Cracking open the festival and the bubbles with a bang! 

Straight from critical acclaim at the Berlin Film Festival WOLFRAM will be the Opening Night film at Gold Coast Film Festival 2026.

At this red carpet event, you’ll rub shoulders with the cast and crew, sip champagne and soak up a film set to move you. 

The story takes place on the colonial frontier of 1930s Australia, two swaggering outlaws roll into a mining town and unleash a wave of cruelty, leading two siblings to break free from their white masters who have forced them to work as child labourers in the mines. 

The children escape and set off across the desert “sweet country” of central Australia, in search of safety and a way home. 

Set in the same universe as Thornton’s multi award-winning film SWEET COUNTRY, WOLFRAM features standout performances from Deborah Mailman and its young actors, playing siblings who must rely on each other as they search for the truth about themselves and their family, escape a nightmare and make unexpected connections on their way to freedom. 

The Gold Coast Film Festival 2026 Opening Night celebration is possible thanks to the support of our Major Partners Screen Queensland, Invest Gold Coast, Tourism and Events Queensland along with venue partner HOTA, Home of the Arts.