Lights, camera, Brisbane | Brisbane International Film Festival

Spotlighting the city’s cinematic revival

The 2025 edition of Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) unveiled a transformative new creative direction, ushering in a bold era of world-class cinema, Hollywood talent and immersive, city-wide experiences.

Aruga was engaged to lead BIFF’s publicity from launch to opening, with a strong focus on rebuilding the Festival’s media presence, elevating its cultural positioning and driving audience attendance.

Across a five-week campaign, Aruga delivered end-to-end publicity spanning strategic direction, media material development, editorial pitching, interview coordination and managing an interstate media famil visit.

Aruga helped BIFF Bring It On (quite literally!) by spotlighting international films alongside bold Australian stories, emerging filmmakers, and innovative screenings that took cinema beyond four walls and into the heart of the city.

The result was a vibrant national media footprint that firmly re-established BIFF as one of Queensland – and Australia’s – most exciting cultural events.

Results

728

editorial clippings

13.9M+

potential audience reach

$593K+

advertising value equivalent (AVE)

347

broadcast clips

303

radio clips

72

online + social clips

6

print + magazine clips

99%

positive sentiment

100%

key message inclusion

Deliverables

Media Strategy

Creating a five-week public relations strategy to rebuild BIFF’s media presence and sustain momentum from program launch through Festival week.

Copywriting

Developing media releases, pitch materials and key messages that positioned BIFF as a major cultural event with international calibre and local relevance.

Media Relations

Liaising with filmmakers, directors and BIFF to facilitate interviews and reactive opportunities across national, statewide and industry media.

Media Famils

Coordinating a dedicated famil visit for Sydney Morning Herald film writer Garry Maddox to secure long-form editorial coverage.

Winning Tactics

Aruga rolled out a multi-phase pitching strategy, ensuring each pitch delivered fresh news value and sustained editorial interest throughout the campaign.

Aruga prioritised long-form editorial features to build BIFF’s cultural credibility, securing coverage that explored decision-making, creative vision and the Festival’s role in Brisbane’s artistic evolution.

Aruga foregrounded filmmakers, directors and Festival leadership as spokespeople, enabling authentic storytelling that resonated across diverse media platforms.