Festival Program Festival Partners Principal Government Partner Major Government Partners Learning Partner Major Partners Offi cial Suppliers Program Partner Media Partners Industry Partners Cinema Partners CINEMA, CURATED Supporting Partners Motel Picture Company Cultural Partners miff .com.au 12 We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land, the Woiwurrung, Boon Wurrung, Taungurung, Dja Dja Wurrung and the Wathaurong groups who form the Kulin Nation, on land that has Contents always been an important meeting place and location for social, sporting and cultural events and activities. Al Cossar Tickets & Venues 4 Artistic Director Galas 6 In a world where so many multi-task their media with gnawing familiarity, where so many stories congeal into cliché, where flms are everywhere but voices are few, it is a wonderful possibility to Special Events 8 ofer you the of-map and singular experiences of MIFF 2019. Welcome! Headliners 12 There are only-at-MIFF moments, spectacular sights and strange journeys all waiting to germinate through every corner of this year’s program – our 35mm screening of Quentin Tarantino’s hotly Australian Films 14 awaited Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; the Cine-Everest of the 14 hour+ La Flor; the all night brain- International Films 16 melt of the Goldblum Marathon; the magnetic half-3D noir of Long Day’s Journey Into Night, to name just a few. Music on Film 23 We present a series of more-than-Special Events featuring incredible collaborations and cross- Documentaries 24 pollinations designed to see another side of flm. We co-present with the MSO The Film Music Environmental Docs 26 of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, welcoming both in attendance to present a path through their blissfully, brutally beautiful body of cinema work; Hear My Eyes sees neo-soul wunderkind Sampa The World Online 27 The Great perform to Céline Sciamma’s paean to Parisian sisterhood, Girlhood; icons of cinema and music meet in Thurston Moore Plays Maya Deren. If that’s not enough to stir the senses, our Documentary Visions 28 culinary events with Supernormal will see multi-course banquets inspired by a duo of incredible Experimentations 28 flms within this year’s program. Restorations 29 MIFF is a festival that celebrates the indelible mark of the director; in 2019, our retrospectives foreground the rigour, risk-taking and bravado of three formidable ones in our Directors In Focus Directors in Focus: series: Agnieszka Holland, whose flms urge us presciently to recognise the recurrence of history; Penelope Spheeris 30 the pioneering work of the fearless Penelope Spheeris; and the fever-dream cinephile’s delight of Agnieszka Holland 30 Peter Strickland, in a collaborative strand also featuring his own personal selections and infuences. Peter Strickland 31 We are thrilled, also, to continue our work towards making MIFF a more accessible festival environment, ofering a number of screenings for our audience members who are Deaf or hard of Night Shift 32 hearing, as well as those providing audio description tracks. VR 33 Headliners is the place to go to see the biggest of the big, the blockbusters of the festival. We present MIFF Shorts 34 an incredible mix of homegrown talent and local stories within our Australian selections, including seven 2019 MIFF Premiere Fund flms. Elsewhere, expect globe-trotting within International Animation 36 Features; an exceptional range of Shorts and Talks, and an exciting line-up of flmmaking guests; we discover utopia/dystopia/calamity in The World Online and Environmental Docs; and MIFF Schools 37 Documentary Visions presents directors seeing the real world diferently. We look further forward MIFF Talks 38 to the boundaries of what’s next in VR; and look back in Restorations, celebrating the return of flm treasures from cinema history, ours and elsewhere, to the screen. Industry Public Events 29 Finally and importantly: MIFF is 18 days, together. An opportunity for our attentions to turn Screening Schedule 40 outward, to entertain, challenge, contort our brains once more into marathon viewing mode. Film Index 46 I welcome you to consider someone else’s story, to invite surprise with your festival choices, to see another side of flm this year at MIFF 2019! Credits 47 How to use this guide Browse MIFF’s program by section or use the Index on p46 to find specific films. At the bottom of each film description you’ll find the session screening details: Session Book with this date & time Venue session code Sat 3 Aug 6.15pm Plenary 0072 The Hon. Daniel Andrews MP Martin Foley Sally Capp Wed 7 Aug 4pm Capitol 2320 Premier of Victoria Minister for Creative Industries Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sun 11 Aug 4.30pm Astor 0541 Welcome to the 2019 Melbourne International Melbourne International Film Festival The City of Melbourne is proud