Richard Flanagan has put Tasmania on the global literary map with his Man Booker Prize win for The Narrow Road to the Deep North. We are delighted to welcome him to BOFA 2014, for the screening of his 1998 film The Sound of One Hand Clapping.

Photo: Richard Flanagan (Richard Gray/AAP)

Have you picked up your BOFA program yet?

BOFA 2014 programs are available in many venues around the state, at Neil Pitt’s and Hotel Grand Chancellor in Launceston or online at the BOFA web site here.

When we invited Richard Flanagan to host a screening of his 1998 film The Sound of One Hand Clapping (Sunday, 1.30pm, QVMAG Theatre), we didn’t realise that he was about to become internationally famous as the winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction for his book The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

It is a timely and hard earned reward for this great Tasmanian writer and his remarkable body of work.  Many people don’t realise that his second novel, The Sound of One Hand Clapping, was originally written as a screenplay, which he sent to Australian director Rolf de Heer.  De Heer persuaded him to direct the film himself and by the time finance for the film came through, Flanagan had transformed the screenplay into a novel.

From novelist to film director was an amazing leap for Richard Flanagan, and this is a rare opportunity to hear him talk about the experience....and of course the more recent triumph of the Man Booker Prize. Tickets for the screening are selling fast, so book now.

One of the things that makes BOFA unique in the world of film festivals is our clear mission to use the power of film to inspire people to make positive change. A practical example is our Friday Action Session Regional Innovation & State Growth, (Friday, 9am to 6.30pm, Tramsheds) which will use film of Tasmanian innovators and cinematic examples of the way in which regional innovation has been used effectively in other parts of Australia.

Leading the day long workshop will be Dr. Anton Kriz of the University of Newcastle. Dr Kriz is leading a major project to transform the innovative capacity of the Central Coast of NSW known as Innov8Central – Central Coast Innovation Project. Innov8Central is a program for sharing innovation related knowledge, research and development to create new ideas, processes and products.

The workshop will explore ways in which this model can be applied to Tasmania, in sectors like advanced manufacturing, food and wine, agriculture, forestry, creative industries and information technology. The day will conclude with the inaugural Innovative Island Awards, recognising Tasmanians who have used innovation to build business success.

For more detail and registration go to the BOFA web site.

Regional Innovation & State Growth is made possible by the generous support of the Australian Innovation Research Centre, Big Picture Tasmania, Startup Australia and the W.D. Booth Charitable Trust.

Advanced Style (Friday, 11am, Annexe Theatre) is a film that proves that age is no barrier to looking fabulous. This highly praised documentary follows a number of New Yorkers, aged from 60 to 90, who live life to the fullest and dress accordingly. We believe that Tasmanians can be just a vivacious and vibrant as these American fashionistas, so you’re invited to dress up, enjoy this wonderful movie, and join us for bubbles and brioche in the Festival Lounge afterwards. Places are limited so book now.

Every Festival turns up a few surprises and those in the know predict that Finding Fela (Friday, 5.30pm, Annexe Theatre) will be one of those. Fela Kuti, the inventor of Afro-beat, was little known in the West until the smash Broadway musical Fela! brought his extraordinary musical career to life.

Because his music addressed issues important to the Nigerian underclass, Fela was more than a simply a pop star; like Bob Marley in Jamaica, he was the voice of Nigeria's have-nots, a cultural rebel. This was something Nigeria's military junta tried to nip in the bud, and Fela was hounded, jailed, harassed, and nearly killed by a government determined to silence him. In 1997, 1,000 Nigerian soldiers attacked his Kalakuta compound. Fela suffered a fractured skull as well as other broken bones; his 82-year old mother was thrown from an upstairs window, inflicting injuries that later proved fatal. The soldiers set fire to the compound and prevented fire fighters from reaching the area. Fela's recording studio, all his master tapes and musical instruments were destroyed.

If you liked Searching for Sugarman, don’t miss Finding Fela. Like Rodriguez, his mesmerising music deserves to be better known.

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.