Flickerfest director Bronwyn Kidd expressed nostalgia about returning to Bondi Pavilion for its 32nd year in 2023. She said that the historic venue, which was recently refurbished, has “few little rough edges here and there” but the amphitheatre has always been a magical place.
“We adapted with the Pavilion and we’ve evolved over so many years,” Ms Kidd said. “So it’s going to be really interesting to be back there in its new incarnation.”
Flickerfest will run from the 20th to 29th of January 2023. Showcasing thousands of short films from homegrown creatives, this Australian film festival is the only one that qualifies for the Academy Awards (Oscars) and the BAFTA.
Flickerfest 2023 will be funded with $135,000, up from $7,850 in 2019. Waverley Council has allocated $135,000 for the event. Reports cited that the boost in funding came at the 11th hour after Council defended the expense for the country’s most important short film fest.
A spokesperson said that they want to ensure Flickerfest will continue at the Bondi Pavilion. The venue has been upgraded in the last four years and was officially re-opened in September 2022.
The Waverley Council has submitted a proposal to restore and undertake heritage conversation works on the Bondi Pavilion in Bondi Beach.
The plan has been lodged in early April and it’s currently awaiting a decision. It replaces the controversial $38-million renovation project that was submitted and then withdrawn in 2018.
Locals opposed the first plan citing that the changes will over-commercialise Bondi Pavilion. The revised proposal, however, will cover the following restoration works:
reinstatement of the original terracotta Spanish roof tiles
improvement of the toilet facilities with showers, change areas and accessibility features
restoration of the Gatehouse entrance
installation of “shell space” for tenancies in the eastern wing
installation of a tourism and welcome centre box
division of the Bondi Story Room into three spaces
addition of spaces at the art gallery
revamping of the theatre seating and technology improvements
renovation of the High Tide Room, Ocean and Seagull Room, and pottery studio
“It is the cultural and social heritage of the building that people mostly think about, but it also has architectural merit as well,” Mayor John Wakefield said in the press.
“[But] it’s worn out now, there’s no doubt about it, particularly the toilet and showering facilities,” he added.
Photo Credit: Waverley Council
Restoration work on the Bondi Pavilion is expected to start in February 2020 and the plan is currently on public exhibition. To track the progress of the restoration project, check the Waverley council DA tracking tool using Reference Number DA-105/2019.
This project is part of Waverley Council’s plans to improve Bondi Beach’s recreation and entertainment centre in the next four years so that future generations can still benefit from the facilities.
