1954

Organising Committee

#3
MIFF 1954 Post

THE FESTIVAL TODAY

Six years ago members of the Melbourne University Film Society began a modest festival. For one week each year in the Union Theatre they showed their members the best feature films they could lay their hands on. Year by year the annual Festival grew in prestige and influence. Each year it was easier to persuade distributors to part with their cherished products.

Then in 1950 something happened which completely changed the Festival situation in Australia. The Federation of Victorian Film Societies were looking for a quiet spot to hold a convention of the Australian Council of Film Societies, and they selected Olinda. Quickly the idea developed into a Festival, and Olinda seemed the obvious place to distribute the Commonwealth Jubilee Film Awards. Members flocked in numbers that were an embarrassment, and accommodation which seemed optimistic at first, became wholly inadequate.

Last year, the Federation of Film Societies decided to hold its annual Festival in the Melbourne Exhibition Building, which, unfortunately, was never designed for showing motion pictures. Once again technical problems beset the organisers. Another change seemed imperative.

In 1954, the Federation has pooled its resources with the University Film Society's Festival, to create a new Festival which will combine the advantages of all previous ones.

It is the belief of the Festival Committee that a proper home has at last been found in the Union Theatre, and that the public will in future look to the Union Theatre for intelligent and entertaining cinema.

An awareness of film will be implanted in 1954 audiences' minds not only by the screening of first-class feature films, but by means of carefully selected speakers and discussion programmes. In this widening of the scope of the Festival, it has been found that the efficiency of organization has been increased by co-operation amongst the several film societies and federations which are jointly concerned in the festival.

This attitude of co-operation is a healthy sign: the single achievement of a group pooling its resources is much more impressive than the separate, un-integrated efforts of single organizations. 

Introduction taken from the 1954 official guide

Films

Feature

MARTIN LUTHER

Director Irving Pichel
USA/German Federal Republic
MIFF 1954
Short

On Closer Inspection

Director Joan Foldes, Peter Foldes
UK
MIFF 1954
Short

The Steel Worker

Director Hugh McInnes
Australia
MIFF 1954
Short

Figure Head

Director Allan Crick
UK
MIFF 1954
Feature

JOUR DE FETE

Director Jacques Tati
France
MIFF 1954
Feature

THE BACK OF BEYOND

Director John Heyer
Australia
MIFF 1954
Feature

THE GENERAL

Director Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman
USA
MIFF 1954
Short

The Wanderer

Director Roberto Rossellini
Italy
MIFF 1954
Feature

MAN OF ARAN

Director Robert J. Flaherty
UK
MIFF 1954
Feature

SUNDAY IN AUGUST

Director Luciano Emmer
Italy
MIFF 1954
Short

Une Partie de Campagne

Director Jean Renoir
France
MIFF 1954
Feature

SOUS LES TOITS DE PARIS

Director René Clair
France
MIFF 1954
Feature

THE GOLDEN COACH

Director Jean Renoir
France/Italy
MIFF 1954
Feature

WORLD WITHOUT END

Director Basil Wright, Paul Rotha
UK
MIFF 1954
Short

The Living World

Director Rev. Hamilton Aikin
MIFF 1954
Feature

HILL NUMBER ONE

Director Arthur Pierson
USA
MIFF 1954
Short

Boogie Doodle

Director Norman McLaren
Canada
MIFF 1954
Short

Conspiracy In Kyoto

Director Harris C. Moore
USA
MIFF 1954
Short

Full Circle

Director Geoffrey Sumner
UK
MIFF 1954
Short

Moving Spirit

Director Bob Privett
UK
MIFF 1954
Short

Song Of The Prairie

Director Jiri Trnka
Czechoslovakia
MIFF 1954
Short

Three American Ballads

Director Alfred Kouzel
USA
MIFF 1954
Short

Goya (Horrors of War)

Director Luciano Emmer
Italy
MIFF 1954
Short

Grant Wood

Director Mark Sorkin
USA
MIFF 1954
Short

Henry Moore

Director
UK
MIFF 1954
Short

The Work of Master Stwosz

Director S. Mozdzenski
Poland
MIFF 1954
Short
Czechoslovakia
MIFF 1954
Short
New Zealand
MIFF 1954
Short

