The full program for MIFF’s 60th Festival has been launched! A plethora of new films and programs have been announced, including the Opening Night film: The Fairy, a charming throwback to the physical comedies of Jacques Tati and Buster Keaton from Belgian-based trio Dominique Abel, Bruno Romy and Fiona Gordon.

A full program guide is available in this Friday’s Age, when full program details will also become available on this website.

In the meantime, you can get your fix of new program details with our launch press release.

MIFF 60: The Graphic Art of the Melbourne International Film Festival exhibition is now open at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI).

Take a look back at some of the non-moving images that have helped bring MIFF to life. The MIFF 60 exhibition highlights objects from original festival programmes, leaflets and photos and more.  This striking exhibition provides a snapshot of both MIFF’s history and Australian graphic design over time.

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image
Friday 1 July - Monday 8 August 2011
Free exhibition

Exhibition catalogue available for pre-order HERE

Due to changes in Red Dog’s theatrical release scheduling, MIFF will no longer be screening the film for Closing Night.

Instead we are thrilled to announce that we will be closing with Nicolas Winding Refn’s (Bronson, MIFF 2009) highly anticipated film, Drive, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and snagged the Best Director award. 

We are pleased to include Red Dog in the Festival as part of the Australian Showcase program, ahead of its national release on Thursday 4 August. Full program details will be released on Friday 8 July.

You can read more about our new Closing Night film here.

Those interested in what goes on behind the silver screen are in for a treat at this year’s Festival, as MIFF’s 37°South Market launches a bounty of workshops and masterclasses by such industry gurus as leading Hollywood script developer Wendall Thomas, legendary Oscar-nominated director Francis Veber, comedy expert Steve Kaplan and Film London CEO Adrian Wootton.

From illustrated film talks on aspects of cinema history to seminars on film structure and dialogue writing, there’s something here for every celluloid fan.

See the MIFF Industry page for more information about these special events.

We’re proud to announce, fresh from screening at Cannes Film Festival, 25 new titles that will screen in this year’s MIFF program, many of which won’t have screened anywhere else.

These titles include Lars von Trier’s mesmerizing family drama Melancholia (Best Actress for Kirsten Dunst), Nicolas Winding Refn adrenaline-fuelled Drive starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, and Maiwenn le Besco’s searing portrayal of child protection work, Polisse (Jury Prize).

For more information on the other Cannes titles screening in this year’s MIFF program, read our media release.

In celebration of our birthday we invited all filmmakers – professional, amateur, semi-professional or other - to submit a short film, to go into the running to be screened at MIFF 2011. 

The film could be shot on any device, but needed to be no longer than 6 minutes in length and feature or reference the Melbourne International Film Festival in some way. 

We would like to thank all film makers who took part in this special competition!

We are pleased to present the shortlisted films on our youtube channel HERE

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Take a peek inside what this year's MIFF program will have on offer, with our official First Glance of the Festival Guide. 

Online from Friday May 27th, First Glance is a sample of what films have made the cut for MIFF 2011, we hope this smattering of cinema whets your appetite for the filmic feast that will be MIFF's 60th anniversary. 

MIFF's full programme will be released online and in The Age on July 8th. Remember, only the best films make the cut!

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It's been a monumental task but we're thrilled to launch the MIFF Online Archive in celebration of 60 years of the festival. The archive showcases guide cover artwork and detailed program content dating back to 1952 and showcases the diversity and richness of the Festival's history. Come and get lost in 60 years of fantastic cinema.

Stage 2 development will involve further contextualisation of film content and will be an ongoing body of work post the 60th anniversary. Thanks to all our volunteers for their help in making this mammoth project a reality. 

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There are numerous ways you can get involved with MIFF 2011.

You can join the Festival as an advertiser or a sponsor, sign up as a MIFF member or be a very special MIFF VIP and donate directly to the Festival. Even retailers can be part of Australia’s largest film event.

Follow the links above or call 03 8660 4811 to discover more, and jump on board in 2011 as we celebrate 60 years of the Melbourne International Film Festival in style. 

MIFF may be over for another year, but cinema never sleeps – get your MIFF membership now and you can continue to receive benefits all year round including discounts with MIFF’s cinema partners and invitations to special preview screenings throughout the year.

Plus, you'll get to enjoy the red carpet treatment for MIFF's 60th anniversary in 2011, with generous ticket discounts and priority entry to Festival screenings.

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MIFF is looking for an enthusiastic, organised and creative person to join the MIFF team as a Programmer.

The successful applicant will be working closely with the Artistic Director to create and deliver a dynamic program of film screenings and related events for the 2011 Festival.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to work for Australia’s largest and most renowned screen event, which is celebrating a 60 year history in 2011.

Applications close November 26.

In conjunction with Smiggle, MIFF ran a film review contest via the Next Gen program – a highly popular program stream curated for the young and the young at heart.

MIFF is proud to bring to you the winners of the competition, who after attending the Next Gen program with their school, wrote a film review to be published online.

Congratulations Tom from Brighton High School and Michaela from Mentone Girls Grammar! Please follow the link to read their fantastic film reviews. 

The votes are in! MIFF is pleased to annouce the winner of the 2010 MIFF Audience Award: Taika Waititi's New Zealand comedy BOY.

Best Documentary of the Festival is awarded to Richard Press' BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK.

MIFF extends its heartfelt congratulations to all involved in both productions.

MIFF is proud to announce the appointment of Michelle Carey as Artistic Director of the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Ms Carey has been with MIFF since 2007, moving into the role of Head of Programming in 2009. Replacing Richard Moore, Carey will take over the role effective immediately.

Carey will helm Australia's largest film program with a consummate knowledge of cinema and passion for curatorship, leading the Festival to its 60th anniversary in 2011.

The MIFF Premiere Fund has opened the next round of applications with a call for submissions that closes on Friday 27 August, 2010.

The MIFF Premiere Fund provides strategic minority financial support to a range of local theatrical documentary and narrative feature films that will have their premieres at MIFF.

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