LOGIES FESTIVAL
Month-long entertainment festival planned
GOLD Coast film and TV stakeholders hope to build a month-long celebration of the city’s screen industry around the TV Week Logie Awards from next year.
TV’s night of nights will be broadcast live from The Star Gold Coast on Sunday for the first time after the State Government poached the event from Melbourne.
The 2018 awards gala was pushed back from April to July this year to avoid it clashing with the Commonwealth Games – a move that caused headaches for the major networks and some of their biggest stars, who often head off on holidays at this time of year.
The move to July 1 also saw this year’s 60th annual awards ceremony fall on the same weekend as the Gold Coast Marathon – a situation stakeholders are eager to avoid next year.
Logies owners Bauer Media are expected to review the inaugural Coast event following Sunday’s telecast with a view to returning the ceremony to March/April again from next year.
The date change would see the Logies rolled out the same month the Gold Coast traditionally hosts film and TVthemed events including the Supanova Comic Con & Gaming Expo at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, the hugely popular Cosplay Parade through the streets of Broadbeach and the Gold Coast Film Festival.
Sources have told The Bulletin Bauer Media and TV Week have no objections to the city building a month-long event around its annual awards showcase.
“There’s been discussion about the Gold Coast Music Awards and the Surfers Paradise LIVE Festival being held as part of it all,” a source said.
More than 30,000 people turned out to see TV stars including Dr Who’s Peter Capaldi at this year’s Gold Coast Supanova – the first event at the convention centre following the Commonwealth Games.
The State Government hinted at the plans in its Advance Queensland Screen Industry 10-year Roadmap and Action Plan, tabled in State parliament earlier this month.
The document outlines plans to expand the global reach of the local film, TV, online and gaming creative industries by fostering “a pipeline of events to showcase Queensland’s screen industry”.
Logies organisers have confirmed Hamish Blake and Andy Lee, Carrie Bickmore, Asher Keddie, Robert Irwin, Marta Dusseldorp, Scott Cam and Deborah Mailman will all present awards at Sunday’s ceremony.