1–18
AUGUST
2019

 MIFF 2018 Opening Night Gala

Presented by Grey Goose Vodka

The 2018 Melbourne International Film Festival will launch with the Australian premiere of Paul Dano’s directorial debut, Wildlife, starring Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal and Australia’s Ed Oxenbould (so memorable from his roles in MIFF 2014’s Paper Planes, and last year’s MIFF Premiere Fund-supported The Butterfly Tree).

“A tender, gorgeous, and exquisitely understated drama … Paul Dano’s directorial debut is a thing of beauty.” – IndieWire

Join us and our special guests on the blue carpet for night to remember.

Exclusive Afterparty

Following the film, afterparty ticket holders are invited to descend the grand staircase to the stunning and historic Plaza Ballroom to join VIP festival guests and screen-industry leading lights, and to enjoy signature Grey Goose cocktails and canapés. It will be another unforgettable evening of cinema, celebrity and celebration.

Film and Gala Afterparty tickets are currently on standby. Film-only tickets, which include a drink in the cinema, are still available. Subscribe to Widescreen or keep an eye on Twitter and Facebook for updates.

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Wildlife

USA 104 mins

VIEW TRAILER

Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal and Australia’s Ed Oxenbould star in the directorial debut of actor Paul Dano, an intelligent and empathetic adaptation of Richard Ford’s novel about a teen dealing with his family falling apart in 1960s Montana.

Joe is 14 years old, a quiet and observant teen. His parents – mother Jeanette, fumbling with the expanding female world of 1960s America; and Jerry, struggling with what it means to be a man who can’t hold down a job or support his family – are drifting apart and when his dad leaves to fight a nearby wildfire, it’s the last straw. As Jeanette starts exploring her options outside of just being a wife and mother, Joe is forced into the awkward position of being both voyeur of and participant in his mother’s new life.

Paul Dano co-wrote the script with Zoe Kazan (both last seen at MIFF in 2012’s Ruby Sparks), and their sensitive, emotionally resonant adaptation of the source material makes for an elegantly refined film. A major coming-of-age off screen as well as on for Oxenbould, an actor who broke out in the MIFF Premiere Fund film Paper Planes (MIFF 2014), Wildlife is a bittersweet and elegant debut. A hit at Sundance and Cannes, it’s buoyed by exquisite cinematography from Diego Garcia (Neon Bull, MIFF 2016; Cemetery of Splendour, MIFF 2015) and a fine-tuned attention to period detail that underscores its exceptional performances.

"Sensationally fine work by the young Australian actor. More than anyone, he carries the film.” – Hollywood Reporter

Thursday 2 August at 7pm

Blue carpet and screening: Regent Theatre
Official Afterparty: The Plaza Ballroom

Film & Gala Afterparty
Full $150 | Concession $140 | MIFF Members $130

Film Only (with Pre-Show Drinks)
Full $52 | Concession $47 | MIFF Members $42

Dress: cocktail

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This year's blue carpet glamour will mark the third consecutive year MIFF has partnered with Grey Goose to curate a luxury experience for the Opening Night Gala, to be held once again at the magnificent Regent Theatre and Plaza Ballroom.

MIFF guests will be welcomed onto the blue carpet as they sip the iconic Grey Goose Le Grand Fizz – a celebratory cocktail served at the top award season parties, and enjoyed by celebrities at events such as the Oscars, the Cannes Film Festival and and the Toronto International Film Festival.

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