Megalopolis to a ‘must-squatch’: 13 highlights at the Melbourne International Film Festival

The reports about the death of cinema have been greatly exaggerated. The 72nd Melbourne International Film Festival begins next month, and it’s a death-defying display from cinema legends such as Francis Ford Coppola, who sold a stake in his wineries to self-fund the extravagant Megalopolis.

The future is bright, too, with strong emerging voices in the Australian screen industry and the best international exports from the world’s most prestigious festivals. The program features more than 250 films, immersive XR experiences, an all-night kaiju marathon that’s set to rock the Astor Theatre, plus the return of the popular Hear My Eyes screenings. Not sure where to start? Get cracking with these picks.

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

Academy Award winner Adam Elliot (Harvie Krumpet) comes out of his shell for the opening night gala film. Elliot’s oddball stop-motion animation style tells the story of Grace Pudel (voiced by Sarah Snook) as she reflects on her life and the characters who shaped her (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee, Magda Szubanski, Eric Bana and Jacki Weaver). The film recently won the best feature award at the prestigious Annecy International Animated Film Festival and could slowly make its way toward to the Oscar podium. Elliot will attend all metropolitan Melbourne sessions of the film if you want to give him a high five. Opening Night Gala Hoyts, August 8; ACMI, August 10.

MEGALOPOLIS

Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather) spent $US120 million of his cash on this passion project led by Adam Driver. So, a big swing deserves the largest screen in Melbourne: IMAX. For one night only, Coppola’s divisive utopian epic (Cannes Film Festival reactions varied from “numbing excess” to “beguilingly optimistic”) will enrapture a screen the size of an apartment block. Is it a genius move or a final flop? Make up your mind in what’s sure to be a cinema experience for the ages. IMAX Melbourne, August 15.

QUEENS OF CONCRETE

Extremely patient director Eliza Cox hits record in 2016, where we meet skateboarders Hayley, 14, Ava, 13, and Charlotte, 9, who are on a mission to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics – the first time the event was included in the summer Games. Kickflips, the drama of 2020 and the road to the Paris Games makes for an enticing combo. ACMI, August 18; Kino, August 20; Hoyts, August 25.

SASQUATCH SUNSET

See Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg at their … hairiest. The duo tap into their inner Chewbacca as members of a nomadic tribe of Bigfoot. The dialogue-free, grunt-fest will make you think, “Should there be an Oscar for best grunt?” This absurdist tale is directed by the Zellner brothers (Kimiko, the Treasure Hunter), with Ari Aster (Hereditary) as executive producer. It’s a must-squatch. Hoyts 10, August 22; The Astor Theatre, August 24.

HEAR MY EYES – WAKE IN FRIGHT X SURPRISE CHEF

What could make the stressful Australian film Wake in Fright a more intense experience? A live band, of course. Hear My Eyes has become one of the most anticipated festival events, and Melbourne band Surprise Chef will apply their “cinematic soul journeyman” vibe to a 4K restored version of the boozy Australian classic. Hamer Hall, August 16.

MAGIC BEACH

Take a classic Australian children’s picture book and turn it into a movie. “Challenge accepted” is what I imagine director Robert Connolly (Blueback) said aloud before he discovered the book is only 32 pages long. Connolly takes Alison Lester’s book and brings it to life with a combination of live-action and animation – powered by 10 different animators – that’s perfect for a kid’s first trip to MIFF. The family gala screening includes an all-ages party, activities and tasty treats. Family gala screening, The Astor Theatre, August 18; Hoyts Cinema, August 24; The Astor Theatre, August 25.

ELLIS PARK

While most folks perfected crying and their sourdough recipe during the COVID years, musician Warren Ellis (the Dirty Three, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds) set up an animal sanctuary. The Ellis Park Wildlife Sanctuary in Sumatra cares for animals that can’t survive in the wild. Witness as Ellis goes from composer to conservationist in this documentary from writer and director Justin Kurzel (Nitram). The Capitol, August 11; ACMI, August 16; Hoyts, August 24.

AUDREY

Everyone deserves a second chance, especially if it involves assuming the identity of your wannabe actor teenage daughter who is in a coma. Wait, what? Wait, yes! That’s the premise of this dark comedy led by the always great in everything Jackie van Beek (The Breaker Upperers, What We Do in the Shadows), who plays a mum desperate to keep her dreams alive (and her daughter’s) in this brutally honest take on parenting from screenwriter Lou Sanz and director Natalie Bailey (Retrograde, The Thick of It). The Forum, August 16; The Forum, August 18; Hoyts, August 23.

THE SHROUDS

The morbid master David Cronenberg (Crimes of the Future, The Fly) is at it again. Vincent Cassel plays a grieving entrepreneur who invents a service that allows people to view their deceased loved ones in their shrouds. The business runs well – despite the ick – but when several graves are desecrated, Cassel hunts for the culprits. Look out for Guy Pearce, Diane Kruger and Sandrine Holt pretending this whole business venture is completely normal. Hoyts, August 11; Hoyts, August 16; The Astor Theatre, August 23.

TEACHES OF PEACHES

Ring the school bell and give your full attention to a musician who is so unique she’s impossible to define. Electropunk, synth pop or alternative dance? It doesn’t matter – Peaches is Peaches and there’s nothing else like her. Go on tour with Peaches as she celebrates more than 20 years of performing since her breakout album, and discover why it resonates from the 2000s to now. The Forum, August 16; The Astor Theatre, August 23; ACMI, August 25.

GODZILLA 70TH ANNIVERSARY MARATHON

Stomp your way through an epic night of non-stop kaiju action. Celebrate 70 years of the big scaly guy with seven films, back to back, including a stunning 4K restoration of the original 1954 film. This marathon will make you roar for more. The Astor Theatre, August 17.

JANET PLANET

It wouldn’t be MIFF without the addition of a title from the cool kids of cinema: A24. “You had me at A24,” I hear you say. OK, OK, at least let me tell you what it’s about. Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Baker makes her feature film debut with an intimate portrait of a mother (Julianne Nicholson) and daughter living in a rural American town in the early 1990s. The Astor Theatre, August 17; IMAX Melbourne, August 21; The Capitol, August 25.

LIKE MY BROTHER

Four female footballers from the Tiwi Islands pursue their dreams of playing in the AFLW, but reality hits when the challenges of travel and homesickness take their toll. Co-directors Danielle MacLean and Sal Balharrie capture a first-hand account of the challenges faced by First Nations people who aspire to play professional sport. ACMI, August 10; Kino, August 12.

The Melbourne International Film Festival runs from August 8-25.

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