The VICE Guide to the Melbourne International Film Festival

Next month the Melbourne International Film Festival returns to offer some winter relief and answer the question, why do I live in Melbourne again? But we also face the existential crisis of what we’re going to see. To help you navigate the line-up of local and overseas features, documentaries, shorts, and events, the VICE staff have pulled out a few favourites for you to check out.

If that wasn’t enough for you (jeez, ungrateful), we’re also giving away a few double passes here.

“My pick is House of Hummingbird by Bora Kim. I'm always excited to discover new independent female voices. This is her debut feature and I'm interested to see what I'm sure is a very personal story about family, culture and girlhood. I admire filmmakers who show vulnerability through their work and I can't wait to see this.”

- Lara Kose, video editor

“Sometimes you read descriptions for movies that are so particularly aligned to your interests that you start to think, 'Did they make this just for me?' That's how I felt after hearing about The Souvenir, a British coming-of-age period drama that centres on the rise and fall of a romantic relationship, and features the acting debut of Honor Swinton Byrne, who stars alongside her mother Tilda Swinton. I mean seriously, who's been reading my dream journal?”

- Mitch Parker, i-D editor

“I'm really looking forward to 4 Feet: Blind Date. Seeing a love story touching on modern themes like accessibility and anonymity in a modern medium sounds enthralling.”

- Ben Thomson, Head of Art

"I'm going to check out Judy and Punch. I'm a fan of Mirrah Foulkes's short films and Mia Wasikowska looks amazing in this. Plus some of the scenes were shot around the corner from where I was living and it was cool seeing all the actors in their weird old-timey costumes getting dinner at the local noodle shop."

- Royce Akers, Creative Director

“I want to see Bela Tarr’s Sátántangó, because why wouldn’t you want to indulge in seven hours of colourless Hungarian nihilism on a Saturday afternoon?”

- Mahmood Fazal, Staff Writer

“ Portrait Of A Lady On Fire because it's French and gay!"

- Hannah McElhinney, Senior Creative

“Peter Strickland is a film lover's filmmaker who saturates his works with knowing homages to cinema's great sub-genres. In Fabric is his latest and based on the amazing trailer, it appears to be a horror / comedy about a cursed dress with a thirst for blood. Like all his films I expect an absolute feast for the senses. It could be a total disaster, but it will definitely be heaps of fun.”

- Greg Cooper, Post Production Manager

“ Share, Pippa Bianco is a new director getting a heap of buzz in the American indie scene. I think it’ll be a tough watch, but it’s timely. I’m also excited for Them That Follow because I bloody love films set in the Appalachian Mountains about sects and cults.”

- Jess Langley, Supervising Producer

“I’m really hanging out for Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love. It’s about Leonard Cohen’s life on the island of Hydra in the 60s and his relationship with his muse Marianne Ihlen. It has everything movies need: broken hearts, good tunes, lots of partying, sad love letters, and a pretty setting. Actually, that’s what everything needs.”

- Wendy Syfret, Managing Editor

We're giving away some double passes, for your chance to grab one head here.