Cinefest announces major prize jury and esteemed director set to travel to South West ahead of festival

The red carpet has been rolled out for global film stars Emma Booth and Meyne Wyatt who have been unveiled as part of the all-star jury set to come to the South West for CinefestOZ next week.

The festival announced on Tuesday the latest big names selected as part of the jury which selects the festival’s major $100,000 film prize winner.

Alongside jury chair actor Richard Roxburgh, CinefestOZ will be welcoming Adam Piron, director of the Sundance Institute’s Indigenous Program, accomplished producer Melissa Kelly and showrunner and writer Tony Ayres along with Booth and Wyatt to the South West.

Booth is best known for her role opposite Jason Statham in 2016 blockbuster Parker, as well as Swerve, the Boys are Back and Australian television series Glitch and Underbelly.

Kalgoorlie-born actor Wyatt starred in short horror film The Moogai, which was screened as part of Cinefest’s deadly Indigenous Shorts in 2021.

He also stars opposite Nakkiah Lui and Jack Charles in Australian comedy series Preppers.

Also venturing to Bunbury will be two-time Archibald prize-winning artist/director Del Kathryn Barton for the West Australian premiere of her new film Blaze.

The film tells the story of Blaze, a young teenager, who is the sole witness to a shocking crime.

Struggling to make sense of what she saw, she unleashes the wrath of her imaginary dragon.

Barton said the film was inspired by the inestimable power of the imaginary life, both creative and destructive.

“Blaze has been conceived and written as a bold, psychological piece of symbolist filmmaking,” she said.

“Blaze is also a film about violence against women, a story that questions the complex ways a seemingly privileged first-world still fails to support and protect women of all ages.”

Festival goers will have the opportunity to meet Barton at the Western Australian red carpet premiere of Blaze at Grand Cinemas Bunbury on August 26.

The premiere will be followed by the In Conversation Supper at Bunbury’s Market Eating House, where guests will enjoy a meal and engage in a Q&A with Barton and her fellow filmmakers.

Tickets to both events, and all other festivities across the six day festival, are available at cinfestoz.com.