The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) consistently delivers a bold, entertaining and adventurous program, screening the very best in global cinema alongside the world's largest showcase of exceptional Australian filmmaking.
This year's program is shaping up to be one of the best yet, and Film Victoria is thrilled to have supported the following films selected for the 2019 Festival.
A Family: filmed in the Ukraine, this offbeat comedy is the feature directorial debut from Victorian director and MIFF Accelerator Lab alumunus Jayden Stevens.
Angel of Mine: Noomi Rapace, Luke Evans, Yvonne Strahovski and Richard Roxburgh star in the Melbourne-shot and set second feature from Kim Farrant, scripted by Oscar-nominated Lion screenwriter Luke Davies.
Below: starring Ryan Corr and Anthony LaPaglia, Below is a pitch-black take on Australia’s controversial asylum-seeker detention system.
Buoyancy: the powerful debut feature from Victorian director Rodd Rathjen, filmed on location in Cambodia, Buoyancy explores the realities of modern-day slave trade.
Elders: the directorial debut of Wurundjeri (Woiwurrung) and Yorta Yorta actor Tony Briggs (writer of The Sapphires) this short film explores being on country as a small boy. Screening as part of the Eyes Wide Open: Childhood Shorts program.
H is for Happiness (MIFF Family Gala): a warm-hearted coming-of-age tale adapted from YA novel My Life as an Alphabet , directed by Victorian John Sheedy and starring Miriam Margolyes, Emma Booth, Richard Roxburgh, Deborah Mailman and Joel Jackson.
Judy & Punch: Mia Wasikowska and Damon Herriman star in this offbeat feminist update of Punch and Judy, from Mirrah Foulkes in her feature directorial debut.
Lost Rambos: compelling short documentary examining how the influx of modern automatic weaponry has influenced tribal fighting in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.
Measure for Measure: crafted by Victorian director Paul Ireland and co-writer the late Damian Hill, featuring a strong, multicultural cast lead by Hugo Weaving, and with Melbourne as a backdrop, Measure for Measure is a contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare's morality play.
No Time for Quiet: from Victorian team of producer Philippa Campey and directors Samantha Dinning and Hylton Shaw, No Time for Quiet is a remarkable insight into contemporary teenage lives, and an optimistic message of inclusion and acceptance.
Out of Range: directed by MIFF Accelerator alumnus John Harvey and starring Aaron Pedersen, this charming tale of kinship and country is screening as part of the Australian Shorts program.
Suzi Q: tribute to a trailblazer, this feature length documentary charts the life of 70s rock star Suzi Quatro - the first female rocker who played an instrument, fronted the band, sang lead, wrote songs and rocked out in an era when women were invisible in rock & roll.
The Australian Dream (Opening Night Gala): written by award-winning journalist Stan Grant, The Australian Dream uses the remarkable and inspirational story of AFL legend Adam Goodes to tell a deeper and more powerful story about race, identity and belonging.
The Leunig Fragments: acclaimed cartoonist Michael Leunig puts down his pen and shares his story in a feature documentary by Victorian director Kasimir Burgess that celebrates self-expression, friendship, life and death, and the power of the imagination to ignite, enrage, heal and inspire.
Tickets for the 2019 Melbourne International Film Festival are on sale Friday 12 July.
Visit the MIFF website for details.
Before you see them on the big screen, watch our sizzle reel of some of the outstanding films we've supported.