Gold Coast Film Festival 2021

The annual Gold Coast Film Festival returns in 2021, with over 100 exciting films, pop-up cinemas, red carpet screenings, industry panels, and special events, with a selection of the program also available to view online.

Taking over the Gold Coast from April 14-25, the Festival will feature four World premieres, six Australian premieres, nine Queensland premieres, and two exclusive preview screenings, across the Gold Coast from Coomera to Coolangatta, alongside Q&As with filmmakers and some of Australia’s leading cast and crew.

Headlining on Opening Night is the illuminating and captivating documentary Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks, which shines the spotlight on Australian icon Valerie Taylor’s extraordinary life as a fearless marine protector and ocean explorer whose up-close-and-personal experience with sharks is unparalleled.

Other films set to debut during the Festival include the Australian premiere of Willy's Wonderland, a crazy comedy/horror/action film starring fan favourite Nicholas Cage; while World premieres are This Little Love of Mine, an Australian romantic comedy shot entirely in Far North Queensland; Rhapsody of Love, an Asian-Australian rom-com many are calling the ‘Aussie Crazy Rich Asians’; local horror film House of Inequity from Gold Coaster Josh Hale; and teen series Dive Club, set to screen on Netflix globally later this year. 

The Festival line-up also boasts never-before-seen special preview screenings of J.J. Winlove’s June Again starring Noni Hazelhurst, Claudia Karvan, and Stephen Curry; while special events in the program include Festival favourite SIPFest Short Film Festival at its new home Burleigh Brewing, Legally Blonde’s 20th Anniversary Pink Party at QT Gold Coast, a special screening of cult classic Clueless at a secret rooftop cinema, and The Lord of The Rings Trilogy movie marathon at Events Cinemas Coomera. 

Meanwhile, the Sky High Cinema will take your movie viewing experience to new heights, with family-friendly screenings across two weekends during the school holidays. Kids and parents alike can catch their favourite ‘flying’ flicks including Dumbo, Aladdin, How to Train Your Dragon, Mary Poppins Returns and more, from Q1’s Skypoint Observation Deck. 

Whether you’re under the stars at a secret rooftop location, enjoying a pink cocktail poolside at QT Gold Coast, or snuggled up watching family favourites at Skypoint, there’s something for everyone.

The Gold Coast Film Festival is a valued partner of Must Do Brisbane.com