Top 5 MIFF picks from Opening Weekend (according to the intern!)
Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) kicks off on Thursday 1 August and we’re lucky enough to have the inside scoop from Georgia, a Master of Publishing and Communications student and intern at the festival.
To help you put together your movie schedule, she’s given us her top five movie picks from the opening weekend:
- Sea of Shadows
A high stakes eco-thriller involving the world’s smallest whale, the black market, the Chinese mafia, Mexican cartels and a fish with an incredibly valuable swim bladder. It won the audience award at Sundance and was executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, so it's certified by more than just 'the intern'!
- Bacurau
Fans of John Carpenter should take note of this weird genre cocktail of sci-fi western and action-packed colonial allegory, which nabbed the Jury Prize at Cannes. In it, a mythical Brazilian town is beset by a series of bizarre circumstances culminating in UFOs hovering suspiciously over the town's outskirts.
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
When a female painter discovers an undeniable connection with her subject it kicks off a heartbreaking tale of impossible love in 18th century France. A critical darling, Portrait of a Lady on Fire won Best Screenplay and the Queer Palm at Cannes this year.
- In Fabric
Surreal and sensual, In Fabric is a film buff's pick. Director Peter Strickland is known for genre homage films and In Fabric, a horror/comedy about a killer red dress out for blood, looks to be his weirdest yet.
- Untouchable
A damning examination of the alleged crimes of Harvey Weinstein, using the very medium that allowed him to build the empire he would later use as a shield. Harvey’s alleged victims are placed front and centre in the film, and it’s a very human portrayal on the dangers of patriarchal society.
All of these films are showing at The Plenary during Opening Weekend, which has been converted into a cinephiles dream with massive screens and a state-of-the-art sound system.