Film festival fundraiser for historical society

Bellarine Historical Society president Lorraine Stokes and North Bellarine Film Festival chair Bill Lussier. (Ivan Kemp) 347456_08

Film fans will have the opportunity to support the Bellarine Historical Society (BHS) when it partners with the North Bellarine Film Festival (NBFF) to present acclaimed Australian film The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson.

The Drover’s Wife is the directorial debut of Indigenous playwright and actress Leah Purcell, who also won Best Lead Actress at the 2022 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for her performance in the film’s lead role.

The film will be screened at the Indented Head Community Hall on Sunday, August 6 as a fundraiser for the BHS.

The proceeds will be used to install a ramp for wheelchair and aged access at the society’s Court House Museum site in Drysdale, where it holds its impressive collection of photos, records and maps of the Bellarine area.

BHS president Lorraine Stokes OAM thanked the NBFF for facilitating the event to help the historical society raise funds for the access ramp.

“The NBFF committee have come up with this idea and they’ll run the movie night for us, which is fantastic; it’s really good of them to help us out here,” Ms Stokes said.

“We’re a volunteer organisation, we receive no funding from any level of government. We raise our own money through research, book sales and donations.

“We get busloads wanting to come in from aged care facilities and elsewhere, but we don’t have access for people who’ve got disabilities. So this fundraiser will allow us to be open to everybody.”

NBFF chair Bill Lussier said his organisation was proud to help the BHS with its fundraising efforts.

“The North Bellarine Film Festival is happy to support the BHS, which has an important role in documenting and educating residents and visitors about the region’s history and cultural identity,” he said.

For tickets and more information visit trybooking.com/events/landing/1071365.