Terms and Conditions of Sale

This document outlines Filmfest Ltd t/a as Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) ticketing Terms and Conditions. MIFF may vary these Terms and Conditions at any time. MIFF will post the varied Terms and Conditions on its website. By purchasing a ticket for an in person event or by setting up an account on MIFF’s streaming platform (MIFF Play), you agree to abide by these Terms & Conditions.

These conditions are included in addition to the general Ticketing Terms and Conditions (below).

MIFF events are conducted in accordance with Victorian Government COVIDSafe Guidelines.

In keeping with the Guidelines, we strongly recommend face masks are worn in cinemas. 

Please do not attend a MIFF event if you are:

  • feeling unwell
  • you are showing symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • you have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).

You may be entitled to a refund or a waived exchange fee in these circumstances. Please contact boxoffice@miff.com.au a minimum of two (2) hours prior to the screening or event to explore your ticketing options. We will not be able to provide an exchange or refund if you contact us after the session.

 

No refunds will be offered if you do not wish to attend an in-person MIFF event due to fear of exposure, if you are in a higher risk group, or are refused entry.

If an event is cancelled or significantly rescheduled due to coronavirus (COVID-19) or other intervening circumstances, exchanges and refunds for passholders and single ticket purchases will be processed as required by law. In the event of a cancellation due to intervening circumstances MIFF reserves the right to retain the ticketing transaction fee.

If an event requires a reduction in capacity to ensure a safe event or by government directive, refunds and exchanges will be processed in reverse order based on transaction date.

All classifications and special exemptions are age restrictions that are set by the Classification Board, and MIFF must legally adhere to them. All films advertised as Unclassified 18+ or R18+ are restricted to those 18 years & over. Infants are included in this restriction and will not be allowed access to the film. This policy is strictly adhered to. Please make sure you are fully aware of the information relating to Classifications and Festival Classification Exemptions that can be found below.

Unauthorised recording and/or distribution of material recorded at any festival event or session or accessed online via MIFF Play constitutes a breach of copyright and is strictly prohibited. Any person caught attempting to make a recording or tampering with or disabling any anti-piracy technologies will be removed from the event or streaming platform and the material will be destroyed or deleted. Such persons may also be subject to legal action.

MIFF provides viewer advice where this is deemed appropriate to a film’s content. This viewer advice appears on the film’s page on miff.com.au and will also be displayed prior to the start of the film. All viewers are strongly encouraged to consider a film’s suitability for themselves in the context of viewer advice provided at the point of sale. No refunds will be provided after the commencement of the film.

Privacy and security of details:

  • Your personal details will never be sold to a third party by MIFF or passed on for marketing purposes. MIFF stores your personal and payment details securely.
  • Full details about MIFF's Privacy Policy.
  • Full details about MIFF's video streaming provider, Shift72's Security and Privacy Policy.
  • Full details about MIFF's ticketing provider, Ferve Tickets' Security and Privacy Policy.

Single Ticket Purchases

  • All single tickets are non-refundable but can be exchanged (except where specified below) for an equal or lesser dollar value ticket online for an exchange fee of $1 per ticket, or in person or over the phone for $2.50 per ticket. Any cost difference between the two tickets will not be refunded. Ticket exchanges close 2 hours prior to the event start time.
  • There is no exchange or refund offered for special events (including Opening Night, Closing Night and Centrepiece Galas, 37South and Accelerator Lab events).

Pass Purchases

  • All pass types purchased from MIFF (including Discovery Passes, Share Passes and U26 Passes) are valid for in-cinema sessions only and cannot be used on the MIFF Play streaming platform.
  • Passes are not valid for use at regional Victorian screenings, Opening Night, Closing Night, , Special Events or 37South and Accelerator Lab events.
  • Passes cannot be refunded either in full or part. Tickets booked on a pass can be exchanged online for an exchange fee of $1 per ticket, or in person or over the phone for $2.50 per ticket. Exchanges close 2 hours prior to session start times.

Discovery Passes

  • Discovery Passes provide admission to any 6 standard festival sessions including most MIFF Talks

Share Passes

  • Share Passes provide 12 admissions to standard festival sessions including most MIFF Talks.
  • Share Passes allow for a maximum of 4 people to be booked into a standard session.

