New South Wales ‘Lyrebird’ film screenings continue to sell out!
Image above: From The United Edge Cinema website https://unitedcinemas.com.au/katoomba
On Saturday 10th September the Upper Kangaroo Valley Landcare Group (UKVLG) sold out their local community hall for the Aussie bird screening of The Message of the Lyrebird and a second sellout screening of the film was realised on September 21 by the Blue Mountains Conservation Society (BMCS) where 128 guests filled the auditorium at United Cinemas The Edge, Katoomba, the chief town of the City of Blue Mountains.
Almost a week prior to the event, BMCS published a notice on their website announcing the screening had sold out.
Image above: Blog from Blue Mountains Conservation Society website: https://www.bluemountains.org.au/events-2022.shtml#21sept22
Key cast member of the film, Dr Anastasia Dalziell spoke before the Blue Mountains screening and during the lively Q&A after the film, along with Lyrebird sound recordist and key cast member, Carol Probets.
“What a fantastic night,” Carol articulated after the event. “It was the first time I'd seen the finished version of the film and it had so much more than I was expecting, and the lyrebird footage is unsurpassed. It was a real privilege to be there to answer the audience questions and help raise money for Blue Mountains Conservation Society,” Carol said.
Anastasia spoke of her personal affinity for the superb lyrebird and how fitting it was to see the film in the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area - a stronghold region for the superb lyrebird.
“Our general knowledge of the superb lyrebird has been beset with half-truths, fancy, and error,” she declared. “The Message of the Lyrebird takes us into this mist of lyrebird misinformation to discover the truth or perhaps truthes about these [and I quote] “birds like walking fables”, as Judith Wright called them.
“This fabulous film contains the most faithful and outstanding natural history footage of lyrebirds that I have ever seen. Indeed, in my view, photographer Nick Hayward has created a remarkable testament to the art of wildlife cinematography itself. However, this film goes further than the natural history of lyrebirds, to tell the very human stories of some of the many people whose fascination with lyrebirds has changed their lives,” Anastasia said.
Balangara Films wish to thank Andrew Solomon and Blue Mountains Conservation Society, as well as all who attended the film screening in support of a group who have been protecting the Blue Mountains environment for over 60 years.
200 kilometres south of Katoomba, the Upper Kangaroo River Hall, situated in a small village in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales was jam-packed for an evening screening of Lyrebird.
President of Upper Kangaroo Valley Landcare Group (UKVLG), Stephen Wilson described the grass-roots community event as ‘a great success.’
“What a wonderful night we had. Totally booked out with 90 tickets sold and we could probably have sold a few more. So many wonderful and positive comments from those who attended. It was a great community event,” Stephen said.
Local nutritionist, Rosemary Stanton became the lucky recipient of the 180-page Lyrebird book door prize.
UKVLG, which has been a landcare/bushcare volunteer group since 1995, fund-raised $1,000 at the screening from all ticket and book sales.
“Balangara Films has been so very kind and generous in permitting UKVLG to screen this wonderful film and we can't thank the producers enough for their amazing support,” Stephen concluded.
Pictures above: Courtesy of UKVLG: The community of Kangaroo Valley at the Kangaroo Valley River Hall for the screening of The Message of the Lyrebird – Saturday 10th September, 2022.
Balangara Films wish to thank Stephen Wilson and the Upper Kangaroo Valley Landcare Group for their contributions of looking after the Kangaroo Valley River environment, and for hosting a spectacular community sell out event.
UKVLG work with local landholders to restore biodiversity to disturbed riparian areas in the Upper Kangaroo Valley area. They conduct monthly working bees, which are held on third Monday from 9-11 am.
In June, BirdLife Shoalhaven also sold out their screening with 170 attendees packing out Huskisson Pictures in the Jervis Bay region of New South Wales.
