Juan Vera’s smart, funny and hugely entertaining romantic comedy hit AN UNEXPECTED LOVE features two of Latin cinema’s most beloved stars, the superb Ricardo Darín and Mercedes Morán, as a long-married couple who are led to question the true meaning of love and desire after becoming empty nesters. When Ana (Morán, Neruda, The Motorcycle Diaries) and Marco (Darín, Truman, Wild Tales) arrive at the airport to farewell their son Luciano, who is leaving his Argentine homeland to study abroad, they are filled with certainty that they’ve done well as parents. However his departure leaves a significant hole in their everyday lives, and after more than twenty years of marriage, both reluctantly come to admit that their feelings for each other have shifted. So as if it were one last project together, Ana and Marco decide to ‘consciously uncouple’, and begin to explore the surprising and sometimes wonderful world of the newly-single, to hilarious and unexpected results. This wonderful showcase for its two leads unsurprisingly stormed the local box office, becoming one of Argentina’s biggest hits of the year. Intelligent, warm and wise, AN UNEXPECTED LOVE is a sheer delight.

August 18, 1966. Late Afternoon. South Vietnam. For three and a half hours, in the pouring rain, amid the mud and shattered trees of a rubber plantation called Long Tan, Major Harry Smith and his dispersed company of 108 young and mostly inexperienced Australian and New Zealand soldiers are fighting for their lives. They’re holding off an overwhelming enemy force of 2,500 battle-hardened Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers. With their ammunition running out, their casualties mounting, and the enemy massing for a final assault, each man begins to search for the strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honour, decency and courage. 18 Australians and at least 250 enemy were killed, with some estimations being over 500. The Battle of Long Tan is one of the most savage and decisive engagements in Australian military history, earning both the United States and South Vietnamese Presidential Unit Citations for gallantry along with many individual awards. DANGER CLOSE: THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN is a nail biting and dramatic exploration of war illustrating heroism, tragedy and the sacrifice of battle. Starring an A-list Australian cast including Travis Fimmel (Vikings), Luke Bracey (Point Break, Hacksaw Ridge), Daniel Webber (The Punisher, The Dirt), Nicholas Hamilton (IT), Stephen Peacocke (Hercules, Me Before You), and Richard Roxburgh (Breath, Rake), DANGER CLOSE: THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN is directed by Kriv Stenders (Red Dog), from a script by Stuart Beattie (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Australia).

Set far from the world’s eyes in Antarctica, the most inhospitable environment on Earth, the Japanese so called “Research” fleet are openly commercially harvesting thousands of whales in the world’s only international Whale Sanctuary. On the one hand is Sea Shepherd, a volunteer guerrilla navy funded by the citizens of the world, and on the other, the Japanese whaling fleet, hell bent on harvesting protected Minke whales. Whales play a vitally important and unacknowledged role in our global oxygen supply, making the confrontation between Sea Shepherd and the Japanese whaling fleet one of the most significant environmental battles of our time. With never before seen footage, and narrated by the legendary Dan Aykroyd, Defend, Conserve, Protect is shot from the point of view of the young, international Sea Shepherd crew, with unprecedented underwater access to Minke whale pods. In a time of great apathy and unrest, Defend, Conserve, Protect is a rally cry to people across the world to stand up and fight for what they believe in. In a time when we are losing more species to extinction than any other through our own actions, Defend, Conserve, Protect might just be the final nail in the coffin that ends illegal whaling activities forever.

MIFF Travelling Showcase

Aug 31st to Sept 1st - Don't miss it!

Deadpan to its core, A Family is an offbeat comedy that ventures into the home of a lonely man who hires actors to play his parents, brother and sister.

The man knows what he wants in a family. He has scripts, props and a home in which to stage his domestic production. But he’s a demanding director, and eventually his actors rebel, and then quit. Inspired by the man’s methods, his fake sister and her real mother recruit the man into their family, where their phoney relationship might just end up becoming something more...

The feature-film debut from MIFF Accelerator Lab alumus director Jayden Stevens (short film Between Trees, MIFF 2014), A Family is one of the first MIFF Premiere Fund-supported films to be set and shot internationally (the other is Buoyancy, also screening in this year’s MIFF). Stevens and his Australian team filmed in Ukraine, with a Ukrainian cast, producing an Australian film with a decidedly East European bent to its humour, a kind of low-key derangement that grows funnier as it gets weirder.

MIFF Travelling Showcase

Aug 31st to Sept 1st - Don't miss it!

Sienna Miller, Christina Hendricks and Aaron Paul lead a sterling cast in Jake Scott’s engrossing tale of a single mother grappling with her worst nightmare.

