Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o shines bright as a ukulele-playing, zombie-slaying kindergarten teacher in Abe Forsythe’s sweetly hilarious zom-com Little Monsters.

Nyong’o is Miss Caroline, who’s off on a day trip to Pleasant Valley Farm with her class of overly excitable five-year-olds. Accompanying them is slacker musician Dave (whose nephew Felix is one of Miss Caroline’s charges), although his reasons for tagging along are less than wholesome. But the amorous attentions of immature uncles are the least of Miss Caroline’s problems when a beloved children’s entertainer proves to be a vile, foul-mouthed drunk and the US military base next door accidentally unleashes a horde of the undead.

Abe Forsythe returns to MIFF with his follow-up to Down Under, our 2016 Centrepiece Gala film. Displaying the same wicked mix of black comedy and poignant heart, Little Monsters wowed midnight audiences at its Sundance world premiere. Alexander England (Down Under’s Shit-Stick) convincingly embodies Dave’s growth from manchild to worthy man in the face of impending apocalypse, while Josh Gad (Frozen’s Olaf) is hilariously reprehensible as the children’s TV personality you’d never let anywhere near your kids. Also featuring Kat Stewart and Nadia Townsend, Little Monsters is a funny, gory, crowd-pleasing love letter to all the kindy teachers who help children (and manchildren) bloom while protecting them from being eaten by zombies.

“Australia’s funniest horror comedy in years … Forsythe’s vision is charmingly innocent, sincerely appreciative, and uniquely brutal.” – We Got This Covered

Always a hot ticket, MIFF’s Centrepiece Gala is a cinematic celebration of both Australian filmmaking and of the festival’s halfway point. Ticket price includes the Australian Premiere gala screening of Little Monsters with our filmmaking guests and entry to the exclusive afterparty, with complimentary drinks and canapés. Entry to the Centrepiece Gala afterparty is strictly 18+.

Please note: the MIFF 2019 Centrepiece Gala will take place across two concurrent screenings at the Capitol Theatre and the Forum Theatre. The Forum session will screen with open captions to assist patrons who are Deaf or hard of hearing.