The North Bellarine Film Festival (NBFF) will be held on 18-19 November at the Potato Shed at 29-41 Peninsula Drive in Drysdale. The festival has been bringing great cinema to the Geelong region since 2017 and has put together another powerhouse program for 2022.

The opening night feature film is High Ground, directed by Stephen Maxwell Johnson and starring Jacob Junior Nayinggul, Simon Baker, Caren Pistorius, Jack Thompson and Sean Mununggurr. Set against the stunning landscapes of 1930s Arnhem Land, High Ground chronicles young Aboriginal man Gutjuk, who in a bid to save the last of his family, teams up with ex-soldier Travis to track down Baywara – the most dangerous warrior in the Territory, who is also his uncle. High Ground was nominated for numerous awards including the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Best Film and was the Adelaide Film Festival Best Feature Film.

The festival continues its focus on short films by screening the work of some of the best independent Australian and international filmmakers in its Saturday afternoon short film session.

The 2022 Emerging Filmmaker Award will be presented at a special ceremony on Saturday evening. The Emerging Filmmaker Award is conferred on a Victorian Filmmaker who is twenty-five years of age or younger and who demonstrates exceptional talent and commitment to their craft. The ceremony will include the winning and finalist’s films and is your chance to see some of the country’s most promising young filmmakers at the start of their careers.

Finger foods will be provided at the Opening Night and the Emerging Filmmaker Award ceremony by Pier Street Café in Portarlington and beer, wine and soft drinks will be available.

Tickets will be available through the Potato Shed website in early October.