Mudgee’s own International Short Film Festival, MudFest, has been announced as an Official Satellite Event of the G’Day USA Festivities in Los Angeles in January 2012.
For the first-time an all-Australian short film version of Mudgee’s MudFest International Short Film Festival will screen at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood Los Angeles on January 17th next year as part of the 2012 G’Day USA programme.
Mudgee’s MudFest has been named an official satellite event of the G’Day USA festivities in Los Angeles.
G’Day USA is an annual program held in the lead-up to Australia Day and is designed to showcase Australian business, innovation and culture to the USA.
MudFest will be the only Australian Film component in the Los Angeles line-up of G’Day Events. The event is designed to attract international travellers to Mudfest, held on 17 March 2012 in Mudgee, and to holiday in Central NSW.
The 2012 G’Day USA 3-week program brings new business, education, entertainment, innovation, and tourism events to seven cities (San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, Houston and Chicago).
MudFest co-founder and MudFest G’Day LA festival irector Mike O’Malley travelled to Los Angeles recently to finalise arrangements for the MudFest screening and to meet with a number of Australian Film industry organisations based there.
“It’s taken several years to convince the G’Day USA Organising Committee to include us, but our Committee couldn’t be more excited at the prospect of taking MudFest to Hollywood” he said. “This is a great thing for MudFest and for the Mudgee Region”.
MudFest G’Day LA is sponsored by Destination NSW, Qantas, and local Winery Bunnamagoo Estate Wines. “We’ll have a fantastic opportunity to promote our Festival, our Region and Wines from Mudgee to the Los Angeles audience” O’Malley said. “MudFest has always had great support from local and regional tourism organisations. This will be our chance to promote Mudgee internationally.
The local MudFest event will again take place at Bunnamagoo Estate in March.
“Our screening will include a Mudgee Tourism element, and our pre-screening party will feature canapés made using Australian produce matched to local Wines from Bunnamagoo Estate. We’re hoping the media attention that MudFest in Los Angeles generates will draw more people to MudFest Mudgee at Bunnamagoo Estate next year”.
Destination NSW chief executive, Sandra Chipchase said that the Mudfest Event at G’Day USA will provide a wonderful showcase of the Mudgee region’s innovative cultural attractions. “We believe the exposure will entice more US travellers to choose New South Wales as their next holiday destination, extend their stay and visit the state’s regions that offer exceptional travel experiences showcasing food, wine, nature and wildlife at its very best.”
The Los Angeles screening will take place at the historic Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood. “You couldn’t get more ‘Hollywood’,” O’Malley said. “We’re screening half a block from the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and right on the Hollywood Walk of Stars”.
The movies screened will be a selection of the best Australian entries submitted to Mudfest since the Festival began in 2005. The entire MudFest Committee (Steve Garland, Mike O’Malley, Peter Scott, Phil Van Gent and Sean Wolfson) will be attending the LA screening as ambassadors for our region.
Details of the 2012 G’Day USA programme can be found by clicking here.
Locally, MudFest takes place at Bunnamagoo Estate Mudgee on Saturday March 17th next year. Tickets and more information on MudFest are available by clicking here.
