QLD: Billy Zane guest at inaugural Noosa Film Festival

AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-1999
QLD: Billy Zane guest at inaugural Noosa Film Festival

BRISBANE, Aug 17 AAP - Australia's first competitive film festival is set to open next
month, with Titanic star Billy Zane the international attraction.

The week-long Noosa Film Festival, from September 2, would screen 12 international and
Australian feature films competing for $50,000 prize money, a spokeswoman said today.

In addition to the in-competition movies, the festival will include a gala premiere program
of new international and Australian feature films, to be held each night.

Film buffs can also see a retrospective of Australian Comedy Classic shorts as well as
entrants to an international documentary competition and a national short film competition.

Among celebrities set to attend the festival are actors Bryan Brown, Rachel Ward and Kate
Fitzpatrick, playwright David Williamson and producer Gillian Armstrong.

Toni Collette's new offering, The Sixth Sense, will open the festival.

Billy Zane, who played Cal, the narcissistic fiance of Kate Winslet's heroine Rose in the
multi-award winning Titanic, will introduce the Australian premiere of his new movie I Woke Up
Early the Day I Died.

Festival president and veteran Australian actor Jack Thompson will host an official dinner
to raise money for Hope for the Children Foundation.

AAP sd/jnb/br

KEYWORD: FESTIVAL

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