Joe Cinque's Consolation.
Melbourne International Film Festival revealed its full program yesterday, with a lineup that boasts over 345 films, including 24 world and 157 Australian premieres.
As previously announced the festival will open with the world premiere of The Death and Life of Otto Bloom, the debut feature of Melbourne filmmaker Cris Jones, starring Xavier Samuel, Matilda Brown and Rachel Ward.
Abe Forsythe’s black comedy Down Under, set during the aftermath of the Cronulla riots, will screen as the festival’s Centrepiece Gala at the fest's midpoint.
Closing out the festival will be Cannes hit Hell or High Water, a neo-Western directed by David Mackenzie.
Among the Aussie drawcards is Joe Cinque’s Consolation, directed by Sotiris Dounoukos and based on the 2004 award-winning novel by Helen Garner. It will make its world premiere at the festival.
Other Aussie world debuts are Bad Girl, The Family, Emo the Musical, Servant or Slave, and Monsieur Mayonnaise.
Also in the Australian Showcase line-up are Girl Asleep, Destination Arnold, Winter at Westbeth, On Richard’s Side, Zach’s Ceremony and Suzy and the Simple Man.
Aussie classics, including Paul Cox's Innocence, will also be shown. Rowan Wood’s The Boys will screen via a newly restored print, with Woods and lead David Wenham appearing at the festival.
Jocelyn Moorhouse’s breakout Proof, recently restored by the National Film and Sound Archive, will also have its 25th anniversary screening at the festival. Moorhouse will introduce the film alongside star Hugo Weaving and producer Lynda House.
Damien Power’s feature debut Killing Ground will screen alongside The Eyes of My Mother, The Lure and Under the Shadow as part of the festival’s horror sidebar Night Shift.
Other local films include the MIFF Premiere fund supported Ella, and Mat De Koning's Meal Tickets.
Another festival highlight promises to be a series of nine virtual reality experiences by Australian and international filmmakers. The VR lineup includes two offerings from Melbourne filmmaker Oscar Raby: The Turning Forest and Easter Rising: Voice of a Rebel.
This year's MIFF also introduces a new section, Headliners, to celebrate the most anticipated festival hits and award-winners from around the world. It includes Terence Davies' Sunset Song, Ben Wheatley's High Rise, Bruno Dumont's Slack Bay, Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women and Jim Jarmusch's Cannes hit Paterson.
MIFF runs from July 28 to August 14 across 22 venues around the Melbourne CBD.
The full program can be found at miff.com.au.