We’re gonna need a bigger budget: Festival cancels waterside screening of Jaws

A screening of shark-themed films Jaws and Beast of War at Brisbane’s artificial beach has been cancelled by the Brisbane International Film Festival, with organisers citing escalating costs.

The screening, billed as “a floating double bill under the stars”, was scheduled to take place at Streets Beach in South Bank on Saturday, November 29.

The event was one of several gala screenings planned for the four-day festival but has been removed from BIFF website.

BIFF executive director Sophie Mathisen said that “unforeseen logistical complications” made the screening impossible.

“The onsite costs for delivery and immersion concepts escalated significantly after initial scoping, which obviously pressured our extremely tight budget,” she said.

“We explored every option to keep this one on but as you may know, Brisbane International Film Festival operates on about one tenth of the resources of other state film festivals, so it’s an extremely challenging economic landscape.”

Mathisen drew attention to “an enormous roster of incredible activations that are going ahead”.

“Whilst the cancellation is disappointing, I would love to use this outcome to urge our fantastic Brisbane audiences to get up off the couch and enjoy the arts and culture that is taking flight in our city.”

Ticket holders to the Streets Beach event have received refunds and complimentary tickets.

BIFF 2025 is taking place later in the year than usual and in a condensed four-day time frame, with around 60 films to be screened.

Gala screenings are still scheduled to take place at Howard Smith Wharves, on Queen’s Wharf’s Leisure Deck, and at South Bank Piazza, as well as in conventional cinemas.

Cheerleading comedy Bring It On is having a 25th anniversary screening with the director in attendance.

Documentary A Life Illuminated will screen with immersive light installations and special performances by Dead Puppet Society, and a documentary about singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley will be followed by a concert featuring Australian rock royalty.

The Queensland-made Beast of War was released in cinemas in October and concerns survivors of a sunken troop carrier in World War II attacked by sharks in the Timor Sea.

Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 1975, defined the modern concept of the ‘blockbuster’.

“[We] remain committed to bringing the event and Shazza the Shark to Streets Beach in future years,” Mathisen said.

Two non-BIFF screenings of Jaws are taking place at QPAC on Saturday, November 22, with the famous score by John Williams performed live by the Metropolitan Orchestra Brisbane.

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