MELBOURNE, Monday 18 July, 2005 — Australia's most prestigious film event, the 54th Melbourne International Film Festival, will open on Wednesday night at the Village City Centre, proudly hosted by The Monthly. Screening more than 420 films from 50 countries, this year's Festival promises to inspire and challenge film-lovers with an astounding selection of films over the next 19 days.
Internationally and locally acclaimed filmmakers and actors will be walking the red carpet, including the cast and crew of the Opening Night film Little Fish ; Director Rowan Woods, Screenwriter Jacquelin Perske, Producers Liz Watts, Richard Keddie and Vincent Sheehan and stars of the film Hugo Weaving, Noni Hazlehurst, Joel Tobeck, Lisa McCune and Daniela Farinacci. Accompanying the Little Fish team will be Director and Producer of the Opening Night Short film Tama Tu, Taika Waititi and Ainsley Gardiner, who were nominated for an Academy Award earlier this year, for last year's Opening Night Short Film, Two Cars, One Night. International guests include UK dark wave electronic duo Klive and Nigel Humberstone from In the Nursery here to perform a live score to Electric Edwardians; Three of Hearts: A Post-modern Family's filmmaker Sarie Horowtz and South Korean filmmaker, Choi Dong Hun who directed The Big Swindle.
Australian filmmakers and actors include Director/Writer Greg McLean, Producer David Lightfoot, and stars Cassandra McGrath, Kestie Morassi and Andy McPhee (Wolf Creek), Sarah Watt and William McInnes (Look Both Ways), Stuart McDonald, Beth Frey and Emily Browning (Stranded), James Clayden (The Marey Project), Tom Zubrycki (Vietnam Symphony), Tony Krawitz (Jewboy) Dean Rabaiov (Under the City), Nicholas Hansen (Rash), Paul Cox (The Remarkable Mr. Kaye), David Shea (Symphony of Scenes) and Scott Ryan and Nash Edgerton (The Magician).
MIFF is also thrilled to welcome local industry stalwarts Tom Long, Alkinos Tsilimidos, Dan Spielman, Clara Law and Eddie Fong, Bud Tingwell, Paul Grabowsky, Adam Elliot, Jan Sardi, Ana Kokkinos, Greg Stitch, Fred Schepsi, Jan Chapman, Bill Hunter, John Brumpton, Victoria Hill, Kerry Armstrong, Sigrid Thornton, Gary Sweet, Angus Sampson and Stephen Curry.
MIFF also welcomes distinguished guests; Mr Premier, the Honourable Steve Bracks, the Honourable John Brumby, the Honourable Mary Delahunty, the Honourable Peter Batchelor, the Honourable Lynne Kosky, the Honourable Marsha Thomson, the Honourable John Pandazopoulos, Senator the Honourable Rod Kemp, the Deputy Lord Mayor Mr Gary Singer and Melbourne City Councillors.
