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By Larry Hills
This weekend's Wonthaggi International Film Festival (WIFF) enters its 14th year with another outstanding array of international films.
WIFF was the brainchild of Keith Stevens, the past manager of the Wonthaggi Cinema. Keith was a projectionist and a cinematographer and had some amazing connections in the film industry from all over the world. He was able to bring in some fantastic films, some even before their Australian release.
Keith inaugurated the first WIFF 16 years ago in February, 2010. (This would have been its 16th year, except for Covid.)
The WIFF sparked an interest in fine films amongst the local community and the Bass Coast Fine Film Group was formed in order to get an audience for regular screenings of fine films in Wonthaggi. There were 46 members in the first year and that’s grown to more than 250 in 2026!
This weekend's Wonthaggi International Film Festival (WIFF) enters its 14th year with another outstanding array of international films.
WIFF was the brainchild of Keith Stevens, the past manager of the Wonthaggi Cinema. Keith was a projectionist and a cinematographer and had some amazing connections in the film industry from all over the world. He was able to bring in some fantastic films, some even before their Australian release.
Keith inaugurated the first WIFF 16 years ago in February, 2010. (This would have been its 16th year, except for Covid.)
The WIFF sparked an interest in fine films amongst the local community and the Bass Coast Fine Film Group was formed in order to get an audience for regular screenings of fine films in Wonthaggi. There were 46 members in the first year and that’s grown to more than 250 in 2026!
Sixteen years on, our own council runs the cinema and we are about to embark on another world journey through film. Theatre staff have worked in partnership with the Bass Coast Fine Film Group to choose and source the films for this year’s festival.
It kicks off on Friday night with acclaimed South Korea director Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice.
Special events include
It kicks off on Friday night with acclaimed South Korea director Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice.
Special events include
- Familiar Touch screening followed by Q&A Rose Capp – film critic and author of demystifying dementia.
- Pike River – advanced festival screening
- Signorinella Little Miss - Q&A with Director
Friday, 7.30pm: Park Chan-wook's satire of contemporary capitalism. Starring Lee Byung-hun as a devoted husband and father whose world unravels after losing his job of 25 years. (South Korea)
Saturday, 10.30am: Legendary Spanish actor Carmen Maura plays María Ángeles, a 79-year-old determined to protect her Tangier home and in doing so, unexpectedly rediscover love. (Morocco)
Saturday 1.30pm: A moving “coming-of-old-age” story, Familiar Touch follows Ruth, a retired cook navigating the transition to assisted living. Tender, thoughtful and quietly humorous, it explores memory, identity and the enduring spark of self. (USA)
Saturday 4.30pm: Starring Melanie Lynskey and Robyn Malcolm, Pike River tells the true story of two women who lost loved ones in the 2010 Pike River Mine explosion and became leading voices in the fight for truth and accountability. (New Zealand)
Saturday 7.30 pm: Master filmmaker Jafar Panahi crafts a tense moral thriller about persecution, revenge and doubt. When a former political prisoner believes he has encountered his former captor, he gathers fellow ex-prisoners to confirm the man’s identity, with devastating consequences. (India)
Sunday 10.30am: Based on the true story of renowned conductor Zahia Ziouani, Divertimento follows two sisters determined to forge a place in the elite world of classical music in 1990s Paris. (France)
Sunday 1.30pm: A tribute to the unsung heroes of the Italian migrant experience, Signorinella: Little Miss shines a light on the resilience and creativity of women who shaped Australia’s cultural landscape. (Australia)
Sunday 4.30pm: Jim Jarmusch's triptych of stories set across the US, Ireland and France, this character-driven film explores estranged siblings, distant parents and the delicate threads that bind families together. Starring Tom Waits, Adam Driver and Cate Blanchett.
So that’s it! WIFF 2026. Eight different films from eight different countries.
Tickets for all the films are on sale at the kiosk during the festival. Admission is $17 for adults, $11 concession. You can book online at Wonthaggi International Film Festival or buy your tickets at the box office.
Larry Hills is membership secretary of the Bass Coast Fine Film Group.
Tickets for all the films are on sale at the kiosk during the festival. Admission is $17 for adults, $11 concession. You can book online at Wonthaggi International Film Festival or buy your tickets at the box office.
Larry Hills is membership secretary of the Bass Coast Fine Film Group.
1 Comments
Thank you, Larry, I have seen some of the best films at the Wonthaggi Film Festivals, that I have seen in my life. The current list also looks inviting.