Deb Callahan was just 16 when she became a mother, and now, in her early thirties, she’s a grandmother. Single, undereducated, and with questionable taste in men, Deb is raising her teenaged daughter Bridget, and Bridget’s infant son – with occasional help from Deb’s disapproving but loving older sister Katherine. Life is tough but for the most part they are happy. But when Bridget suddenly vanishes without a trace, Deb’s world is turned upside down: as the years pass, life goes on but Deb keeps searching for the truth about her daughter’s disappearance.

Sienna Miller gives the performance of a lifetime as Deb, capturing her character’s raw emotions and the quotidian minutiae of daily life with equal precision. With able support from Hendricks as Katherine, Amy Madigan as their mother, Sky Ferreira as Bridget and Aaron Paul as Deb’s future husband, director Jake Scott (son of Ridley, who is a producer here) crafts an intricate, powerful look at working-class lives under duress, and a mother whose resilience carries her through the darkest times.

“A career-best achievement for Miller … [she] owns the material and single-handedly elevates it to something you can’t look away from.” – RogerEbert.com

MIFF Travelling Showcase

Aug 31st to Sept 1st - Don't miss it!

Starring Ryan Corr and Anthony LaPaglia, Below is a pitch-black comedy with a unique, and uniquely provocative, take on Australia’s controversial asylum-seeker detention system.

When darkweb con-artist Dougie lands in the bloody deep end of a scam gone wrong, his gruff stepdad Terry agrees to pay off his debts; in return, Dougie must take a job at the refugee detention centre where Terry works. Ever the grifter, Dougie discovers a way to make extra cash by live-streaming the underground fight club run by the centre’s morally bankrupt security staff. But when things inevitably go south, Dougie may be the only one willing to take a stand.

Norwegian-born Iranian-Australian and MIFF Accelerator Lab alumnus director Maziar Lahooti makes his feature debut with this devilishly dark comedy, adapted for the screen by Perth playwright Ian Wilding from his award-winning play of the same name. Joining Corr (Holding the Man, MIFF 2015) and LaPaglia (Balibo, MIFF Premiere Fund 2017) in the ring are The Heights’ Phoenix Raei and The Kettering Incident’s Alison Whyte, as well as Morgana O’Reilly (Offspring) and Zenia Starr (The Merger, MIFF 2018). Supported by the MIFF Premiere Fund, Below isn’t afraid to get its hands dirty as it tackles dirty issues, resulting in a deliberately provocative dare of film that’s bound to get audiences talking.

MIFF Travelling Showcase

Aug 31st to Sept 1st - Don't miss it!

Inspired by the real-life plight of workers sold into Southeast Asia’s fishing industry and featuring a powerful performance from its first-time star, this gripping high seas drama was awarded the Panorama Prize by Berlinale’s Ecumenical Jury.

Tired of toiling in the rice fields, 14-year-old Chakra (a magnetic Sarm Heng) leaves Cambodia in search of a Bangkok factory job. After paying smugglers to ferry him over the border, the boy is instead traded to a seafood trawler where violence and murder are a routine occurrence, all under the watch of ruthless and sadistic captain Rom Ran (Thanawut Kasro).

Making his feature debut after several shorts – including MIFF 2013 Best Australian Short Film winner, Tau Seru – Accelerator Lab alumnus director Rodd Rathjen combines an edge-of-your-seat thriller with the stark reality of the modern-day slave trade. Building tension until it’s ready to snap, the resulting film is entertaining from the first frame to the last while always remaining sensitive to the subject matter.

Supported by the MIFF Premiere Fund, and stunningly shot by cinematographer Michael Latham (Island of the Hungry Ghosts and Strange Colours, MIFF 2018), Buoyancy was filmed on location in Cambodia with a cast of non-actors who lend the work a vérité feel that underscores the real-life urgency of its message.

“A terse minimalist thriller … Heng’s largely wordless central performance is captivating.” – Sight & Sound

MIFF Travelling Showcase

Aug 31st to Sept 1st - Don't miss it!

Miriam Margolyes, Emma Booth, Richard Roxburgh, Deborah Mailman and Joel Jackson star in this delightful adaptation of the award-winning YA novel My Life as an Alphabet.

Led by newcomers Daisy Axon and Wesley Patten, H is for Happiness is the story of Candice Phee, a relentlessly optimistic and hilariously forthright girl on the cusp of her 13th birthday. Candice’s family is in disarray: her mum has been living with depression since the death of Candice’s baby sister, while her dad and his brother – Candice’s beloved Rich Uncle Brian – are not on speaking terms. As she faces the uncertainties of impending adolescence with the help of her new friend Douglas Benson, Candice hatches a variety of outlandish schemes to make her nearest and dearest happy again.

