48 Shades - world premiere at BIFF - 10th August

Last Thursday
at the top of the Kangaroo Point cliffs and amidst a flutter of
pink-iced fairy-cakes , BIFF announced the first of its showcases
screenings.

We have the only too rare pleasure of world premiering the new local feature, 48 Shades. An adaptation of the award-winning book by Nick Earls, one of Brisbane's best loved authors, 48 Shades
is a wonderfully gentle but humorous coming of age story. When his
parents go off to Europe for a year, young Dan chooses to board with
his aunt. This is much better than it sounds - Jacq is a university
student, only five years older than he is; the house is a typical
run-down share house in Kangaroo Point, pretty exotic when you're
seventeen; and the third member of the household is the wispy Naomi,
with whom he immediately falls in love. Dan is naturally the envy of
his fellow students at Brisbane Boys College and because of his life
experience he's a trifle more urbane. That is, he tries to woo Naomi by
making pesto - just that he forgets to wash the dirt from the roots of
the basil seedlings that he tears out of the garden….

48 Shades
is, of course, universal despite its strong regional inflection. Even
those who have no idea where Kangaroo Point is will be able to
appreciate the delicate and unusual set of relationships that develop
in the sharehouse . And the climax is a party with scenes of ockerism
that match any in a David Williamson script .

Over the years
BIFF has been proud to premiere a number of major locally made films
including Shirley Barrett's Walk the Talk, Davida Allen's Feeling Sexy
Nadia Tass Mr Reliable and most recently Jonathan Teplitzky's Gettin'
Square. All these went on to major international fests and general
release . 48 Shades is set to follow. While authors and readers are seldom happy with adaptations to screen. 48 Shades of Brown is
that rare success and Brisbane audiences have the opportunity to be
first to view the film, with Nick Earls and cast members there.

It will screen in the magnificent Regent Cinema on 10 August, followed by a BIFF Showcase after-party. Tickets $15.