Gold Coast Film Festival

Hollywood star Xavier Samuel swapped razor-sharp teeth for red carpet at the Gold Coast Film Festival last night. The Aussie actor rushed from a day’s work on shark thriller Bait 3D at Warner Roadshow Studios to attend the festival’s opening night at Birch Carroll and Coyle Cinemas Australia Fair on the Gold Coast, Australia. Samuel, who has been based in Hollywood after his role in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, said he was enjoying being back `home' in Australia.

Samuel's Bait 3D co-star Julian McMahon was supposed to attend the festival, however, cancelled at the last minute. Bait 3D is set inside a supermarket after a tsunami traps a group of survivors inside with a pack of Tiger sharks. Samuel said he was enjoyed working with the `great’ Aussie cast, but spending so much time in the water has been difficult.

"Everyone's very talented," he said.
"But we've been spending weeks in the pool so we're a bit soggy."
Other celebrity guests at the festival opening night included Phoebe Tonkin (Tomorrow, When The War Began), Martin Sacks (Blue Heelers) and John Jarratt (Wolf Creek). Complex Aussie thriller Wasted On The Young opened the six-day festival and was introduced by one of the film’s stars, Alex Russell (above). Russell said he was a `bit nervous’ about introducing the film, but was going to pass on a message from the director Ben C. Lucas.
“What Ben has been saying is that `the film has been with us so long, but it’s yours now,” said the 22-year-old.
“He wants to see what message people take from it and not ram it down their throats, because there are a lot of important messages (in the film).”

The Sydney-based actor has also been filming Bait 3D and had a lot of support in the form of his co-stars Sacks, Tonkin and Samuel.

“We’re all just here to support Alex tonight really,” said Sacks.
Samuel too said Wasted On The Young was definitely a highlight of the festival.
“I’ve been really looking forward to Wasted On The Young,” he said.
“I’m working with Alex Russell now and I have a lot of friends who are in it.”

For my exclusive video interviews with Samuel, Sacks and Jarratt, click HERE. The Gold Coast Film Festival runs until Tuesday, November 16 and for the full line-up of films, free seminars and workshops visit here. And as for Bait 3D news... I will be making a set visit in the coming weeks so stay peeled for updates on Twitter as it gets closer to the date.