The first bumper reveal of the 2018 Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) was announced today with the news that its 67th outing will open with the Australian premiere gala screening of Paul Dano’s directorial debut Wildlife – starring Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal and Australia’s Ed Oxenbould. The First Glance selection of 32 films demonstrating MIFF’s expansive reach was also uncovered. Based on the 1990 Richard Ford novel of the same name, Dano’s debut directorial outing (co-written by Zoe Kazan, seen alongside Dano at MIFF’s 2012 Ruby Sparks) tells a tender and empathetic story about a teen dealing with his family falling apart in 1960s Montana.
“We are thrilled to announce Wildlife for this year’s Opening Night Gala. Paul Dano’s debut as a director provides a glimpse into a successful shift in his career from on screen to off, and the cast including Australia’s very own Ed Oxenbould (a special name here at MIFF) is an impressive way to kick off proceedings,” MIFF’s Artistic Director Michelle Carrey commented “This in addition to the sneak peek of the rest of the program is an exciting time. Finally we can start talking about the most important thing…the films!”
Carrey went on to explain that this year’s blue carpet glamour will mark the third consecutive year that MIFF has partnered with Grey Goose to curate a luxury experience at the Regent Theatre for the Opening Night Gala. MIFF guests will be welcomed to the event to sip the iconic Grey Goose Le Fizz – a celebratory cocktail served at the top award season parties and enjoyed by celebrities at events such as the Oscars and Toronto International Film Festival.
“Celebrating the achievements of the screen industry aligns with the values of Grey Goose, as we consider film to be of significant cultural importance and one of our key brand pillars. We’re very proud to be solidifying the Melbourne International Film Festival partnership for the third year to recognise and celebrate this shared interest. The festival attracts the best filmmaking talent and we’re truly honoured to help acknowledge those who celebrate a life well lived.” Jonathan Sully, Marketing Director, Bacardi-Martini commented “We look forward to welcoming guests to MIFF 2018, to toast the films of the festival on our blue carpet, with a beautifully crafted Grey Goose Le Fizz cocktail. Grey Goose Le Fizz is shaken over ice with St-Germain elderflower liqueur, a squeeze of fresh lime and topped with soda,”
Carrey went on to explain about the First Glance program that Ethan Hawke features with both on and off-screen contributions: he portrays a troubled priest experiencing a ‘crisis of faith’ in cinematic legend Paul Schrader’s latest feast of brooding menace, First Reformed; in Blaze, Hawke directs a daringly unconventional biopic of an unsung country music legend, featuring newcomer Benjamin Dickey in the title role (which won him a Sundance acting award) and Alia Shawkat. Chloë Grace Moretz turns in a career-best performance in Desiree Akhavan’s sophomore feature The Miseducation of Cameron Post, winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize (US Dramatic); Cannes 2017 best actor winner Joaquin Phoenix features in Lynne Ramsay’s vengeance feature You Were Never Really Here, playing a war vet and ex-FBI agent whose new job includes rescuing children from paedophile rings; meanwhile, Bodied is the result of an unlikely pairing between Grammy-winning director Joseph Kahn and rapper turned producer Eminem who present their satirical story about an accidental battle-rap star.
Carrey also pointed out that in a variety of filmmaking firsts, acclaimed TV director Michael Pearce makes his feature debut in the sly, unsettling Beast – an impressive British crime drama love story wrapped in an intriguing psychosexual thriller; veteran slow-cinema auteur Tsai Ming-liang makes his debut foray into virtual reality with The Deserted, a 55-minute experience with a wordless, near-feature length tale of ghosts, grief and fish; and a little closer to home, Nash Edgerton’s TV series directorial debut Mr Inbetween brings The Magician’s charismatic killer-for-hire Ray Shoesmith back to our screens. MIFF will screen all six episodes before its television premiere on Foxtel’s Showcase channel