BOFA 2014 is officially under way, with special functions in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Ulverstone during September and the Minister for Arts Vanessa Goodwin officially launching the 2014 BOFA Program at the Hobart celebration.
The 2014 program, in a convenient new 24 page booklet is being distributed widely around the state and is available in Launceston from Neil Pitt’s and the Hotel Grand Chancellor. You can also access the full program on line here.

Photo: The Arts Minister, the Hon. Dr Vanessa Goodwin, MLC, opens the BOFA 2014 Program Launch — at The Henry Jones Art Hotel.

Samantha Gash, our special guest and star of our opening night film Desert Runners (Village Theatre, 7pm, Thursday, November 6), epitomises BOFA’s philosophy of ‘making a difference’.  She is warming up for her BOFA appearance by running 2,350 kilometres in 32 days across the Freedom Trail in South Africa to raise money to help girls participate in education in the Free State province.

Yes, that’s an average of 80km a day for 32 days- or 64 back to back marathons. Samantha sees ultra marathon running as a way for her to fight for causes that she is passionate about. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet this remarkable young Australian at BOFA Opening Night on Thursday, November 6. Book for the film Desert Runners and the after party at Mud here.

Charlie’s Country (Annexe Theatre, 2.15pm Saturday, November 8), one of the highlights of BOFA 2014, will be a free screening, thanks to a partnership with Tasmanians for Recognition. Tasmanians for Recognition is part of Recognise, the national people’s movement to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our Constitution.

The third film collaboration between Gulpalil and director Rolf de Heer, Charlie’s Country tells the story of an ageing Aboriginal man who, tired of coping with meaningless ‘whitefella law’, takes off to live the old traditional way. Don’t miss this mesmerising performance by Australia’s finest indigenous actor, which won the Best Actor Award in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.

After the screening, Tasmanians for Recognition will conduct a Q & A offering an insight into the upcoming referendum, with special emphasis on the inclusion of references to the traditional owners of the land, waters and community.

Charlie's Country has just been selected to be  Australia's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. Nominations will be announced on January 15. No Australian film has yet been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.

See www.recognise.org.au for more.

Niall Doran and Bookend Trust’s extraordinary documentary 16 Legs: Spider Love (Annexe Theatre, 10am, Sunday, November 9) has been accepted for the prestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival in Canada, where it will also screen on November 9, so it will be a shared world premiere. Niall Doran will present this preview of the upcoming feature which explores the subterranean world of caves, filming for the first time the extraordinary beauty and the weird inhabitants of this completely dark universe.

BOFA has been described as “the film festival with a conscience”.  While BOFA is certainly about great films and great times, the underlying purpose is to make a difference. You can be involved in either of two Action Days at this year’s festival. Both will be full day sessions on Friday, November 7.

Collaborating for Collective Impact aims to get innovators and decision makers from various community sectors to explore how they can achieve better results through collaboration rather than competition.  The Action Day will be led by John Dengate, author and national authority on collaborative governance.  If you have an interest in community sectors such as health, education, children/youth, homelessness or community development, you could be part of this Action Day to find collaborative solutions.

Regional Innovation and State Growth will explore ways in which we can foster regional innovation to drive state growth.  Session leader will be Dr Anton Kriz, the developer of the Regional Innovation Management model which is transforming the economy of the Central Coast of NSW.

Participants from food and wine tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and processing, forestry, ICT, the creative industries, Government and education  are invited to work with Dr Kriz to produce a practical action plan for their sector.

There is more information on the BOFA web site (here) where you can register for either Action Day, but do it now as numbers are filling fast.

Go to the BOFA web site for ticket prices and multiple entry pass deals.  Be a part of Tasmania’s only major annual film festival.