THE Noosa International Film Festival has announced it will proudly welcome an Oscar winning cinematographer to speak to film enthusiasts as part of the festival program.

John Seale will host a cinema masterclass called Inside Cinema on the first night of the festival, November 3.

The Academy Award winner has worked on movies such as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Mad Max: Fury Road, Prince of Persia and The Tourist, to name a few.

NIFF head curator Arnold Kopff said he developed a friendship with the head of Griffith University Film School, who suggested getting in contact with his friend Mr Seale.

"I struck a relationship up with professor Herman van Eyken down at Griffith, and he's crazy about cinema like I am," Mr Kopff said.

"When I asked can we run some kind of masterclass, I expected him to say, one of my instructors will come do it.

"And he said, well I know John Seale, I'll ask John to come."

Festival director Peter Chenoworth said it was an honour to have such a special guest speak at the J.

"We never expected to be able to attract somebody like that to the first film festival, it really is a rare privilege to get him here," Mr Chenoworth said.

"He's going to be pitching his talk to the general public, so there will be technical aspects to it, but this is something everybody in the region could come along to."

With Mr Seale's incredible skills at cinematography, and work on some of the highest grossing box office hits, Mr Kopff said he was a little taken aback by Mr Seale's financial incentive negotiations.

"John wrote to me last week to confirm the arrangements, and he said, 'now we need to talk about my fee'," Mr Kopff said.

"His fee was: 'two pale ale, and a two-star motel room so I don't have to sleep in the rain'.

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone, the box office takings are 937 million US dollars. That's nearly a billion dollars. He could name his price to work on any film."

Mr Kopff also said Mr Seale would be a part of a meet and greet with local film makers on the day he arrived in Noosa.

"I said to John Seale, 'would you be happy to spend an hour and a half meeting local film makers?' And he said 'absolutely'," Mr Kopff said.

"(He'll) come and talk to film-makers. They can have their photograph taken, he can ask about their films and they can ask about his."

INSIDE CINEMA

An evening with Academy Award winning cinematographer John Seale

7.30pm at The J, Thursday, November 3

Tickets available from September 12 at niff.com.au