Yes gentle readers who live vicariously through my film viewing and reviewing exploits, the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF to close friends and lovers) is on again and I have a passport! A passport allows me to see as many films as my fragile body and mind can manage in sixteen days and this year, I have booked 70. Yep, 70. No, I haven’t aged twenty years in twelve months, I just have a new strategy – go in hard, fill up my dance card and then coast through the second week, returning tickets if I need to. That’s the plan anyway.

Like last year, I will be reviewing each film though this year I will be staying in the CBD, within a short stroll or a free zone tram ride of all venues. That will leave plenty of energy for reviewing, and eating delicious food. This year, I will also be partaking of three virtual reality experiences as part of the program – 6×9: An Immersive Experience of Solitary Confinement, VR Noir: A Day Before the Night, and The Turning Forest. I will also be experiencing a full-dome screening at the Planetarium.

I can’t list all seventy films but here are some highlights I’m looking forward to. If you live in Melbourne and want to catch up with me, I can send you my schedule and we can see a film together. 🙂

The Salesman – The latest from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, The Past).

Under the Shadow – A subversive feminist horror critique of Iranian sexism (I know!).

Ma – A choreographic road movie re-imagining the Virgin Mary’s story transposed to the American Southwest (I know!!).

Sieranevada – Romanian portrait of contemporary family dysfunction.

Elle – Paul Verhoeven’s provocative look at rape.

The Lure – Loony Polish mash-up of musical, romance and 80s style horror.

Chevalier – Deadpan Greek satire about masculinity.

Starless Dreams – Iranian documentary about women in the judicial system.

Julieta – Pedro Almodóvar’s latest, need I say more.

The Unknown Girl – Latest from the Dardenne brothers (The Kid with a Bike).

Bleak Street – Black and white Mexican drama about wrestling mascots, micro-luchadores.

Certain Women – Kelly Reichhardt triptych with Laura Dern, Michelle Williams and Kristen Stewart.

Louis Theroux: My Scientology Movie – Louis, sigh.

Paris 05:59 – The fact that it starts with an 18-minute hardcore gay orgy might have been a factor.

Emo the Musical – The Deniliquin Film Society just showed the original short of this Neil Triffett irreverent take on star-crossed lovers.

So, stay tuned to this blog, it all starts this Friday.