What is Accelerator?

Accelerator is a unique professional development opportunity for selected filmmakers (approximately 14) which comprises these key elements:

• Intensive sessions by international and local industry specialists. These could range from inspiring creative teams and producers to marketing specialists, international festival programmers and critics, distributors and sales agents, and legal experts.
• Tailored screening programs (from MIFF) to broaden the film culture of the participants and emphasise not only a survey of new cinema but the many and varied possibilities of film.
• One-to-one access and social meetings with key national and international industry players.

Through participation in a four-day program of workshops, meetings and functions, filmmakers gain a greater understanding of the dynamics and possibilities of cinema within one of the largest film festivals in the Asia-Pacific region.

Who is eligible?

Australian or New Zealander directors who have a short film selected for competition at MIFF and are ready to make the step into feature filmmaking. The selection of Accelerator participants will commence once the MIFF shorts programme is finalised by mid-June.

Accelerator participants should have a feature film (or short feature film) in development.

Participants will ideally have a working relationship with a producer, or at least a current commitment to establishing a relationship.

Participants will have demonstrated a commitment to developing their filmmaking career (e.g. other film studies, other short films being produced, an active interest in working in the film industry).

Participants should at least have an entry-level knowledge of the international film industry and feature film funding, production, distribution and exhibition mechanisms.

Selection process

Accelerator is not open for submission. Filmmakers can express their interest by sending their CV and a short write-up on their upcoming projects. Final decisions about the selection of Accelerator participants will be at the discretion of MIFF programmers.

Accelerator participants will be contacted in June.

For inquiries about the selection process for MIFF Accelerator, Shorts Awards and Shorts screenings, contact MIFF Shorts Coordinator Chloé Brugalé at chloe@miff.com.au