Mackay International Film Festival 2022
30th July - Pinnacle Playhouse
5th-7th August - BCC Mt Pleasant Cinemas
13th August - Bob Wood Hall, Sarina
25th September - Proserpine Entertainment Centre
MIFF ticket prices:
Friday 30th July - Opening Gala (Official Competition) including supper $22 for everyone
Individual Films: FAM Members $14 – Non-members $17
Seven movie pass: FAM members $95 – Non-members $115
* Tickets for films at BCC available from BCC box office or online through www.eventcinemas.com.au
*FAM member ticket and seven movie pass discounts only available from BCC Mt Pleasant. Members MUST show your membership card.
mackay_intl_film_festival_program_2022.pdf |
Pre-festival film - optional bus and meal package available**
7:00PM SATURDAY 30TH JULY AT THE PINNACLE PLAYHOUSE
Belfast
SATURDAY, 30TH JULY – 7pm Pinnacle Playhouse
Belfast
Director: Kenneth Branagh
2021 / UK / 98m / M / Drama / English
Written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Kenneth Branagh, and starring an acclaimed ensemble cast, Belfast is a personal and joyful story about the power of memory, set in late 1960s Northern Ireland. Based on Branagh’s own childhood, at the centre of the film is 9-year-old Buddy whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. Yet, with his beloved hometown caught up in increasing turmoil, his family faces a momentous choice: hope the Troubles will pass or leave everything they know behind for a new life.
Creatively shot in black and white and rendered in crisp, high-definition digital, Belfast cleverly blends sentiments of the time with the advantages of modern technology. Contains violence and strong language.
Winner of Best Original Screenplay at the 94th Annual Academy Award - Kenneth Branagh.
'A bewitchingly intimate, warm-hearted, wholly captivating film...’ Daily UK
“…spryly written, beautifully acted and shot in a lustrous monochrome.” 5 stars The Guardian
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**OPTIONAL COACH TRANSFER / MEAL / FILM PACKAGE
Departing 4.30pm from Mackay CBD
Package includes film ticket, return coach transfer and dinner at the Pinnacle Pub (drinks not included)
FAM members: $44pp; Non-members: $47pp
Tickets available online at HTTPS://WWW.TRYBOOKING.COM/CAAWZ
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C658p987SQI
Belfast
Director: Kenneth Branagh
2021 / UK / 98m / M / Drama / English
Written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Kenneth Branagh, and starring an acclaimed ensemble cast, Belfast is a personal and joyful story about the power of memory, set in late 1960s Northern Ireland. Based on Branagh’s own childhood, at the centre of the film is 9-year-old Buddy whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. Yet, with his beloved hometown caught up in increasing turmoil, his family faces a momentous choice: hope the Troubles will pass or leave everything they know behind for a new life.
Creatively shot in black and white and rendered in crisp, high-definition digital, Belfast cleverly blends sentiments of the time with the advantages of modern technology. Contains violence and strong language.
Winner of Best Original Screenplay at the 94th Annual Academy Award - Kenneth Branagh.
'A bewitchingly intimate, warm-hearted, wholly captivating film...’ Daily UK
“…spryly written, beautifully acted and shot in a lustrous monochrome.” 5 stars The Guardian
_____________________________________________________________________________
**OPTIONAL COACH TRANSFER / MEAL / FILM PACKAGE
Departing 4.30pm from Mackay CBD
Package includes film ticket, return coach transfer and dinner at the Pinnacle Pub (drinks not included)
FAM members: $44pp; Non-members: $47pp
Tickets available online at HTTPS://WWW.TRYBOOKING.COM/CAAWZ
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C658p987SQI
Opening NighT Gala Event - 7:00pm Friday 5th August
Official Competition
Followed by tapas and tipples
Friday, 5th 7pm
Official Competition
Director: Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat
2021 / Spain / 114m / M / Comedy / Spanish (English subtitles)
Spanish megastars Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz bring hilarity to this playful and wildly entertaining Spanish satire on the filmmaking process. Finding his legacy lacking in prestige, an octogenarian tycoon impulsively decides to finance a great work of cinema. Demanding the best of the best, he purchases the rights to a Nobel Prize-winning novel about sibling rivalry and hires renowned filmmaker Lola Cuevas to mastermind this ambitious endeavour.
