A Guide To Australia’s Festivals of Film, Theatre And Visual Arts

Introduction

Australia is home to some of the world’s most vibrant and diverse festivals. Here you’ll find everything from film to theatre, visual arts and music. In this guide we highlight some of Australia’s leading festivals of film, theatre and visual arts so that you can plan your trip accordingly.

January – The Sydney Film Festival

The Sydney Film Festival (SFF) is the largest film festival in Australia, and one of the largest in the world. It takes place over ten days in January each year, and showcases 250+ feature films from around the globe. The SFF also hosts more than 100 international premieres each year, as well as 150 Australian premieres.

The SFF has a number of special events during its run:

• Opening Night Gala – this event features red carpet arrivals at an upscale venue, followed by an after-party where attendees mix with celebrities and filmmakers alike
• Conversations with Directors – these are Q&A sessions with directors who have made films shown at other festivals, including Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival

February – Melbourne International Film Festival

Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF)

2-23 February 2019

Melbourne, Australia

The Melbourne International Film Festival is an annual event that showcases the best in new Australian and international cinema. The festival presents over 300 feature films, documentaries and short films from more than 50 countries around the world.

MIFF offers a wide range of screenings across Melbourne including outdoor screenings at iconic locations such as Federation Square and St Kilda Beach; special events such as ‘Red Carpet’ opening night parties; industry events like Meetings on the Move (MOTMs) where you can network with filmmakers and industry professionals; panel discussions focusing on topics related to filmmaking such as writing scripts or producing documentaries – all taking place at venues including ACMI Cinemas North & South or Cinema Nova Theatre!

Tickets go on sale at 9am AEDT Thursday 1 August 2018 via www.miff19festivalpassesales page link above which will take you through all ticketing options available during this period including single session tickets priced between $15 – $50 per session depending on type selected so make sure you log into your account first before purchasing anything else off us directly because we don’t offer refunds once purchased either electronically nor otherwise.”

March – Melbourne Festival

Melbourne Festival is the largest cultural event in Australia, featuring a variety of events including theatre, dance and music. The festival runs for two weeks in March each year and attracts around 300 000 people annually. It has become one of the largest arts festivals in the world since its inception in 1958 by Sir Robert Helpmann who was also a dancer with The Australian Ballet Company.

The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) takes place every July across multiple venues throughout Melbourne’s CBD as well as regional Victoria towns such as Geelong and Ballarat which provide opportunities for filmmakers to showcase their work at screenings hosted by local cinemas or universities such as Deakin University where you can find out more about what goes into making films through workshops offered by industry professionals such as editors who edit film footage together into finished products ready for distribution onto digital platforms like Netflix or Google Play Music Store etc..

March/April – Brisbane Festival

Brisbane Festival is one of the biggest festivals in Australia, and it’s a celebration of the arts. This year, there are more than 800 events happening across Brisbane during March and April.

The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) is held annually during BIFF as well as other smaller film festivals such as:

• The Brisbane Writers Festival – focuses on writers and their work; past guests have included Margaret Atwood, Joan Didion and Salman Rushdie.
• The Comedy Festival – features comedy shows from local comedians as well as international acts like Billy Connolly who performed here last year with his show “Billy Connolly Live”.

There’s also plenty more to see at this event including dance performances from Australian Ballets School Students; visual artists exhibiting their work at Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA).

April/May – Adelaide Fringe Festival

The Adelaide Fringe Festival is the largest open-access arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s held annually over two weeks in February and March, with over 1,000 artists performing across more than 80 venues throughout the city. The festival showcases theatre, comedy, dance, music and visual arts – everything from stand-up shows to puppetry and circus acts!

May – Hobart International Theatre Festival

The Hobart International Theatre Festival is a unique and dynamic celebration of live performance. It offers an exciting and diverse program of theatre from Australia and around the world, including classics, new works, experimental pieces and children’s theatre.

The festival takes place over two weeks in May each year; during this time there are performances every night at venues across Hobart. The majority of shows are held at Theatre Royal (formerly known as Hobart Gaol), which has been converted into one large auditorium with seating for up to 400 people per show or 2200 audience members per day!

There are also performances at other venues including MONA FOMA (Museum Of Old And New Art), Salamanca Arts Centre & Museum Of Modern Art Tasmania as well as outdoor events such as Shakespeare Under The Stars where you can enjoy some Shakespeare while enjoying some wine under starlit skies!

September/October – Perth International Arts Festival

The Perth International Arts Festival is held in October, and it’s one of the biggest festivals of its kind in Western Australia. It was founded in 1959 and takes place over a month, during which time there are over 400 performances at various venues around town.

The festival offers an eclectic mix of theatre, music, dance and visual arts events that reflect the best of contemporary international performance artistry alongside local talent. Some highlights include:

• The Australian Ballet performing Romeo & Juliet at Perth Concert Hall from 5-8 October 2018;
• The Sydney Symphony Orchestra playing Mahler’s Symphony No 1 under David Robertson on 7 October 2018; * The Australian Youth Orchestra performing Mozart’s Requiem Mass with soloists Dame Emma Kirkby as soprano soloist (8 October 2018);

You can find a festival for every taste in Australia.

Australia is a festival-loving country. There’s something for everyone: film, theatre and visual arts festivals are held all over the country at different times of year.

Festivals are great occasions to see new things, meet new people and get inspired by what they do. They’re also great places to network and make connections that could lead to new opportunities in your career or business.

Conclusion

Australia is a country of festivals, and there are many more than the ones listed here. If you’re looking for something special, chances are there’s a festival for it. And if not, then why not start one yourself?