"2013 has been a very successful festival boasting more than 170 sold out sessions," said MIFF Artistic Director Michelle Carey. "It's very heartening to see audiences embracing the program and engaging with our guests both through Q&As and the Talking Pictures program."The Age newspaper critics, comprising Philippa Hawker, Jake Wilson and Craig Matheison, presented the MIFF Premiere Fund-supported These Final Hours with a $5000 cash prize and the title of best Australian feature at MIFF 2013, while fellow MIFF Premiere Fund title In Bob We Trust was hailed by Jake Wilson as "one of the best Australian films of any kind in years."
Highlights of the 2013 festival included:
The World Premiere season of the MIFF Premiere Fund-supported Tim Winton's The Turning, which set MIFF records of five sell-out screenings, including its debut as this year's MIFF Centrepiece Gala, where 16 of the 18 directors were present plus actors and producers for a total of 65 guests. Stay tuned to ScreenAnarchy for a review of this groundbreaking film.
Celebrating the 10th birthday of emerging director workshop MIFF Accelerator with a record 16 features from Accelerator alumni in the MIFF screening program, including Zak Hilditch's These Final Hours and fellow MIFF Premiere Fund-supported films Galore (Rhys Graham) and Aim High in Creation! (review here).
Some 110 guests who took part in 69 Q&As. A massive Talking Pictures program, featuring 85 panelists.
On closing night, the TeleScope Award was presented by the Film Critics Circle of Australia to Danish film Northwest (trailer here). TeleScope is MIFF's curated program of film from the European Union run in conjunction with Festival Scope.
The hotly contested audience favorites were tallied online and were divided into features and documentaries as follows...
Top 10 Features
1. The Rocket
2. The Past
3. The Broken Circle Breakdown
4. Wadjda
5. Approved for Adoption
6. The Patience Stone
7. Blancanieves
8. A Hijacking
9. Touch of The Light
10.Omar
Top 10 Documentaries
1. The Crash Reel
2. Valentine Road
3. Gore Vidal
4. In Bob We Trust
5. Cosmic Psychos
6. Lygon Street - Si Parla Italiano
7. The Punk Singer
8. The Sunnyboy
9. Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer
10.Village at the End of the World