Lola casts as her embattled co-leads a pair of actors with massive talent but even bigger egos and gradually, they are at each other’s throats.
Nominated to Official Selection, Toronto International Film Festival 2021; Venice International Film Festival 2021; Golden Lion Best Film, Audience Award; San Sebastian International Film Festival 2021.
“Wildly Entertaining”. TIME OUT
“Offers comic and visual pleasures alike, plus crisp acting from its lead trio...” SCREEN INTERNATIONAL
TAPAS AND TIPPLES AFTER THE SCREENING
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b0ZYBmST-U
Official Competition
Director: Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat
2021 / Spain / 114m / M / Comedy / Spanish (English subtitles)
Spanish megastars Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz bring hilarity to this playful and wildly entertaining Spanish satire on the filmmaking process. Finding his legacy lacking in prestige, an octogenarian tycoon impulsively decides to finance a great work of cinema. Demanding the best of the best, he purchases the rights to a Nobel Prize-winning novel about sibling rivalry and hires renowned filmmaker Lola Cuevas to mastermind this ambitious endeavour.
Lola casts as her embattled co-leads a pair of actors with massive talent but even bigger egos and gradually, they are at each other’s throats.
Nominated to Official Selection, Toronto International Film Festival 2021; Venice International Film Festival 2021; Golden Lion Best Film, Audience Award; San Sebastian International Film Festival 2021.
“Wildly Entertaining”. TIME OUT
“Offers comic and visual pleasures alike, plus crisp acting from its lead trio...” SCREEN INTERNATIONAL
TAPAS AND TIPPLES AFTER THE SCREENING
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b0ZYBmST-U
Saturday 6th August - 2pm
Blind Ambition
Saturday, 6th August – 2.00pm
Blind Ambition
Director: Robert Coe, Warwick Ross
2020 / Australia / 94m / M / Documentary / English
Winner of the Audience Award at Tribeca Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival, BLIND AMBITION is the inspiring story of four Zimbabwean refugees who conquered the odds to become South Africa's top sommeliers. Driven by relentless optimism, a passion for their craft and unshakeable national pride, they form Zimbabwe’s first ever wine tasting team and set their sights on the coveted title of ‘World Wine Tasting Champions’. From the moment they arrive in France to compete, this team of mavericks turns an establishment of privilege and tradition on its head. A truly uplifting documentary that celebrates just how irrepressible the human spirit can be.
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAG_DG7I-EI
Blind Ambition
Director: Robert Coe, Warwick Ross
2020 / Australia / 94m / M / Documentary / English
Winner of the Audience Award at Tribeca Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival, BLIND AMBITION is the inspiring story of four Zimbabwean refugees who conquered the odds to become South Africa's top sommeliers. Driven by relentless optimism, a passion for their craft and unshakeable national pride, they form Zimbabwe’s first ever wine tasting team and set their sights on the coveted title of ‘World Wine Tasting Champions’. From the moment they arrive in France to compete, this team of mavericks turns an establishment of privilege and tradition on its head. A truly uplifting documentary that celebrates just how irrepressible the human spirit can be.
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAG_DG7I-EI
Saturday 6th August - 4pm
Hive
Saturday, 6th August – 4pm
Hive
Director: Blerta Basholli
2020 / Albania, Macedonia / 84m / M / Drama / Albanian with English subtitles
Fahrije’s husband has been missing since the war in Kosovo, and along with their grief, her family is struggling financially. In order to provide for them she launches a small agricultural business, but in the traditional patriarchal village where she lives, her ambition and efforts to empower herself and other women are not seen as positive things. She struggles not only to keep her family afloat but also against a hostile community who is rooting for her to fail.
