Executive Director Anne Démy-Geroe farewells film journalist Des Partridge as he retires from a long and successful career as a film writer for The Courier-Mail.

We at St.George Bank BIFF are devastated that on 30 January Des Partridge retired from The Courier-Mail. For as long as I can remember, Des has been writing about movies. His blog site claims more than forty years. So what does Des like when it comes to film? I seem to recall that he once claimed Singing in the Rain as his favourite film, but The Courier-Mail is very coy about this, so maybe it's off the record...

At any rate, anybody who reads his reviews will know his taste is incredibly diverse. Critics can become cynical and jaded, but Des has always had an infectiously positive attitude. Chatting with him at Aromas on his way to, or from, preview screenings at the Regent Theatrette was always a treat. He has always been so very enthusiastic about many of St.George Bank BIFF's smaller, less accessible films and wonderfully supportive in trying to connect these films with our audiences. Of course we did not always agree-I never could enthuse him for Hou Hsiao-hsien's seven-take masterpiece, Flowers of Shanghai. But I certainly remember his allaying my fears that In Bruges might be too violent as a gala screening...And I still remember his wonderful childlike excitement when we saw The Dark Knight.

I am sure many will join me in thanking Des for his huge support, not only of St.George Bank BIFF but also of new filmmakers and of many other film activities around Brisbane-anything or anyone that displayed a love of film.

And, Des, we will miss your reviews, but let's hope we still see lots of you as an honorary member of the World Cinema Club.