U26 Passes

  • U26 Passes can only be purchased by a U26 Member
  • U26 Passes provide 3 admissions to off-peak festival sessions for one person.
  • Admission to sessions booked on a U26 pass is dependent upon presentation of a valid U26 Membership Card.

Booking Fees

  • A booking fee of up to $8.50 applies for bookings made online, or via phone based on the dollar value of the booking. The booking fee covers the costs of infrastructure associated with taking, processing and fulfilling your booking.
  • No booking fee applies to over the counter sales/door sales.
  • No additional fees are charged for payment via credit card.
  • When redeeming, Festival Passport, Share Pass and Discovery Pass holders are exempt from booking fees if the order total is $0 when checking out. If the passholder has purchased additional tickets, then the booking fee applies.

Gift Vouchers

  • Gift vouchers are treated as cash and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen.
  • Gift vouchers can be used to redeem products sold via MIFF’s in cinema ticketing channel only. Gift vouchers cannot be redeemed for items on the MIFF Play streaming platform or in cinema MIFF events ticketed by external venues.
  • Gift vouchers may only be used for purchasing MIFF in cinema admission tickets, in cinema passes and MIFF memberships.
  • Gift vouchers cannot be used for any other purchases (including without limitation, candy bar purchases or any purchases from festival partners and/or sponsors) unless expressly specified.
  • Gift vouchers cannot be returned or exchanged (whether in whole or in part) for cash. The value stated on the voucher (or remaining on the voucher after partial redemption) is expressed inclusive of GST.
  • Any purchases which exceed the value of the gift voucher will require the holder to pay the difference in price using another form of tender. No change will be given and any remaining balance will remain on the gift voucher to be used in whole or in part against future purchases.
  • Gift vouchers will expire 36 months from date of issue. Any balance that remains on the gift voucher after expiry will not be available for any use.

Important Information

  • Bookings may only be collected in person by the credit card holder on presentation of the credit card used for the booking, the booking number, and any relevant concessions.
  • All sessions are general admission only, except where specified when booking tickets. To guarantee a good seat for general admission sessions, please arrive early.
  • MIFF offers priority service to its Deluxe Members. We reserve the right to let our Deluxe Members enter the cinema first or to skip the queue on presentation of their Festival Passport.
  • Valid concession or membership ID must be presented when buying or collecting tickets and, if requested, on entry to the cinema.
  • A valid Companion Card or valid Companion Card Number must be produced at the time of the booking to gain access to the Companion Card Scheme offer. The companion card must be presented, if requested, upon entry to the cinema. Details of use are contained on the Companion Card website: companioncard.org.au.
  • Group Prices are available for indicated screenings, when tickets for 10 people or more are purchased at the group price in a singular transaction.
  • MIFF will endeavour to operate standby queues for all sold out sessions. Entry is subject to availability and not guaranteed.
  • MIFF reserves the right to deny any person admission to any festival-managed venues.
  • All persons seeking admittance to attend an event or session must have a valid ticket, irrespective of their age.
  • MIFF accepts a range of concessions to in cinema sessions to help keep the festival accessible to all. We offer concession tickets on events (where listed) to MIFF members, full-time students, pensioners, healthcare-card holders and seniors.  We also offer concessions to the following industry groups: MEAA, AFI, SPAA, ACS, ADG, AWG, ASE plus MQFF and ACMI members. A current ID, pre-arranged letter of concession or concession (union) card must be presented when buying or collecting tickets and, if requested, on entry to the cinema.
  • Latecomers may not be admitted to a session, and tickets may be re-sold to a standby queue. There are no exchanges or refunds available if patrons arrive late to a session.

Session changes or cancellations

  • Particulars of the session or event may be changed without prior notice. Films, artists or performers may be added, withdrawn or substituted for specific performances or sessions.
  • In the case of a cancelled film, MIFF will offer exchanges or return the booking onto your pass to allow you to purchase another film. Passes may not be refunded in full or part based on a film change.
  • MIFF reserves the right to change the film format if necessary and will notify customers of the change by email.
  • MIFF reserves the right to change the screening date, time or venue if necessary, and will notify customers of the change by email.
  • In some instances, MIFF may also contact customers via SMS or phone.
  • If your contact details are out of date, or not provided to MIFF at the time of booking, we may be unable to contact you regarding any session changes or cancellations.

