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IT’S ON: SWIFF back with a bang in April

Beloved film festival reveals exciting opening night choice and special live events

Ahmed Malek stars in The Furnace
Ahmed Malek stars in The Furnace

One of the Coffs Coast's most-popular events, The Screen Wave International Film Festival, is back in autumn and judging by the first program announcement - it's set to be a cracker.

This year the SWIFF 2021 will kick off at the Jetty Memorial Theatre on April 14 with The Furnace, an unlikely hero's tale, navigating greed and the search for identity in a new land.

Described as Western Australia's answer to the Australian western, the film stars David Wenham and features an often forgotten part of Australian history in the 'Afghan' cameleers and their role in opening up transport and trade routes across Central Australia.

This will be a must see for those who have a love for Australia's most dramatic landscapes.

In what is sure to be a festival highlight, the acclaimed Grigoryan Brothers will be performing the live soundtrack to A Boy Named Sailboat at the Jetty Theatre.

The Grigoryan Brothers will be performing the soundtrack to A Boy Called Sailboat live.
The Grigoryan Brothers will be performing the soundtrack to A Boy Called Sailboat live.

This charming, delightfully original family tale about culture and inclusion is set in a small rural town in New Mexico. The film and live performance will be followed by a Q&A with director, Cameron Nugent, and musicians, Slava & Leonard Grigoryan.

SWIFF are bringing another special live performance to Coffs Harbour with bluesmen ramblers Rhyece O'Neill Band performing the soundtrack to the 1971 Australian classic Wake in Fright.

The reimagined soundtrack composed by Rhyece O'Neill is described as "a desert blues interpretation featuring gothic blues guitar, driving bass and boogie with psychotic drums".

This iconic cult classic, infamous for its raw, unflinching portrait of life in isolation in the outback is sure to impress with this reimagined score.

Tickets to the screenings are already on sale at swiff.com.au, as are 6, 12 and 24-film passes. For more information visit the SWIFF website.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/coffs-harbour/its-on-swiff-back-with-a-bang-in-april/news-story/08ed45016026aada96af17aea98300cd