Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe is set to star in the opening night film of the 66th Melbourne International Film Festival taking place this August.
The world premiere gala screening of Wolf Creek director Greg McLean's Jungle will take place at the Plaza Ballroom on 3 August, launching a program which includes the Australian premiere of Jane Campion's new TV series Top Of The Lake: China Girl starring Elisabeth Moss and Nicole Kidman, Terrance Malick's Song to Song starring Ryan Gosling and Natalie Portman, and Geremy Jasper's hip hop drama Patti Cake$.
"Greg McLean's new film is bold, hugely entertaining and a thrilling ride," MIFF Artistic Director Michelle Carey said.
"It's an impressive showcase of Australian and international talent behind and in front of the camera."
Based on the real-life story of adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg (Radcliffe), Jungle follows the ill-fated trek of the 22-year-old Israeli backpacker, who in the early 1980s set off from the Bolivian city of La Paz to hike in the Amazon. Ghinsberg, along with two friends – Swiss teacher Marcus Stamm and American photographer Kevin Gale – would soon find himself stranded in the dense rain forests of the Amazon basin, turning what was meant to be an expedition of a lifetime into a desperate fight for survival.
Best known for Australia's most successful horror movie, Wolf Creek, McLean offers another side of his filmmaking skills in this tense biopic, based on the bestselling memoir by Ghinsberg.
Alongside Radcliffe, who continues to cement his post-Potter reputation as a superbly versatile talent, Jungle co-stars Alex Russell, Joel Jackson and Thomas Kretschmann.
The Melbourne International Film Festival plays venues across Melbourne from 3-20 August.
For more details, head over to the MIFF website.
Comments