27th Festival 1980

Retrospectives included the films of Bob Godfrey, a survey of documentary cinema, the films of Michael Rubbo, the films of István Szabó and a newly restored print of Frank Hurley’s 1921 silent documentary Pearls and Savages. The Festival also held evenings of French and British cinema, in addition to a special family program in which Donald Shebib’s Fish Hawk was screened.

Opening Night Film - The Fog (directed by John Carpenter)

Closing Night Film - The Chain Reaction (directed by Ian Barry)

Award winners

Greater Union Award for Australian Short Films (General):

Drink the Moon (directed by Mark Foster)

Greater Union Award for Australian Short Films (Fiction):

Tread Softly (directed by Di Drew)

Greater Union Award for Australian Short Films (Documentary):

Frontline (directed by David Bradbury)

Rouben Mamoulian Award:

Brian McKenzie (director of Winter’s Harvest)