to support an Film Festival. exhilarates and captivates audiences with iconic flm festival that tells compelling stories As the world’s largest annual celebration of extraordinary flms from around the world. from all over the world. Australian flm, MIFF attracts some of the It also gives us a glimpse of our own refection For more than 60 years, the Melbourne Indicates audio description, Open Captions best flmmakers from around the globe while as a community, bringing us the stories International Film Festival has attracted or Auslan interpreter available at this session creating jobs in our creative economy. At the of who we are. flmmakers and enthusiastic audiences same time, and for close to 70 years, MIFF has The Andrews Labor Government is proud to to enjoy the latest in Australian and also enabled Victorians to share the stories that support MIFF and its industry development international cinema. bring them together. initiatives, creating a partnership focused This year the festival again promises a Book now at miff.com.au Our government is proud to support this on backing Australian screen talent. MIFF stimulating program of screenings, workshops, iconic event that, yet again, shows exactly why programs like the Accelerator Lab and 37ºSouth talks and world premieres of local flms. For full details, extended film descriptions, multiple ways to search, filter and Victoria is renowned as the cultural capital Market have helped launch careers and have This anticipated festival builds on our global view the 2019 program, and to book tickets or buy passes, visit miff.com.au. of Australia. brought countless local stories to screens reputation as a creative city. across the world. Don’t know where to start? Try our Recommendations tool and discover I hope you enjoy this year’s festival. On behalf of the City of Melbourne, I invite you something just right for you! I am particularly delighted that seven to immerse yourself in one of the world’s great Australian flms will have their premieres at flm festivals. this year’s festival, thanks to the MIFF Premiere MIFF screenings are strictly 18+ except where indicated. Screenings that are Fund. These flms are diverse, joyous and Unclassified 15+ require an adult to attend with anyone under 15 years of thought-provoking – and they all have strong age. See the MIFF Family Gala (page 8) and MIFF Schools (page 37) for connections to Victoria. children’s and young adult programming. Congratulations to the MIFF team. Access Meet our MIFF MIFF is committed to making the festival accessible. Ambassadors We are proud to offer a selection of films screening MIFF is the biggest flm festival in the southern We’ve invited these creatives and cinephiles with Open Captions, audio description tracks and hemisphere. We’re extremely proud to be to join us during the festival to help able to bring you such a vast wealth of global guide you through it. Look out for their Auslan-interpreted talks and events. Look for these cinema every year, but we also know it can recommendations, Q&As, introductions and symbols in this program as a guide: overwhelming. Where do you start?! How do observations. They’re here to make your MIFF you know what to choose?! experience more – more informed, more Our MIFF Ambassadors are here to help. entertaining, more unique. In 2019, the Ambassadors include chef Ben For additional ambassadors and further details, Shewry, street artist Rone, musician Remi, visit mif.com.au/ambassadors. Wheelchair Auslan Assistive Open Audio and actors Gyton Grantley, Megan Hajjar, Joel access interpreter listening Captions description Jackson, Lily Sullivan, Thomas Cocquerel and Anna McGahan. For more detailed access information, including complete lists of Open Captioned, subtitled and audio described sessions, visit miff.com.au/access. See page 4 for booking information including details about physical access to our venues. MIFF Ambassador Megan Hajjar in Measure for Measure 3 miff.com.au How to Accessible Venues Buy Tickets bookings 1. Online at miff.com.au MIFF supports and accepts the Companion Card. 1. Arts House 521 Queensberry St, Purchase online and your tickets will be emailed to you. We can scan them To book tickets using your Companion Card, to book North Melbourne from your smartphone or you can print them at home. a wheelchair space or to advise us of your access 2. The Astor Theatre 2. Use the official iPhone and Android apps needs, call 03 8660 4898. Wheelchair spaces and 1 Chapel St, Companion Card tickets cannot be booked online. St Kilda East Proudly supported by Ferve Tickets 3. The Capitol If you are Deaf, hard of hearing or have difficulty 113 Swanston St speaking, contact the National Relay Service on 4. The MIFF Salon 133 677 or via relayservice.com.au then ask for presented by Chandon 03 8660 4898 during box office hours. There is no Level 2, The Capitol 113 Swanston St 3.