The gala will kick off with a red carpet arrival and pre-drinks, followed by a crew Q-and-A session and an after-party.
Some of the film’s cast including Silvia Colloca and Mark Leonard Winter as well as co-writer Christos Tsiolkas (The Slap) will also be at the event alongside special guests from the movie.
The film, set in 1971 and filmed on the Murray between Cobram and Tocumwal, explores country Victoria, family, community connection, and the migrant experience.
Described as “a portrait of a country at a turning point, and the human desire for connection”, it distils the many upheavals seen in 1970s Australia.
The main character, an introverted man named Leo, is a metalworker at the small town plant when his wife vanishes and leaves him to care for his two young children and keep the household running.
One of Leo’s recently arrived Italian co-workers suggests his widowed sister, Maria, acts as a surrogate homemaker while he struggles to adapt in a world full of change.
The question is, will Leo be able to adapt and will Maria be able to find a home in a foreign country?
Although Cobram gets first go with the gala, organisers are planning a “Regional Q-and-A tour” across Victoria which will stop in key towns including Shepparton, Bendigo, Swan HIll and Mildura.
The film will be officially released in Australian cinemas on May 12.