MIFF GUIDE
Melbourne International Film Festival’s best flicks in August Words by Sidonie Bird de la Coeur
Moonage Daydream dir. Brett Morgen From the visionary director of Cobain: Montage of Heck comes the first film ever sanctioned by the Bowie estate: a maximalist, avant-garde collage presented on the IMAX screen. Featuring never-beforeseen archival footage carefully stitched together with narration from the late, great David Bowie himself, this kaleidoscopic documentary is an electrifying portrait of the ever-changing artist’s career. Head to IMAX to see Moonage Daydream (Germany / USA, 2022) from August 12 19. Rated 15+
Hear My Eyes: Chopper x Springtime & Mick Harvey dir. Andrew Dominik With the Victoria Police urging a public boycott of the original screening back in 2000, Chopper has since cemented itself within the Australian public consciousness - just as provocative and gritty as it was when it was released. This year, it’s reimagined with an all-new score, performed live by Chopper composer Mick Harvey (of The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds) and the supergroup Springtime at The Astor. It all goes down on August 17 and 18 at The Astor Theatre. Rated 18+
18
Will-o’-the-Wisp, dir. João Pedro Rodrigues A sexy, queer, sci-fi musical extravaganza - Will-o’-the-Wisp is an erotic firefighting and dance spectacle. On his deathbed, The King of Portugal recalls his past of firefighting in this audacious, funny and unpredictable film. With themes of climate change, pandemics, the sanitisation of sexual expression and colonialism, its screened alongside the LGBTQIA+ experimental short Polycephaly in D. Will-o’-the-Wisp (Portugal, 2022) screens on August 6 and 15. Rated 18+
Anak, dir. Caleb Ribates Following a Filipino-Australian father and his six-year-old son as they navigate a divorce, Anak is an intimate portrait of a family made on a micro budget that is characterised by its naturalistic dialogue. A piece of slow cinema that tenderly explores masculinity, race and boyhood, Anak is the debut of 21 year old rising filmmaker Caleb Ribates. Anak (Australia / Philippines, 2021) will be screened on August 7 and August 14 at ACMI. Rated 15+
On the Count of Three dir. Jerrod Carmichael
Palm Trees and Power Lines dir. Jamie Back A powerfully unnerving examination of predation and consent, Palm Trees and Power Lines follows a teenage girl who falls for a man twice her age. Back’s debut feature is meticulously bought to life by an all-female creative team, who navigate a fraught topic with shocking frankness and sensitivity. Palm Trees and Power Lines (USA, 2022) will be screened on August 5 and 13. Rated 18+
A pitch-black tragicomedy about two best friends who decide that today will be the last day of their lives - and they’re going to go out with a bang. A bold, bleak feature debut from an exciting new voice in filmmaking; this ultra-nihilistic buddy comedy is a carefully crafted film that tackles mental health, gun control and race with chaotic truthfulness.
Pure Shit dir. Bert Deling
On the Count of Three (Canada, 2021) is showing across three sessions from August 6 - 20. Rated 18+
Catch Pure Shit (Australia, 1975) at ACMI on August 10. Rated 18+
Shadow dir. Bruce Gladwin A darkly humorous experimental drama about an AI-led near-future society, Shadow is bought to life by a cast and crew made almost entirely of creatives with disability. An exciting example of community-led storytelling, Shadow is the groundbreaking cinematic debut of world-renowned theatre company Back to Back, that’s based on their award-winning play The Shadow Whose Prey the Hunter Becomes.
Four strung-out drug users set out across the urban wasteland of Melbourne to find their next fix in this unapologetically raw, low budget film. Spanning a wired and frenzied 24 hours across a gritty Carlton lost to time, it sparked controversy on its initial release, with the vice squad raiding the first ever screening of the film.
For more program information, head to the Melbourne International Film Festival’s website.
Shadow (Australia, 2021) is presented across four screenings from August 6 until 21. Rated 15+
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