Celebrating its 67th year, The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) has unveiled its 2018 program. Featuring 254 feature films, 120 shorts and 19 virtual reality experiences, the festival will include 27 world premieres and 168 Australian premieres over 18 action-packed days of cinema.
Embarking on her eighth and final festival as Artistic Director, Michelle Carey said “I feel so honoured to go out with a bang on such an incredibly strong program. MIFF 2018 promises thrills, laughs and surprises, across galas, features, retrospectives, documentaries, shorts, live performances and VR. We have assembled the festival’s largest program yet and I can’t wait to unleash it onto Melbourne’s cine-savvy audiences.”
In a program hallmarked by its geographic and directorial breadth, the programming team – led by Carey and Associate Artistic Director Al Cossar – has weaved a series of curatorial threads that will enable audiences to experience films from 80 countries.
Carey explained that this year’s audiences will be presented with the festival’s largest ever selection of titles direct from Cannes, along with a collection of recently rediscovered and restored African cinema and a unique look at fashion’s influence on film and film’s influence on fashion. Elsewhere, there will be a focus on Indigenous stories and storytelling and a retrospective look at the dazzling Italo-Crime genre. For the first time since 2007, MIFF will take over Melbourne’s grand old picture palace, the Regent Theatre for its entire opening weekend. As well as screening Paul Dano’s highly anticipated Opening Night Gala film Wildlife, presented by Grey Goose, the Regent will play host to a series of headline films and special events, including Hear My Eyes – a live soundtrack event scored to Nicolas Winding Refn’s cult classic Drive.
Carey explained that for its middle weekend Centrepiece Gala, the festival revealed that uproarious Australian comedy The Merger would have its world premiere. Based on comedian Damian Callinan’s acclaimed stage show of the same name, The Merger is the tale of a struggling small town footy team that recruits refugees to survive. Starring John Howard, Josh McConville, Fayzaal Bazzi, Kate Mulvany and Callinan himself, The Merger is a film with big laughs, a big heart and lashings of sweet and sour chicken kiev.
Carey went on to say that in what is set to be one of the most celebratory conclusions to the festival in years, MIFF will screen The Coming Back Out Ball Movie to bring the festival to a close. Directed by Sue Thomson and supported through the MIFF Premiere Fund, The Coming Back Out Ball Movie is a triumphant and life-affirming love letter to Australia’s original fighters for queer equality – a film that will have audiences laughing, crying and ready to dance, darling.