John Sheedy, director of the MIFF 2017 Best Australian Short Film Mrs McCutcheon, makes his feature debut with this sunny and buoyant coming-of-age tale. Supported by the MIFF Premiere Fund and adapted from Barry Jonsberg’s acclaimed young adult novel, it’s a warm-hearted hug of a film, unafraid to tackle serious themes while remaining laugh-out-loud funny and sweetly uplifting. Gorgeously shot by Bonnie Elliot (Undertow, MIFF 2018) and produced by Julie Ryan (Red Dog, MIFF 2011), Tenille Kennedy (Bad Girl, MIFF 2016) and Lisa Hoppe – who also wrote the screenplay – H is for Happiness is a charming film for the whole family.

MIFF Travelling Showcase

Aug 31st to Sept 1st - Tickets selling fast!

“Ben Wheatley strips things way back for his nerve-raddled family reunion comedy, and the result is one of his best, most fluid films.” – Variety

Colin Burstead plans to ring in the new year with his extended family at a lavish country mansion. Burstead family gatherings are usually explosive affairs, but Colin is determined that this one will go smoothly. Unfortunately, his plan is stymied by the reappearance of his brother David, the family’s black sheep. As tensions rise and the clock ticks towards midnight, the one thing the Bursteads can count on is plenty of fireworks.

Acclaimed director and MIFF mainstay Ben Wheatley (High-Rise, MIFF 2016) returns to his domestic drama roots, albeit with the abrasive comedic streak that peppered his films Sightseers (MIFF 2012) and Free Fire. Filmed on the Isle of Portland off England’s south coast with a superb, semi-improvising cast – including Neil Maskel (Kill List, MIFF 2011) and Game of Thrones’ Charles Dance – Happy New Year, Colin Burstead is at times almost Shakespearian, a sense that is only sharpened by Clint Mansell’s lute-heavy score. The threat of all-out chaos is ever-present as tensions escalate with every scene, while Wheatley’s signature hilarity ensures his latest is as entertaining as it is on brand.

“Unforgiving writing gives it a deadpan backbone of brilliance … Wheatley paces the story to build, leaving room for horror or lunacy to unfold in the name of provocation.” – Sight & Sound

MIFF Travelling Showcase

Aug 31st to Sept 1st - Don't miss it!

From Hong Kong to Hollywood, the Shaw Brothers to The Matrix, iron fists and kung fu kicks have been busting box offices and breaking barriers since the 1960s. This is the wild story of how the way of the dragon became a global phenomenon.

Once upon a time in Hong Kong, the famous Shaw Brothers Studio was more popular and prolific than Hollywood’s wildest dreams, producing a profitable film a week – including such iconic classics as One-Armed Swordsman, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Five Fingers of Death. The latter became a breakout hit in the US, especially among African-American audiences, who embraced the genre’s non-white heroes and ‘fight the power’ themes. Enter, the dragon – Bruce Lee – and suddenly everybody was kung fu fighting.

Directed by Serge Ou and produced by Veronica Fury (Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films, MIFF Premiere Fund 2014), Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks kinetically charts the genre’s unexpected path to worldwide domination. Supported by the MIFF Premiere Fund, the film amasses a wealth of clips, action stars and industry figures to document everything from the competition between the Hong Kong Powerhouse studios of Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest to the art’s influence on the rise of hip-hop and parkour.

Among those interviewed are the first woman wuxia film star, Cheng Pei-pei (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), 80s fu femme Cynthia Rothrock (China O’Brien), contemporary torchbearer Jessica Henwick (Game of Thrones; Marvel’s Iron Fist) and Australian stuntman Richard Norton (Mad Max: Fury Road). Punching things into overdrive are the many glorious clips featuring the likes of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and more iconic fu films that you can throw a tiger claw at (including perhaps the first ever Australian kung fu film, The Man From Hong Kong). The result is a sweeping kick of action-packed moviemaking mayhem.

MIFF Travelling Showcase

Aug 31st to Sept 1st - Don't miss it!

Following the critically acclaimed Pawno, director Paul Ireland moves from Footscray to Prahran’s commission flats for this contemporary re-interpretation of Shakespeare, with Hugo Weaving leading a powerful, multicultural cast.

Reimagining the Bard’s play about morality, mercy and justice into a topical tale of love and loyalty, Ireland and his co-writer, the late Damian Hill (West of Sunshine, MIFF 2018), have crafted a touching story about a young Muslim woman, Jaiwara, who falls for a non-Muslim musician, Claudio. Jaiwara’s shady brother Farouk objects to their union, and frames Claudio for a crime he didn’t commit – sending him to jail. Desperate to save Claudio, Jaiwara seeks the help of Duke, a local crime boss currently ‘on leave’, whose second in command, Angelo, offers to assist in his stead. But at what cost?

