Spanish thrillers to John Lennon documentaries: Buninyong Film Festival returns for its 32nd year

Arthouse cinema, mulled wine and a village atmosphere will return to Buninyong this weekend as the Buninyong Film Festival celebrates its 32nd year.

Bringing the world to Buninyong: Held at Buninyong Town Hall on Friday and Saturday (June 19 and 20), the festival has grown from screening five films when it began in the 1990s to a seven-film program featuring Australian and international productions.

• Festival organiser Joan Goldsmith said the event had become a long-running tradition for film lovers across the region.

What’s on the schedule? This year's program opens on Friday night with acclaimed Australian director Warwick Thornton's latest film, Wolfram, followed by Iranian thriller It Was Just an Accident.

• Saturday's lineup includes Spanish-French thriller Sirāt, a documentary on the British supermodel Twiggy, Australian drama Pasa Faho, Brazilian political thriller The Secret Agent, and One to One, a documentary following John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1970s New York featuring newly restored footage.

🗣️ "We're hoping that Warwick's actually going to introduce his film via telephone," Goldsmith told the Brolga. 

• Goldsmith said film selections were researched throughout the year, drawing on festival screenings, reviews and recommendations.

The age of Netflix: While streaming services have transformed how people watch movies, Goldsmith said the festival's focus on arthouse films offered audiences a chance to watch something different and “come out and enjoy the cinematic experience”.

🗣️"Younger people are starting to come along now too, which is really good, because we don't want it to be just an older demographic … because it is so easy to watch a film at home, isn’t it?" she said.

The festival also includes a Friday night supper, mulled wine and a Saturday evening dinner at local restaurant The Shared Table.

Tickets and more information can be found on the Film Festival's website.