Ticket Validity

  • Only tickets and memberships purchased through miff.com.au, a MIFF Box Office, the MIFF Call Centre, or selected partner venues are valid for use at MIFF.
  • Entry to a session may be refused if the authenticity of a ticket is questionable, including if the ticket has been damaged or defaced, or has not been purchased through an authorised channel.
  • Tickets may not be resold or offered for resale at a premium or used for advertising, promotion or other commercial purposes without the prior written consent of MIFF. If a ticket is sold or used in breach of this condition, the ticket may be cancelled without refund and the ticketholder may be refused admission.

General Membership Terms

  • Membership cards are non-transferable and valid identification will be requested when making ticket purchases or pick-ups.
  • Members must be paid up until the end of the festival in order to qualify for membership discounts during the festival.
  • Passes and tickets purchased at member prices are strictly non-transferrable.
  • Concession Membership prices apply to the holders of a card for the following concession types only: Seniors, Healthcare Card-holders, Carer Card holders and full-time students. Proof of concession is required on application.
  • A member can purchase a maximum of two in-cinema passes per year, and no more than one ticket per session only at the discounted member rate.
  • A member may purchase no more than two tickets to special events at the discounted member rate.
  • Members must provide a valid membership card to receive full program benefits. If a membership card is not presented membership program benefits may be denied.
  • Membership cards remain the property of the Melbourne International Film Festival.
  • Lost membership cards must be reported to the MIFF office.
  • Access to preview screenings may be restricted for members' guests pending venue capacity.
  • Melbourne International Film Festival reserves the right to make changes to the membership program without notice, as deemed necessary.

Deluxe Membership

  • Festival Passports can only be acquired as part of a Deluxe Membership package and are not transferable to another person.
  • Sessions booked on a passport can be exchanged or cancelled free of charge online, in person or over the phone. Exchanges close two hours prior to session start times.
  • To guarantee entry to a session, Deluxe Members must pre-book all sessions on their Passport (subject to availability).
  • Passports are valid for any one film within a specific session grouping (sessions are grouped according to start time and have the same last 3 digits in the session code when in the same group) at any allocated time.
  • A Deluxe Member’s Festival Passport is strictly non-transferrable and is valid for one entry per session.
  • Deluxe Members cannot purchase additional Festival Passports.
  • Lost passes can be replaced for a fee at the MIFF Box Office if you provide valid ID.
  • Festival Passports may ONLY be collected from the MIFF Box Office by the person who holds the corresponding Deluxe Membership. The credit card used to purchase the Deluxe Membership and the membership card must be produced to collect the Passport.
  • Deluxe Members will be allocated an exclusive admittance queue at each screening venue with priority entry to the cinema.
  • Priority entry to screening venues is not guaranteed for latecomers. Deluxe Members are encouraged to arrive at least 20 minutes prior to the advertised session start time.
  • Priority queues are subject to presentation of a Festival Passport, to ensure the integrity of the Deluxe Member program.

U26 Membership

  • U26 Membership cards are only available for collection from the MIFF Box Office at ACMI. Proof of age must be presented upon collection of your membership card. You must be over 18 years of age, and your 26th birthday must not be before 22 August 2023.

Privacy Act

  • The festival has taken the necessary steps to ensure that all membership details are securely maintained. As part of the marketing operations of the festival, members may at various times receive information from sponsors or associated organisations. The distribution of any sponsor or third-party material is at all times controlled by the festival. Contact details of members are provided to third parties for the purposes of fulfilling membership only. By applying to become a member you are expressly agreeing to the festival acting in this manner.

