ABC
May 24, 2011

The town of Dungog in the NSW Hunter Valley is paying tribute to some of Australia's most popular actors by renaming five streets in the lead up to a four-day film festival in the town.

The Dungog Film Festival kicks off on Thursday night and is expected to inject up to $2.5 million into the local economy.

The new street names are Geoffrey Rush Road, Cate Blanchett Boulevarde, Heath Ledger Lane, Hugh Jackman Drive, and Hugo Weaving Way.

Festival director Alannah Zitserman says the festival is growing in popularity every year.

"Anywhere between 8,000 to 10,000 people are going to descend on this sleepy little town in the Hunter Valley," she said.

"The festival brings approximately $2.5 million in economic activity to Dungog Shire and surrounding areas.

"It is enormous and it is really valuable and it is wonderful because this community is such a great community.

"They get right on board."

Ms Zitserman says with the event now in its fifth year it has become the biggest festival of Australian films worldwide.

"It is actually now the world's biggest festival of Australian film which is very exciting for us," she said.

"But it is one of the biggest events on the industry calender and on the events calender, which is enormously satisfying for us, given just how much work and blood, sweat and tears goes into putting on an event of this kind.

"It is an enormous challenge to be staging an event of world class quality in a small country town."