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-kk17wIg7A
Hive
Director: Blerta Basholli
2020 / Albania, Macedonia / 84m / M / Drama / Albanian with English subtitles
Fahrije’s husband has been missing since the war in Kosovo, and along with their grief, her family is struggling financially. In order to provide for them she launches a small agricultural business, but in the traditional patriarchal village where she lives, her ambition and efforts to empower herself and other women are not seen as positive things. She struggles not only to keep her family afloat but also against a hostile community who is rooting for her to fail.
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-kk17wIg7A
Saturday 6th August - 6pm
Drive My Car
Saturday 6th August 6pm
Drive My Car
Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
2021 / Japan / 179m / MA 15+ / Drama / English
Theatre director Yusuke and his TV screenwriter wife Oto have a special bond as creative partners, sharing a life punctuated by private rituals. This is shattered by a sudden incident and the appearance of Yusuke’s new chauffeur Misaki and Koji, an actor from Oto’s TV series. As the film gradually peels back the unspoken layers of their marriage, parallels form with Yusuke’s ongoing production of Chekhov’s ‘Uncle Vanya’. As the title infers, much of the film takes place while driving, with Yusuke’s old red Saab becoming centre stage for the protagonists to reveal their innermost truths. This is an intense and sensorially rich film, sustained by great performances and bold long takes which shows us how intimate silences can amplify the truth and become part of the intricate evolution of a life story.
Winner of multiple awards including Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, 2022; Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay, 2021; Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, 2022; BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language, 2022
“It’s mysterious, impenetrable, creeping forward on many fronts ….also throat-catchingly beautiful, as sad as a funeral, and wise in a way few films ever aspire to be.” SMH
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BPKPb_RTwI
Drive My Car
Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
2021 / Japan / 179m / MA 15+ / Drama / English
Theatre director Yusuke and his TV screenwriter wife Oto have a special bond as creative partners, sharing a life punctuated by private rituals. This is shattered by a sudden incident and the appearance of Yusuke’s new chauffeur Misaki and Koji, an actor from Oto’s TV series. As the film gradually peels back the unspoken layers of their marriage, parallels form with Yusuke’s ongoing production of Chekhov’s ‘Uncle Vanya’. As the title infers, much of the film takes place while driving, with Yusuke’s old red Saab becoming centre stage for the protagonists to reveal their innermost truths. This is an intense and sensorially rich film, sustained by great performances and bold long takes which shows us how intimate silences can amplify the truth and become part of the intricate evolution of a life story.
Winner of multiple awards including Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, 2022; Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay, 2021; Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, 2022; BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language, 2022
“It’s mysterious, impenetrable, creeping forward on many fronts ….also throat-catchingly beautiful, as sad as a funeral, and wise in a way few films ever aspire to be.” SMH
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BPKPb_RTwI
Sunday 7th August - 2pm
Hit The Road
Sunday, 7th August – 2pm
Hit The Road
Director: Panah Panahi
2021 / Iran / 94m / PG / Drama / Parsi with English subtitles
The film follows a chaotic, tender Iranian family that takes a road trip across the rugged landscape of Iran to drop their eldest son off at the border. While Mother tries to keep the mood light, Father, with a cast leg in the back seat, mumbles driving instructions and their hyper energetic son dances and jumps around the car. Along the way, they fuss over the sick dog in the boot and get on each others' nerves but simultaneously they bond over memories of the past and grapple with fears of the unknown as they prepare to part with one of their own.
“a striking feature debut with this charming, sharp-witted, and deeply moving comic drama."
Winner of BEST FILM – London Film Festival 2021
Winner of Silver Screen Award for best film - Singapore International Film Festival, 2021.
