Albuquerque’s Rusty Tidenberg, auto mechanic and drag-racing aficionado, shocked friends and family by coming out as trans. Followed for eight years by filmmaker Harrod Blank (son of independent and idiosyncratic documentary maker Les Blank), Rusty guides us through the aftermath of her transition, as growing acceptance among her straight-talking Southwest community still doesn’t ease her romantic and professional woes. Interwoven with lively tales of gender non-conforming individuals on the art-car circuit, Blank’s film — a hit at South by Southwest — is a sensitive and unpredictable love letter to people who fight to be unapologetically themselves.
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.