Rachel Ward and Matilda Brown star in The Death and Life of Otto Bloom.
The Death and Life of Otto Bloom, starring Xavier Samuel, Rachel Ward and Matilda Brown, will open this year's Melbourne International Film Festival.
The film, directed by Cris Jones, chronicles the life and great love of Bloom (Samuel), a man who experiences time in reverse – passing backwards through the years while remembering the future.
The Death and Life of Otto Bloom is Jones' first feature.
The full program for the festival will be revealed on July 5.
Jones said it was an honour and a joy to have his first feature opening MIFF.
"For me, MIFF is more than a celebration of film," he said.
"It is a family and a home. The festival has played an enormous role in my journey as a filmmaker, and without the support of the Premiere Fund, this film would not exist.
"I’m so grateful to Michelle Carey and the festival team for giving our film the best possible start in life, and look forward to celebrating the work of our wonderful cast and crew at such an amazing event.”
The Death and Life of Otto Bloom is produced by Melanie Coombs (producer of the Oscar winner Harvie Krumpet, MIFF ‘03), Alicia Brown and Mish Armstrong for the production company Optimism.
Coombs said optimism was a rather ambitious thing to aspire to, "but Alicia Brown, Mish Armstrong and I are ambitious, as is our writer/director Cris Jones and this film about Life, Death, Time and Love.
"We are so delighted that artistic director, Michelle Carey, and the whole MIFF team have recognised the magic of Otto Bloom," she said.
"To have the world premiere at MIFF on the Opening Night is a dream come true for all of us”, said producer Melanie Coombs.
MIFF artistic director, Michelle Carey, said she knew as soon as we saw The Death and Life of Otto Bloom that it was the perfect way to
launch the 65th edition of MIFF.
"Not only does it signal the arrival of an exciting new filmmaking talent in Cris Jones, it speaks to so many of the themes that will run throughout the entire program this year," she said.
“Congratulations to Cris, Melanie, Alicia, Mish and the rest of the Melbourne filmmaking team.”
The 2016 Melbourne International Film Festival runs July 28 to August 14.