The 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival has finished this weekend, screening hundreds of films from all over the world, as well as local Australian productions.
The 2024 MIFF Award winners were also revealed on the second last night of the festival August 24th, presenting over $250,000 in prize money across a suite of five categories. The flagship award was the Bright Horizons Award, presented by VicScreen, gifting $140,000 alone, one of the most lucrative film prizes in the world, and awarded to an outstanding rising filmmaker.
MIFF Artistic Director Al Cossar was quoted about the festival’s incredible season:
“It’s been such a thrill to see the enthusiasm and outright cinematic maximalism with which Melbourne audiences have taken to the MIFF program this year…we’ve seen audiences celebrate incredible new Australian filmmaking with us, discover the year’s cinematic highlights, explore unseen corners of the history of film, and meet over 130 attending guests and artists. A special alchemy always happens at our festival between film and film-goers, and this year it’s been particularly special to see the momentum MIFF-goers have brought to our festival, and to see those special ‘only-at-MIFF’ moments manifest throughout the last couple of weeks.”
The jury deliberating the Bright Horizons Award and the Blackmagic Design Australian Innovation Award was made up of international industry professionals, all respected and admired filmmakers:
- American visionary writer and director David Lowery
- Oscar-winning costume designer Deborah L. Scott (Avatar, Titanic, Back to the Future)
- Pioneering Indonesian filmmaker Yulia Evina Bhara (Tiger Stripes)
- Australian master filmmaker Ivan Sen
- Beloved Australian actress Jillian Nguyen (Shayda, Scarygirl)
On the subject of selecting the Bright Horizons Award winner, the jury said:
“Our task as jury was joyful, invigorating, and inspiring. It was also incredibly arduous, heartbreaking, and some might even say cruel, because how could anyone choose a favourite or pick a winner from such an incredible lineup of films…the future of cinema is bright indeed.”
The Bright Horizons Award was awarded to Universal Language by Matthew Rankin, the second feature from the experimental Canadian filmmaker who had previously directed 2019’s The Twentieth Century.
The jury said of Rankin’s Universal Language that it “represented all of the facets of the Bright Horizons Award”, that it is a film whose “cultural specificity transcends borders…whose cinematic playfulness is matched equally by its sensitivity”.
The Blackmagic Design Australian Innovation Award was awarded to Jaydon Martin for his film Flathead, described as a “cinematic blend of documentary and fictional filmmaking”. The film is quoted as being a “visually arresting and very moving portrait of individuals often forgotten about in society, in this case the real people of…Bundaberg”.
The following is an abbreviated list of the three other 2024 MIFF Award winners, their awarded films, and descriptions about award-winning choices and impacts these films made on the jury and the audiences for the festival:
- The Uncle Jack Charles Award, named for the late actor and activist, and presented in collaboration with Kearney Group, was awarded to director and Wiradjuri-Scottish woman of the Galari/Kalari peoples April Philipps for her groundbreaking XR work kajoo yannaga (come on let’s walk together). Her work was described as a “bold and refreshing animation…with its stunning Technicolor visuals and immersive sound design” by the awards jury.
- The MIFF Audience Award, voted by festival-goers and presented by Intrepid Travel, was a tie between two films – Voice by Krunal Padhiar and Semara Jose, and Left Write Hook by Shannon Owen. About the tie, Intrepid Travel Managing Director ANZ Brett Mitchell said that “both films showcased powerful storytelling and engaging narratives which deeply moves and inspired audiences.”
- The MIFF Schools Youth Jury Award, recognising the best title from the MIFF Schools program and presented by Collarts, was awarded to Maria Zanetti’s tender coming-of-age film Alemania. Described as being reminiscent of Lady Bird and Eighth Grade, the film follows a teenager who must choose between family and a life-changing adventure abroad, set in late-90s Buenos Aires.
The Curb still has plenty of 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival reviews coming down the pipeline, so stay tuned!
