Melbourne International Film Festival has unveiled its full program for its 73rd edition, featuring over 275 screen works from around the globe.
Running from 7-24 August across Melbourne, regional Victoria and online, MIFF 2025 promises an extraordinary celebration of cinema with features, shorts and XR experiences.
The festival will open with Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” starring Rose Byrne as part of the Bright Horizons Competition. This darkly comic vision of motherhood, which earned Byrne best performance accolades at Berlinale, also features Conan O’Brien, Danielle Macdonald, Christian Slater and A$AP Rocky.
Among the most anticipated premieres is the World Premiere of “Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Man,” Andrew Farrell’s comprehensive portrait of the Cold Chisel frontman. The documentary continues where 2018’s “Working Class Boy” left off, tracing Jimmy Barnes’ journey from Glasgow tenements to Australian stadiums with unprecedented access and intimate interviews.
Music enthusiasts will be drawn to the festival’s robust Music on Film section, presented by RRR. Highlights include Alex Ross Perry’s “Pavements,” a meta-documentary on the influential ’90s indie rockers starring Joe Keery as Stephen Malkmus; “Move Ya Body: The Birth of House,” celebrating Chicago’s underground dance revolution; and “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley,” Amy Berg’s exploration of the ethereal singer’s legacy.
The festival also features two extraordinary Sound and Screen events: “Julia Holter: The Passion of Joan of Arc,” combining Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 silent masterpiece with a live score by the acclaimed LA composer, and “Parasite Live in Concert” with composer Jung Jae il conducting Orchestra Victoria through his score while Bong Joon-ho’s Academy Award-winner plays on screen.
The Bright Horizons Competition features ten remarkable films from emerging directors competing for the prestigious $140,000 prize – the richest feature film award in the Southern Hemisphere. The international jury is led by Charlotte Wells, whose debut feature “Aftersun” was selected for MIFF’s inaugural Bright Horizons Competition three years ago.
MIFF’s Headliners strand includes some of the most buzzworthy international films, including Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut “The Chronology of Water,” Kelly Reichardt’s “The Mastermind” starring Josh O’Connor, and Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague” and “Blue Moon.”
Australian cinema is well-represented with films like “Went Up The Hill” starring Dacre Montgomery and Vicky Krieps, “We Bury the Dead” with Daisy Ridley and Mark Coles Smith, and “Beast of War,” a World-Premiering WWII horror featuring Mark Coles Smith.
Documentary highlights include “Mistress Dispeller,” exploring China’s booming “love industry,” “Twiggy,” an intimate portrait of the fashion icon, and “Videoheaven,” Alex Ross Perry’s deep dive into the cultural impact of video stores.
For the first time, MIFF is partnering with the AFL to present “Footy Shorts,” a celebration of five compelling new short documentaries exploring Australian rules football through a fresh lens, premiering at a special gala on August 12th.
The festival will also feature MIFF XR, immersive experiences, restored classics including “Looking for Alibrandi” and “Sweetie,” and the largest retrospective of Chantal Akerman’s work ever delivered by the festival.
MIFF 2025 runs August 7-24th in Melbourne cinemas, with regional screenings on 15-17 and August 22-24th, and a selection of films available online from August 15-31st. Tickets go on sale to MIFF Members from July 10-14th and to the general public from July 15th.
Visit miff.com.au to explore the full program