Melbourne International Film Festival Unveils Full 2015 Program
Frances Ha fans, you'll love this closing night.
Film lovers of Melbourne, prepare to get square eyes and sore backs. Once you see the entire Melbourne International Film Festival lineup in all its 370-title glory, however, you won't be complaining about the prospect of either.
Certain to make fans of Frances Ha squeal with glee, MIFF have slotted in Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach's second co-written collaboration, Mistress America, as their closing night feature. Indeed, American indies are in the spotlight in 2015, with 7 Chinese Brothers and The Overnight starring Jason Schwartzman, Mississippi Grind from Half Nelson's Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, and Sleeping With Other People with Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis also screening.
Still looking at the indie scene, MIFF will welcome filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie, as well as Chilean director and screenwriter Sebastian Silva, to the festival for retrospectives of their work. After wowing audiences at SXSW, the Safdies' drug drama Heaven Knows What is one of the picks of the fest, while Silva presents his latest effort, Nasty Baby, as well as earlier offerings such as Magic Magic and Crystal Fairy and the Magical Cactus.
Going local, alongside screenings of Sydney Film Festival hits The Daughter, Sherpa and Holding the Man, a heap of Aussie-made flicks will receive their world premieres. They include the haunting and confronting Downriver, Melbourne-made off-kilter character study Pawno, and coming-of-age comedy Sucker, as written by comedian Lawrence Leung. There's also Early Winter, the English-language debut of former Cannes Caméra d'Or winner Michael Rowe, plus Neon's celebration of the science behind and beauty of the titular lights, and Colin Hay – Waiting For My Real Life, a star-studded tribute to the Men at Work frontman turned successful solo artist.
From a program that's jam-packed full of them, other highlights include Takeshi Kitano's Yakuza comedy Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen, hip hop threads doc Fresh Dressed, and Speed Sisters, about the first female racing team in the Arab world. Then there's Romania's answer to Rear Window in One Floor Below, and sleep paralysis documentary The Nightmare, which is guaranteed to make you never want to close your eyes again.
Avid cinephiles will want to flock to My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, a behind-the-scenes look at the filmmaker behind Drive and Only God Forgives, as well as Raiders!, the story of a fan-made shot-by-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark made by three 11-year-olds back in the '80s. All this is in addition to earlier announcements — a sneak peek back in May, a list of Cannes titles in June, and the David Wenham-starring Force of Destiny for opening night — and the program also includes a 12-movie tribute to psychedelic fare, an ode to Australian icon David Gulpilil, a spotlight on true crime cinema, and a special selection of shorts designed to be watched vertically. The problem facing fest-goers isn't what to see, but what they can live with missing. Yes, MIFF 2015 isn't just about film — it's also about FOMO.
The Melbourne International Film Festival runs from July 30 to August 16. For more information and to book tickets, visit the MIFF website
