BBFF2025

The award-winners across all categories in the 2024 Byron Bay International Film Festival were announced last night, bringing the festival’s “enormously successful” 18th year to a close.

Festival director J’aimee Skippon-Volke said the judges faced their usual challenges, selecting the Best Of from an exceptionally high-quality range of films from Australia and the world.

As we approach the Byron Bay Film Festival 2024, excitement builds for the premiere of Fragments of a Half Life, Johnny Abegg's deeply introspective film. In this abstract journey, Abegg explores the profound grief he feels after his father’s death. Rather than drowning in sorrow, he surrenders to the complexity of grief, discovering that through embracing loss, he can live a deeper, more meaningful life. Through his mother’s recounts and his own reflections, Johnny navigates the intricate relationship between father and son, finding solace in life’s impermanence. 

As we approach the Byron Bay Film Festival 2024, excitement builds for the premiere of Soul Paint, a groundbreaking experience blending immersive technology, creative storytelling, and wellbeing. Through bodymapping, 3D drawing, and movement, participants explore and express emotions and sensations in the body, revealing their inner reality while observing others' creations. Narrated by actor and activist Rosario Dawson, Soul Paint has won awards including Unity for Humanity, StoryFutures XR Connect, and SXSW’s Special Jury Prize. 

As we approach the Byron Bay Film Festival 2024, the excitement mounts for the premiere of The Life & Death of Westerly Windina, a powerful documentary exploring the life of Peter Drouyn, a surfing legend, and his transformative journey into becoming Westerly Windina. Filmmakers Alan White and Jamie Brisick provide insight into the creation of this poignant film.

Known for his impactful documentaries on social and environmental issues, Damon Gameau invites eight children on an epic adventure across Europe in a school bus powered by biofuel. Their mission is to take the conversation from the streets, into the boardrooms of some of the world’s largest polluters and most influential companies.

Wilding is a documentary that highlights Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell's radical shift from intensive farming to a thriving ecological sanctuary at their Knepp estate. Nature takes the lead in reviving a devastated landscape, providing powerful insights into the resilience and regenerative potential of the natural world.