produced by Lisa Shaunessy (Killing Ground) and starring Airlie Dodds (Killing Ground, Neighbours, Ready For This and Rake), The Furies follows seven young women who are abducted and forced to take part in a deadly game.
“Just like The Furies, the event itself will be full of surprises,” Ms Fisher said.
“That extends to the exact location of the outdoor cinema, which will only be revealed to ticketholders closer to the night. If being even a little bit scared is your idea of a good time, Horror in the Hinterland is the event for you.”
Councillor Glenn Tozer says he is thrilled to support ‘Horror in the Hinterland’ as a tourism initiative and believes the scenic yet isolated location of Springbrook sets the scary scene perfectly for a fright night under the stars.
“We’re committed to finding ways to promote Springbrook as a great location for off-site events for the many conferences and business events the Gold Coast hosts. The Gold Coast Film Festival’s ‘Horror in the Hinterland’ event does just that; showcasing our mountain hideaways for a nationally significant premiere for the film industry. Hopefully, this event will lead to other unique and environmentally sustainable initiatives, perhaps some a little less scary, that can continue to support Springbrook’s local economy.”
The Gold Coast Film Festival is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It’s Live! In Queensland events calendar, worth $800m to the state’s economy in 2019.
Guests are invited to bring a rug or foldable chair, with some beanbags available, while food and drink will be available to purchase. There will be free on-site parking, return bus transfers from Nerang Train Station for $15 and Springbrook also has many accommodation options from budget to hinterland luxe.
Horror in the Hinterland is one of more than 100 films, panels, parties and events that will be held during the Gold Coast Film Festival from April 3-14.
Another festival newcomer is the Ladyparts Live Commentary Screening of cult slasher film Scream, which will be held at HOTA on Tuesday 9 April.
Hosted by the Lady Parts podcast team of Aimée Lindorff and Sophie Overett and featuring special guests including pop culture commentator and author Maria Lewis, the event will be a lively discussion about how the 90s classic has left its mark on teen film, horror and pop culture.
Many Gold Coast Film Festival favourites are also returning in 2019 including:
Floating Cinema: 50 First Dates (Wed 10 April) – Enjoy a night cruising the Gold Coast waterways before relaxing under the stars on top of the luxe Spirit of Elston riverboat to watch the adorable rom-com about falling in love every day;
Movie and Music Trivia (Thu 11 April) – join ABC Gold Coast’s Bern Young at the QT Hotel as she goes in search of the Gold Coast’s ultimate team of film and music trivia champions; and
Women in Film Lunch (Fri 5 April) – Proudly brought to you by Screen Queensland and on the back of back-to-back sell-outs, the hugely popular event returns in 2019 with ABC Gold Coast’s Nicole Dyer hosting an intimate and insightful ‘In Conversation’ with a leading woman in the film and screen industry about her stories, perspectives and experiences.
The Gold Coast Film Festival is supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland and Tourism and Events Queensland. The Gold Coast Film Festival is supported by the City of Gold Coast.
Festival-goers are invited to make the most of the festival and take up a festival-only accommodation rate of 20 percent off the best rate online at QT Gold Coast. To access rate please visit www.qthotelsandresorts.com/gold-coast/ use promo code GCFF19.
For tickets and more information, visit www.gcfilmfestival.com.