WITH the Heart of Gold International Film Festival due to kick off next Thursday, excitement is still ramping up for one of the touchstones of the event - the festival feature.

'Girl Asleep', directed by Rosemary Myers, is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a high school in 1970s Australia.

The screening will be one of the main events of the film festival, being shown on Saturday October 8.

"We had already made theatre works that catered to questions about teenage boys and alpha males," says screenwriter Matthew Whittet.

"So by the time we got to wanting to make a third piece, we really wanted to make a story which is about the experience of a young girl."

Whittet, a veteran of the Australian film and drama industries, is also a jury member on the 2016 festival's panel.

Following the screening of the film at the festival, he will be making an appearance in person for a Q&A with Heart of Gold artistic director Emily Avila following the screening.

'Girl Asleep' follows high school student Greta Driscol, afraid and apprehensive about leaving her childhood behind as her 15th birthday looms close.

Living a lonely existence with Elliott, her only friend, Greta finds herself thrust into a strange new world as her parents throw her a surprise birthday party.

The film is an adaptation of the critically lauded stage play, also written by Whittet.

"[We] started looking at Sleeping Beauty as a starting point and this idea of what happens when teenagers go through this period where they're sleepwalking," Whittet says.

"We thought that's a great place to start full of drama, full of great exploration which we can use to build a character."

The film makes its arrival in Gympie after racking up a number of impressive accolades, including prizes at the Melbourne and Seattle International Film Festivals.

'Girl Asleep' has also recently been the recipient of the impressive CinefestOz prize, worth $100,000.

The screening coincides with a massive day for the festival's program.

In addition to 'Girl Asleep', film-lovers will also be able to catch short films with a focus on stories about women, as well as highlights from other festivals from both Australia and abroad.

Budding cinephiles will also get the opportunity to get up close and personal with visiting filmmakers with Q&A sessions and masterclasses throughout Saturday afternoon.

The third day of the festival will close out with the awards ceremony, with the best short film collecting $5000 in prize money.

The Heart of Gold festival takes place from October 6-9 at the Gympie Civic Centre.

"Girl Asleep" will be screening on the Saturday at 3pm in the Heritage Theatre.

Tickets for the sessions do sell quickly, so head to heartofgold.com.au or the festival's Facebook page for more information.