Use of the Platform

  • Access to films on MIFF Play is for viewers in Australia only. Geo-blocking and geo-filtering measures are in place to ensure compliance and prevent access to films from outside Australia.
  • Films on MIFF Play are for personal viewing by you and your immediate household only and must not be screened in any commercial or public setting.
  • Films listed in the MIFF Schools program are selected for the purpose of teaching and learning and may be viewed in schools and by groups in other designated educational settings.
  • You are responsible for checking that you have the appropriate equipment to view films on MIFF Play including compatible devices, software and access to the internet. Further information about the minimum requirements for viewing films on MIFF Play can be found here: https://play.miff.com.au/page/help/. These requirements are subject to change at any time, and we will use reasonable endeavours to inform you of these changes.
  • Your viewing experience may be affected by the performance of these items including the speed of your internet connection. MIFF cannot be held responsible for issues you may experience as a result of inadequate equipment, internet connection or bandwidth. No refunds will be issued where these issues prevent you from playing films on MIFF Play.
  • MIFF reserves the right to limit capacity for each film in line with agreements with film rightsholders and to meet the requirements set out by the Classification Board. MIFF does not guarantee access to any film in MIFF Play.

Prices

  • MIFF in-cinema passes (Festival Passports, Discovery Passes, Share Passes and U26 Passes) are not valid for purchases on MIFF Play.
  • The streaming price of each film is displayed as you undertake your purchase. Please check all purchases you make on MIFF Play carefully. Once your order is complete, it cannot be cancelled, and no refunds will be offered.
  • Payments for streams in MIFF Play are handled via Stripe, a third-party payment gateway provider. All payments via this system are processed using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol, where sensitive information is encrypted to protect your privacy. MIFF accepts no liability for any losses you may incur as a result of any breach of terms either by yourself or by our third-party payment provider.

Viewing Window for Films

  • Please make yourself aware of the advertised viewing window for the film you have streamed as these may vary across different titles. You are responsible for viewing films within these windows as no extensions can be offered. No refunds will be available for unwatched or unfinished film streams.
  • As soon as you press play on the majority of films, you will have thirty-six (36) hours to complete your viewing. You are reminded that films on MIFF Play may have shorter viewing windows. Please check each one carefully.
  • During a film’s viewing window, you will be able to rewind, forward through, pause or exit and restart the film. Please note that undertaking any of these actions will not extend the viewing window.
  • Access to all content on MIFF Play for all users will cease at 11.59pm AEST on Sunday 28 August 2022. Please ensure you have sufficient time to watch all purchased films as refunds will not be given for unwatched or unfinished films.

Classifications

  • All classifications and exemptions are age restrictions that are set by the Classification Board, and MIFF must legally adhere to them. By streaming a film from MIFF Play, you agree that you and anyone in your household who will view the film meets the minimum age requirements set out in the published classification. If MIFF has any grounds to believe you do not meet these legal requirements, we reserve the right to revoke your access to MIFF Play.

Privacy

  • MIFF collects data regarding the use of MIFF Play. Data recorded includes IP address, browser and device information, viewer metrics, and purchase and payment details.

 

Shift72 Ltd has provided video streaming services to MIFF. The company’s Security and Privacy Policy can be located at https://www.shift72.com/privacy-policy.

The Classification Board generally classifies all films screened in a cinema for a public audience. This is the process that gives films the classification rating that most people are familiar with:  

G: General Viewing
No legal restrictions.  

PG: Parental Guidance Recommended
No legal restrictions, but parents are encouraged to assess the suitability of material for younger viewers.

M: Mature Audience Recommended
Not recommended for viewers under 15 years old, but no legal restrictions apply.

MA 15+: Mature Audiences Only
Not suitable for viewers under 15 years old. Viewers under 15 cannot legally watch unless accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.

R 18+: Restricted to Adults
Not suitable for viewers under 18 years old. Viewers under 18 cannot legally watch even if with a parent or adult guardian.

Due to the time taken to process a classification, the Classification Board recognises that it is not possible for a film festival such as MIFF to only screen films that have been officially classified. Therefore, special exemptions apply to festivals.

Unclassified 18+
This is not the same as an R18+ rating, but it acts in a similar way: nobody under 18 (including infants) can legally view a film with this exemption, even with a parent or adult guardian. One of the key differences between R and Unclassified 18+ is that the content will not be as per an R movie – rather, the film has not yet been classified as suitable for anyone other than an adult audience.  

Unclassified 15+
This is not the same as an MA 15+ rating, but it acts in the same way: nobody under 15 can legally view the film unless they are with a parent or reasonable adult guardian.

Unclassified, All Ages
These films can be viewed by, and are suitable for, audiences of all ages.