A documentary that is as expansive as the 1300km long peninsula of Baja California itself, in which the land and surrounding ocean are the main characters, An Island in the Continent ranges from the poetic, the mythical, to the hard-hitting. Director Juan Pablo Miquirray says he had to “travel through water and mountains, islands, deserts and plateaus; meet its people, those born there and those who settled. I was not willing to leave any rock unturned”. His film contains multiple thematic and narrative dimensions to unveil the peninsula in all its complexity – its unique cultural history, quite unlike the rest of Mexico, its phenomenal natural beauty, and the threats posed by tourism and mining.
An award-winning venue in the heart of Byron Bay. Lovingly called ‘Festival HQ’ the inaugural festival occurred here in January 2006 screening just 55 Australian Films and BBFF has grown steadily every year and grown its presence across the Community Centre.
The films screening here are eclectic, colourful, quirky, sometimes challenging, sometimes inspirational, but always intriguing, just like Byron’s own uniquely diverse community. Completed in late 2002, The Byron Community Centre is a world-class venue in the heart of Byron Bay. This multi-purpose facility hosts a great variety of activities including performing arts events, exhibitions, conferences, seminars, receptions and functions. It also accommodates the Bay FM Community Radio, Liberation Larder, Planet Corroboree (an Aboriginal art and craft shop) and Fundamentals (a natural health store).
The Centre plays a major community development function in the Byron shire. Over 20+ years it has established many community services, helping create over 60 jobs and bringing in over $10 million to the local community.