The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) has launched its 62nd program, announcing the full list of 310 films, 17 program strands, 10 World premieres, 166 Australian premieres, 26 forums, talks and master classes, 20 international guests and over 60 local guests.
Taking over 5 city venues from July 25 — August 11, this year's MIFF shines the spotlight on Arabic and North Korean film and Italian horror.
Opening with Pedro Almodovar's I'm So Excited, other marquee screenings include the Aussie premiere of All Is Lost — an almost dialogue-free epic starring Robert Redford in his most physically demanding performance ever — and a Centrepiece Gala screening of Tim Winton's The Turning, adapted from Winton's bestselling novel, supported by the MIFF Premiere Fund, and starring Rose Byrne, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Miranda Otto, Richard Roxburgh, Callan Mulvey, Dan Wyllie, Susie Porter and more.
A number of homegrown films will be featured in the Australian Showcase section, including the world premiere of three more MIFF Premiere Fund-supported efforts: These Final Hours, a local take on the apocaylptic subgenre starring Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek); Galore, Rhys Graham's examination of adolescent relationships; and In Bob We Trust, a documentary about Catholic provocateur Father Bob.
A League Of Their Own: New Arabic Cinema presents an outpouring of stories from the Pan-Arabic world, including Golden Globe winner Hany Abu-Assad's take on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Omar; the debut fiction feature from documentary filmmaker Hala Lotfy, Coming Forth By Day; the first feature shot entirely inside Saudi Arabia by the country's first female director, Wadjda; and The Attack, a heart-wrenching feature from renowned Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri.
Perhaps most excitingly for old school film buffs, 1970s and '80s cult Italian horror gets the showcase treatment with the Shining Violence: Italian Giallo program, including Dario Argento's Deep Red and Tenebrae; Flavio Mogherini's Australian-set The Pyjama Girl Case; and Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear winner A Quiet Place In The Country.
Special events include the MIFF 53rd Short Awards, where eligible shorts will compete for a cash prize pool of $42,000; Talking Pictures, a series of conversations with the festival's guests; and the Planetarium Fulldome Showcase, which uses the Melbourne Planetarium's new projection system and 7.1 surround sound system to full effect.
This is barely even the tip of the iceberg; for more info, head to miff.com.au.