Supported by the MIFF Premiere Fund, Ireland’s film takes audiences on an emotional, action-packed ride, with a beautifully shot Melbourne as the backdrop. As Jaiwara, Megan Hajjar is luminous. Harrison Gilbertson (My Mistress, MIFF Premiere Fund 2014), Fayssal Bazzi (The Merger, MIFF 2018) and Daniel Henshall (Acute Misfortune, MIFF Premiere Fund 2018) join Hugo Weaving in a diverse ensemble that also includes John Brumpton, Mal Kennard, Doris Younane and Mark Leonard Winter as Angelo, the role Damian Hill was set to play until his untimely death last year. Never intended as a swan song for Hill, Measure for Measure is nevertheless a fitting tribute: a gritty, modern Melbourne film, with heart.

MIFF Travelling Showcase

Aug 31st to Sept 1st - Don't miss it!

Featuring appearances from rock sensation Courtney Barnett, local punk trio Cable Ties and Sikh-Australian slam poet Sukhjit Khalsa, No Time for Quiet joins a group of girls and gender-fluid youths as they discover the empowering strength of music through a GIRLS ROCK! camp in Melbourne.

GIRLS ROCK! is an international network of independent arts and feminist social justice groups, with a focus on running band camps that provide girls, trans and gender non-conforming youths a supportive safe space to grow and express themselves via music. The volunteer mentors (including Barnett, Camp Cope and Cable Ties) and young participants of the first Melbourne-based GIRLS ROCK! camp offered directors Hylton Shaw and Samantha Dinning extraordinary access to document their experiences.

When we first meet these youngsters – aged from 12 to 16 – there are plenty of nerves: for some of the students, mental health is a pressing concern and making friends is not easy; others are trying something brand new for the first time, having never picked up an instrument before. It’s a joy and a privilege to watch these very different young people bond, find a sense of belonging and identity, and discover their voices over the course of the week-long school holiday program and beyond.

Produced by Philippa Campey (Bastardy, MIFF Premiere Fund 2008) and supported by the MIFF Premiere Fund, No Time for Quiet offers a remarkable insight into contemporary teenage lives, and an optimistic message of inclusion and acceptance.

Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.

Ki-taek's family of four is close, but fully unemployed, with a bleak future ahead of them. The son Ki-woo is recommended by his friend, a student at a prestigious university, for a well-paid tutoring job, spawning hopes of a regular income. Carrying the expectations of all his family, Ki-woo heads to the Park family home for an interview. Arriving at the house of Mr. Park, the owner of a global IT firm, Ki-woo meets Yeon-kyo, the beautiful young lady of the house. But following this first meeting between the two families, an unstoppable string of mishaps lies in wait. Winner of the Palme d’Or (Best Film award) at the Cannes Film Festival – the first ever for a Korean film – this family tragicomedy is the latest masterpiece from Bong Joon-Ho, the director of The Host and Snowpiercer. PARASITE confirms his position as one of the world’s most inventive and captivating filmmakers.

The Australian Dream is a documentary that uses the remarkable and inspirational story of Indigenous AFL legend Adam Goodes as the prism through which to tell a deep and powerful story about race, identity and belonging. For the first time Adam reveals his profoundly emotional journey in his own words, and asks fundamental questions about the nature of racism and discrimination in society today. Walkley award-winning writer Stan Grant and BAFTA award-winning director Daniel Gordon join forces to tell this remarkable story of one of the most decorated & celebrated players in AFL history. A man who remains a cultural hero; the very epitome of resilience & survival, who continues to fight for equality and reconciliation.

Simba idolises his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But, not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasas brother—and former heir to the throne—-has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

OCAPS (Open Captions) Screening: All welcome!

This film has captions for the hearing impaired.

Simba idolises his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But, not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasas brother—and former heir to the throne—-has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

A young man of just 22, dressed in a black beret and a dark narrow suit, is on an aeroplane flying from St Petersburg to Paris. It is 1961 and Rudolf Nureyev, not yet the imperious figure of legend, is a member of the world-renowned Kirov Ballet Company, travelling for the first time outside the Soviet Union. Parisian life delights Nureyev and the young dancer is eager to consume all the culture, art and music the dazzling city has to offer. But the KGB officers who watch his every move become increasingly suspicious of his behaviour and his friendship with the young Parisienne Clara Saint. When they finally confront Nureyev with a shocking demand, he is forced to make a heart-breaking decision, one that may change the course of his life forever and put his family and friends in terrible danger. From Nureyev’s poverty-stricken childhood in the Soviet city of Ufa, to his blossoming as a student dancer in Leningrad, to his arrival at the epicentre of western culture in Paris in the early 1960s and a nail-biting stand-off at the Le Bourget airport, “THE WHITE CROW” is the true story of an incredible journey by a unique artist who transformed the world of ballet forever.