Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is coming back this August for its 73rd year. Look forward to some of the hottest films from Cannes, Berlin, Sundance and more across 18 days. On top of the screenings, you can also look forward to special events around the city. MIFF will return to cinemas in Melbourne and surrounds from August 7 to 24.
The festival will also take over regional locations, including Bendigo, Ballarat, Castlemaine, Geelong, Morwell, Rosebud, Sale and Shepparton. MIFF Regional will run from August 15 to 17 and 22 to 24. There will also be a limited selection of festival highlights available to stream online, from August 15 to 31.
Tickets to the general public will go on sale from 10am on Tuesday July 15.
MIFF — Opening Night Gala
The dramedy, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, has been announced as the Opening Night film. This film recently won a Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at Berlinale, thanks to a fantastic performance from Rose Byrne. The film also has supporting appearances from notable names like Conan O’Brien, Christian Slater, S$AP Rocky and Australia’s own Danielle Macdonald. It follows Linda, a worn out psychologist juggling her demanding clients, the needs of a sick child and a growing abyss that has formed in the roof of her apartment.
“I am beyond thrilled to be bringing If I Had Legs I’d Kick You to MIFF,” said writer-director Mary Bronstein. “My film is built around an unprecedented performance by one of the most talented actors that has ever come out of Australia: Rose Byrne. It is all the more meaningful for me to be able to personally share Rose’s soul-shattering work, along with the stunningly raw co-starring performance of fellow Australian Danielle MacDonald, with such celebration and reverence in their home country.”
The movie will kick off the festival at the Opening Night Gala at Hoyts in Melbourne Central on Thursday August 7.
First Glance at the MIFF program
The full program for the Melbourne International Film Festival will be revealed on Thursday July 10, but for now, there’s a few things that we can look forward to.
One of the films from the MIFF Premiere Fund is the debut feature by Melbourne director, Nicholas Clifford. In One More Shot, you’ll see an end-of-millennium house party that becomes a tequila-fuelled time loop, starring Emily Browning, Sean Keenan and more.
See LA singer, songwriter and composer Julia Holter present a special live score in Julia Holter: The Passion of Joan of Arc. Watch Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 silent film alongside a live score at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Don’t miss When the World Came Flooding In, a collective narrative co-directed by Van Sowerwine and Isobel Knowles. Presented with Now or Never, this immersive installation and VR documentary will share the experience of three flood-affected individuals.
International films you can look forward to include:
- Blue Moon – starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley and more, this film by Richard Linklater looks at fallen stardom through the changing nature of musical theatre on the opening night of Oklahoma!.
- Dreams – this drama stars Jessica Chastain and looks at immigration, manipulation and a romance built on inequality.
- Cloud – this psychological thriller from Kiyoshi Kurosawa skewers our belief in the anonymity of the internet.
To see what else is on the program so far, click here.