57th MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Premio del pubblico: Wackness, di Jonathan Levine (UK), con Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby.

It’s the summer of 1994, and the streets of New York are pulsing with hip-hop. Set against this backdrop, a lonely teenager named Luke Shapiro spends his last summer before university selling marijuana throughout New York City, trading it with his unorthodox psychotherapist for treatment, while having a crush on his stepdaughter.

Miglior documentario: Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden, di Morgan Spurlock (UK)

Morgan Spurlock tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror with Arabic people.
If Morgan Spurlock has learned anything from over 30 years of movie-watching, its that if the world needs saving, its best done by one lone man willing to face danger head on to take it down, action hero style. So, with no military experience, knowledge or expertise, he sets off to do what the CIA, FBI and countless bounty hunters have failed to do: find the worlds most wanted man. Why take on such a seemingly impossible mission? Simple-he wants to make the world safe for his soon to be born child. But before he finds Osama bin Laden, he first needs to learn where he came from, what makes him tick, and most importantly, what exactly created bin Laden to begin with.

MELBOURNE, Thursday 14 August, 2008 – The Melbourne International Film Festival opened on July 25th with the World Premiere of Mark Hartley’s Not Quite Hollywood. 17 days, 280 feature films, 10 World Premieres, 81 short films, 51 international guests and 67 Australian guests later, the 57th Melbourne International Film Festival came to a close on Sunday night with a “collective screaming” of Spanish horror film, at the Greater Union cinemas.

2008 witnessed a 6% increase in box office. A greater number of available opening and closing night tickets contributed to the box office increase as well as a record number of mini passes purchased, which sold out by the first week of the festival. Demand was so great, that the Box Office had to create another allotment. Overall, attendances were up by 1.5%, totalling 185,000.

“I’d like to thank the Melbourne community for coming out again in such substantial numbers this year – its heart warming to see such support particularly in the context of an uncertain economic climate and faced with major opposition like the Olympics. As a cultural icon MIFF has firmly established itself as a true Winter Masterpiece” said Executive Director Richard Moore.

Out of 464 sessions, 91 sold out – up by 37 sessions from last year. Four of the MIFF Premiere Fund Films sold out – Not Quite Hollywood, Rock’N’Roll Nerd, Celebrity and Bastardy. One of the more popular program strands was Next Gen – in its sophomore year audiences nearly trebled. The new membership benefits program was a huge success, almost quadrupling MIFF members.

Following on from The Wackness, came Persepolis, Otto; Or Up With Dead People, Boy A, Lorna’s Silence, In Bruges, The Wave, Waltz With Bashir, Son of Rambow and Katyn. In the documentaries after Where in The World Is Osama Bin Laden came Encounters At The End of the World, A Complete History of My Sexual Failures, Rock’n’Roll Nerd, Bastardy, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S Thompson; Respect Yourself: Stax Records, Celebrity: Dominick Dunne, In My Father’s Country and MIFF Footy Shorts.