The Letter

Director
Malaya
MIFF 1954
Short
India
MIFF 1954
Short

Shadow Of The Prairies

Director Roger Blais
Canada
MIFF 1954
Short

They Planted A Stone

Director Robin Carruthers
UK
MIFF 1954
Short

Steps Of Age

Director Ben Maddow
USA
MIFF 1954
Short

Breakdown

Director Robert Anderson
Canada
MIFF 1954
Short

Combustion

Director S. G. Ferguson
UK
MIFF 1954
Short

Magnetism

Director
UK
MIFF 1954
Short
UK
MIFF 1954
Short
USA
MIFF 1954
Short
UK
MIFF 1954
Short
Australia
MIFF 1954
Short
Canada
MIFF 1954
Short
Australia
MIFF 1954
Short
Czechoslovakia
MIFF 1954
Short

When Bee Meets Bee

Director C. P. Abbott
UK
MIFF 1954
Short

Local 100

Director
Canada
MIFF 1954
Short
Australia
MIFF 1954
Short
Canada
MIFF 1954
Short

Valley Town

Director Willard Van Dyke
USA
MIFF 1954
Short

Coeur d'Amour Epris

Director Jear Aurel
France
MIFF 1954
Short

Images Medievales

Director William Novik
France
MIFF 1954
Short

Life of Maurice d'Utrillo

Director Andre Deroual, William Magnin
France
MIFF 1954
Short

Mon Ami Pierre

Director Paula Neurisse, Louis Félix
France
MIFF 1954
Short

The American Road

Director George Stoney
USA
MIFF 1954
Short
USA
MIFF 1954
Short
USA
MIFF 1954
Short

People Along The Mississippi

Director Gordon Weisenborn
USA
MIFF 1954
Feature

90º SOUTH

Director Herbert Ponting
UK
MIFF 1954
Short
Canada
MIFF 1954
Short

Instruments And The Orchestra

Director Muir Mathieson
USA
MIFF 1954
Short
USA
MIFF 1954
Short

A Musician In The Family

Director Gordon Parker
Canada
MIFF 1954
Short

Science And The Orchestra

Director Alex Strasser
UK
MIFF 1954
Short

A Divided World

Director Arne Sucksdorff
Sweden
MIFF 1954
Short

Dream Valley

Director Arne Sucksdorff
Sweden
MIFF 1954
Short

Wind From The West

Director Arne Sucksdorff
Sweden
MIFF 1954
Short

Summer Interlude

Director Arne Sucksdorff
Sweden
MIFF 1954
Short

Houen Zo

Director Herman Van Der Horst
Netherlands
MIFF 1954
Short
Canada
MIFF 1954
Short

Knifecraft

Director
USA
MIFF 1954
Short
Australia
MIFF 1954
Short

Tasmanian Tapestry

Director Hugh McInnes
Australia
MIFF 1954
Short

V For Volunteers

Director Leslie McFarlane
Canada
MIFF 1954
Short

And Now Miguel

Director Joseph Krumgold
USA
MIFF 1954
Short
Malaya
MIFF 1954
Short

Farewell Oak Street

Director Grant McLean
Canada
MIFF 1954
Short

Folk Dances From Hana

Director Ladislav Rychman
Czechoslovakia
MIFF 1954
Short

Shoot The Nets

Director Herman Van der Horst
Netherlands
MIFF 1954
Short
Australia
MIFF 1954
Short

In Harbour

Director Joan Bounty
Australia
MIFF 1954
Short

Pony Club

Director
Australia
MIFF 1954
Short

Rail Town

Director Joan Long
Australia
MIFF 1954
Short

Ray Of Hope

Director Jack Rogers
Australia
MIFF 1954
Short

Tatra

Director
Czechoslovakia
MIFF 1954
Short
Canada
MIFF 1954
Feature
Short

Project 074

Director Peter de Normanville
UK
MIFF 1954
Feature

THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC

Director Carl Dreyer
France
MIFF 1954
Short

The Drawings Of Leonardo Da Vinci

Director Adrian de Potier
UK
MIFF 1954
Short

Colour Box

Director Len Lye
UK
MIFF 1954
Short

Plow That Broke The Plains

Director Pare Lorentz
USA
MIFF 1954