SWIFF’s STORYLAND Unveiled

The full program for a brand-new live multi-arts and music Festival in Coffs Harbour has been announced. STORYLAND will be headlined by ARIA Award-winning and Grammy-nominated songwriter Courtney Barnett. The inaugural one-day festival is part of the beloved Screenwave International Film Festival (SWIFF). 

STORYLAND Courtney Barnett
STORYLAND headliner Courtney Barnett

STORYLAND’s Creative Playground

Coffs Harbour’s Park Beach Reserve is the place to be on Saturday April 23. STORYLAND will turn the waterfront precinct into a creative playground for grown-ups. As well as headliner Courtney Barnett, the festval will feature twice Grammy-nominated jazz funk band Hiatus Kaiyote and Melbourne’s dreamy pop artist Hachiku. Get excited for multi-ARIA Award- nominated R&B singer Ngaiire and Gumbaynggiirr and Noongar singer songwriter Emma Donovan. Rounding things out is Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and New Orleans inspired brass band Horns of Leroy.

STORYLAND Emma Donovan
Emma Donovan by Michele G Hunder

Explosive EDM in the Yurt Locker

If EDM is more your thing, you can head to the second music stage. An explosive film-themed DJ tent called The Yurt Locker will feature performances from ethnocyberfunk godfather Coco Varma. Veteran Jamaican MC Fitzroy Lee will be there too, along with reggae, dub and jungle turntablist Papa Boom. Catch drum and bass break beats artist DJ Bam and techno revivalist Biz, Coffs Harbour veteran dance DJ Ice G+. And don’t miss bass evangeliser PSUB. 

Prolific First Nations Creative Directors Zakpage and animation artist and musician Caleb Cowie will kick off STORYLAND with an original multi-media narrative artwork.  

STORYLAND Hiatus Kaiyote 1
Hiatus Kaiyote

An Art Experience

On top of the brilliant acts, the festival will display immersive installation works for patrons to explore their senses. STORYLAND will feature ONE SECOND OF FILM, a 10.5m tall rotating double helix film sculpture designed by Clint Hurrell. MOVIE TRAILER PARK is Sarah Stollman’s three-piece artwork amongst STORYLAND’s makeshift trailer park food trucks. 

“The addition of  STORYLAND into the SWIFF line-up has been years in the making,” says SWIFF and STORYLAND Co-Director and Founder, David Horsley. “The vision has always been to have cutting edge cultural experiences in a regional  coastal paradise.” 

“We look forward to welcoming world class artists to STORYLAND, and to  SWIFF’22 in Coffs Harbour.” 

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

16 Days of SWIFF

The all-new STORYLAND adds an exciting new live music and arts component to SWIFF’s extensive 16-day film festival program. SWIFF encompasses 120+ feature film screenings, performances and events across multiple venues.

Want more art? See Jan Allsopp’s Complex Simplicity at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery until May 28.