The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is making some changes to it’s line-up. In addition to announcing new titles direct from Cannes, it’s changing the order of its hybrid screenings as well.
This will see the online program on MIFF Play brought forward and available nationwide for the duration of the Festival from 5-22 August, while the in-cinema screenings will now commence later on 12 August and run through to 22 August. This is basically a direct flip of the previously announced schedule.
The changes have been made in the hopes of maximising both in-cinema and online opportunities for audiences in the ever-shifting pandemic environment.
“Our whole festival team is working extremely hard to ensure that we can create and sustain as many opportunities for audiences to be a part of the festival this year as possible,” said Artistic Director Al Cossar in a statement.
More titles
Festival goers may have to wait a little longer to see films face-to-face, but they will have more to see when they finally settle into Melbourne’s cinema seats in the second half of August.
The highly anticipated and Palme d’Or winning TITANE joins the line-up. Directed by Julia Ducournau (Raw), it’s been called the “most shocking film of 2021” by the BBC. Get your tickets for this one quickly.
Other new additions include Joachim Trier’s THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD, which won Renate Reinsve a Best Actress award at Cannes, Oliver Stone’s documentary JFK REVISITED: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, and Abdullah Mohammad Saad’s REHANA MARYAM NOOR, which is the first film from Bangladesh to compete at Cannes.
Gracie Otto’s UNDER THE VOLCANO — a documentary concerning George Martin’s island-based AIR Studios Montserrat and the who’s who of talent who went to chill and lay down records — makes its way from SXSW to Melbourne as well.
Leah Purcell’s THE DROVER’S WIFE: THE LEGEND OF MOLLY JOHNSON (which we reviewed at SXSW) will still open the physical program.
More online
Online audiences will also get some bonus content on MIFF Play, including Siân Heder’s CODA, one of the big winners coming out of Sundance this year opening the digital season. With 62 films already announced that can be accessed in all states across Australia from Friday 6 August, the online program will also be augmented over MIFF’s festival run, with an expected 30 additional feature titles, and further short films to be added as well.
MIFF XR, the Extended Reality program, will be available free, anywhere in the world, with no extra tech required. One of the included films is Bodyless, Hsin-Chien Huang’s exploration of the commodification of memory.
You can view the whole MIFF program and buy tickets over at the official festival site.
