Grab The Popcorn, Melbourne International Film Festival Has Dropped Its First Announce

The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) has revealed the first batch of films of its 2019 program. 

The 2019 festival will open with the world premiere of Stan Grant’s The Australian Dream, “a powerful exploration of race, identity and belonging as told from the perspective of champion AFL footballer and Indigenous rights activist, Adam Goodes”. 

“The Australian Dream is a compelling kickstart both to our festival this year, and to a national conversation,” said Al Cossar, the festival’s new artistic director. “It’s an accomplished piece of documentary filmmaking that tackles broader questions of who we are as a nation, together, in deeply affecting terms. It’s a film for all Australians, and a film for now. We can’t wait to share it with MIFF audiences.”

This year, MIFF will also return to the newly refurbished Capitol Theatre, with Sydney-based director, Abe Forsythe’s Little Monsters making its Australian debut at the festival’s Centerpiece Gala.   

The world premiere of H Is For Happiness, the festival’s 2019 Family Gala film, will also screen at the iconic Astor Theatre.

Other highlights of the first announce include, the PJ Harvey flick, A Dog Called Money, Angel Of Mine written by Candy writer Luke Davies and starring Richard Roxburgh and Yvonne Strahovski and In Fabric with The Mighty Boosh’s Julian Barrett.



“This year MIFF returns to take over the Melbourne CBD and beyond, as we introduce our range of new 2019 venues — some old favourites returned in brilliant new lustre, such as the Capitol Theatre, as well as a range of others primed to deliver incredible cinema in brand new settings for the festival,” Cossar said. 

The full program for the festival will be launched Tuesday 9 July and the event will run from 1 - 18 August. 

Check out the full list of films featured in the first reveal below.

World Premieres 

  • Angel of Mine (Australia) 
  • H Is For Happiness (Australia) 

  • The Australian Dream (Australia / UK) 

Australian Premieres 

  • Cold Case Hammarskjöld (Denmark) 
  • La Flor (Argentina) 
  • Little Monsters (Australia) 
  • Mr Jones (UK / Poland / Ukraine) 
  • Official Secrets (USA/UK)
  • The Art Of Self-Defense (USA) 
  • The Rest (Germany) 
  • Watergate (USA) 
  • Watson (USA) 
  • We Are Little Zombies (Japan) 
  • What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire? (Italy/USA/France) 

  • Working Woman (Israel) 

Victorian Premieres 

  • A Dog Called Money (Ireland / UK)
  • Animals (UK / Ireland / Australia)
  • Aquarela (Denmark / Germany / UK)
  • Come To Daddy (New Zealand / Canada / Ireland / USA)
  • In Fabric (UK)
  • In My Blood It Runs (Australia)
  • Judy & Punch (Australia)
  • Monos (Colombia / Argentina / Netherlands / Germany / Sweden / Uruguay)
  • Ray & Liz (UK)
  • Sátántangó (Hungary / Germany / Switzerland
  • The Souvenir (UK)
  • The Waiting Room (Australia)
  • Untouchable (Taiwan)

  • Your Face (Taiwan)

Opening Night, Centrepiece and Family Gala tickets are on sale now with general public tickets on sale Friday 12 July. Visit the MIFF website to explore the fill program.

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