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PTz6Dzsv6A
Hit The Road
Director: Panah Panahi
2021 / Iran / 94m / PG / Drama / Parsi with English subtitles
The film follows a chaotic, tender Iranian family that takes a road trip across the rugged landscape of Iran to drop their eldest son off at the border. While Mother tries to keep the mood light, Father, with a cast leg in the back seat, mumbles driving instructions and their hyper energetic son dances and jumps around the car. Along the way, they fuss over the sick dog in the boot and get on each others' nerves but simultaneously they bond over memories of the past and grapple with fears of the unknown as they prepare to part with one of their own.
“a striking feature debut with this charming, sharp-witted, and deeply moving comic drama."
Winner of BEST FILM – London Film Festival 2021
Winner of Silver Screen Award for best film - Singapore International Film Festival, 2021.
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PTz6Dzsv6A
Sunday 7th August - 4pm
Compartment No 6
Sunday, 7th August – 4pm
Compartment No 6
Director: JUHO KUOSMANEN
2021 / ESTONIA, FINLAND, GERMANY, RUSSIA / 107m / MA15+ / Drama / Finnish and Russian with English subtitles
A poignant, quirky love story that shared the prestigious Grand Prix at Cannes 2021. Compartment No. 6, like all great train movies, is full of humour and romance, and complete with surprises. The story tells of a Finnish woman who escapes a love affair in Moscow and connects with a Russian miner she meets in a small train compartment on the way to the Arctic port of Murmansk. They’re divided by class, nationality, and language. This is a charming, captivating film that follows two strangers who form an unexpected bond.
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=itL_GpBalA4
Compartment No 6
Director: JUHO KUOSMANEN
2021 / ESTONIA, FINLAND, GERMANY, RUSSIA / 107m / MA15+ / Drama / Finnish and Russian with English subtitles
A poignant, quirky love story that shared the prestigious Grand Prix at Cannes 2021. Compartment No. 6, like all great train movies, is full of humour and romance, and complete with surprises. The story tells of a Finnish woman who escapes a love affair in Moscow and connects with a Russian miner she meets in a small train compartment on the way to the Arctic port of Murmansk. They’re divided by class, nationality, and language. This is a charming, captivating film that follows two strangers who form an unexpected bond.
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=itL_GpBalA4
SUNDAY 7th AUGUST - 6:15PM
A Stasi Comedy
Sunday, 7th August – 6.15pm
A Stasi Comedy
Director: LEANDER HAUSSMANN
2022 / Germany / 115m / 18+ / Comedy / German (English subtitles)
In this hilarious story set in 1980’s communist East Germany, Ludger is hired by the Stasi to infiltrate an East Berlin district known for its counterculture scene and home to artists, bohemians and free-thinking radicals. After falling in love with the mysterious Nathalie and sleeping with his first target (and later his wife), Corinna, Ludger ends up living two lives - one as an underground poet and one as a Stasi agent.
Decades later, Ludger is confronted with the possibility of his secret Stasi past coming to light. When he retrieves his file, his hope of quietly reading about who spied and informed on him in the GDR is sabotaged by Corinna. During a surprise family party, everyone browses through the impressively thick file, until Corinna finds a love letter to Ludger that she did not write!
Peppered with nostalgia, secrets and a good dose of self-irony, A STASI COMEDY contends that 30 years on, it's ok to finally poke fun at the Stasi.
7:00PM SATURDAY 13th August AT THE Bob Wood Cultural Centre, Sarina
Licorice Pizza - CANCELLED
REELS TO REEF PROJECT - OPTIONAL BUS AND MEAL
PACKAGEAVAILABLE**
1:30PM Sunday 25th September at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre
Parallel Mothers
Two women, Janis and Ana, coincide in a hospital room where they are going to give birth. Both are single and became pregnant by accident. Janis, middle-aged, doesn't regret it and she is exultant. The other, Ana, an adolescent, is scared, repentant and traumatized. Janis tries to encourage her while they move like sleepwalkers along the hospital corridors. The few words they exchange in these hours will create a very close link between the two, which by chance develops and complicates, and changes their lives in a decisive way.
The Reels to Reef project is sponsored by the Australian Government Regional Arts Fund and Flying Arts Alliance. |