Melbourne International Film Festival 2016 to Open With Aussie Sci-Fi

It's not quite Melbourne International Film Festival time just yet; however that hasn't stopped Victoria's premiere cinema showcase from teasing movie buffs with a glimpse of the film fun set to come. Think local, sci-fi and delightfully quirky, because this year's fest — MIFF's 65th — is kicking off with the world premiere of The Death and Life of Otto Bloom.

There's a reason that the feature's title mentions the character's end before his actual existence; played by Xavier Samuel, he's experiencing his life in reverse. Neuropsychologist Dr Ada Fitzgerald (Rachel Ward) is called in to determine if he's a psychic, time traveller, madman or living proof of Einstein's theory of relativity. We know you're dying to know the answer, and you can find out at MIFF's opening night on July 28.

Sure, it all sounds a little like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, however don't expect the first feature from Melbourne writer/director Cris Jones to simply rehash its Brad Pitt-starring predecessor. In fact, 2014's The Infinite Man and Predestination already proved that Aussie filmmakers can handle intriguing concepts like time travel and multiple versions of the same person with the best of them, so consider The Death and Life of Otto Bloom the latest effort in a growing local group of science fiction-leaning content.

That's not all the news MIFF has up their sleeve so far, with the full program for their youth-focused Next Gen strand also doing the rounds, as well as details of a special virtual reality storytelling seminar with Eric Darnell, the writer/director behind the animated Madagascar series. With all this on offer — and the complete lineup still more than a month away — we've just got one thing to say: bring on the end of July.

The 2016 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from July 28 to August 14. Tickets for opening night go on sale at 9am on May 18, with the full 2016 program revealed on July 5. Keep an eye on the festival's website for further information.