By TANIA PHILLIPS
BREAK out your kites and your cameras – the Kirra Kite Festival is back after a one-year hiatus with a new added dimension.
As well as food, fun, music and kites, this year’s event to be held from November 15-17, will include the inaugural Sunset Film Jam on Friday 15 November.
This will be a film festival with a difference – created to provide a platform for anyone interested in capturing his or her story, from novice to experienced filmmaker.
The event is open to anyone with a go-pro, mobile phone or normal video camera, interested in ‘point of view’ filming.
Festival Director Emily Holler said the festival celebrated the innovative techniques used on the point of view cameras. She said these interactive cameras captured moments in time from extreme sports to picturesque landscapes.
According to local filmmaker and Sunset Film Jam panelist Salvador Cantellano the point of view cameras have revolutionised the way we document our lives.
“It’s exciting to host a film competition using these ground-breaking cameras, they are easy to use with outstanding results. We are encouraging submissions inspired by subjects such as surfing, skating, kite flying as well as everyday storytellers,” Salvador said.
Launching in 2010 the inaugural Kirra Kite Festival attracted thousands of visitors and has grown with each year’s successes. The 2013 festival includes a showcase of nationally acclaimed eateries, musicians, street performers, film and kite flyers.
Brisbane greats ‘Cheap Fakes’ are headlining the main stage along with local favourites ‘The Lamplights’ as the live music program compliments the high-flying kites and multicultural program.
Holler said the event would feature large-scale character kites from the Queensland Kite Flyers Society, guest kite flyers from New Zealand and two Malaysian kite flyers.
“We are thrilled to have secured international kite flyers and are well on our way to becoming a leading multicultural festival,” she said.
“The backdrop is the ocean and the vast sky plays host to colourful kites, creating a visual splendour. The region is long known for historical surf breaks, hokey pokey 50’s fun and now the kite festival – highlighting the area’s natural beauty.”
Thursday 14 November hosts a charity event at popular local Spanish eatery, Bread N Butter along with a family night at Kirra Beach Hotel including a free magic show, Sunset Film Jam Friday 15 November and Flavours of Kirra food festival on Saturday 16 November. Culminating in the big family fun day on Sunday 17 November where the skies will be a sea of colour whilst the surrounding parklands host multicultural festival delights.
The 2013 Kirra Kite Festival is supported by Tourism and Events Queensland through the Regional Development Program, and by funding from Connecting Southern Gold Coast.
