The Byron Bay Film Festival (BBFF) is a popular AACTA Awards accredited independent awards-based film event held in the late Australian summer at the Palace Cinemas, in the coastal town of Byron Bay, Brunswick Picture House in Brunswick Heads and Lennox Head Cultural Centre in Lennox Head.
The festival was established in 2005 by the then Byron Community & Cultural Centre Venue Manager Greg Aitken; local Byron Bay Filmmakers David Warth, John Abegg, Vera Wasowski and current Co-Director Osvaldo Alfaro.
Awards are given to the winners of the following categories: Where Australia's XR Community Connects Byron Bay Film Festival organises a program of films, a weekend of events, workshops and masterclasses specifically aimed at the growing Virtual Reality (VR)/ Augmented Reality (AR) sectors and the industries that have helped drive the creation of this medium – Venture Capital, Gaming, Film & VFX.
The Indian-Malaysian entry Laya Project won the Best Film award on the final night of the 2008 festival.
[2] In May 2014, for the first time Byron Bay International Film Festival collaborated with Vivid Sydney, presenting the workshop "Strategies For A Successful Sea Change", in which it sought to demonstrate how creative talent can forge their career from the Northern Rivers of NSW.
The 14th BBFF was held from 23 October to 1 November 2020, as a Special Edition Festival adhering to covid restrictions.
The 2021 Special Edition was scaled down as a covid response, featuring 22 films screening at 11 sessions.