MIFFPlay and the VCA partner to showcase short films
More than 40 graduating shorts films by Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) Film and Television students will be showcased on MIFFPlay, the digital platform of the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), in an extension of the ongoing partnership deal between MIFF and University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Music.
In August 2020, a program of eight retrospective VCA short films were screened online as part of MIFF 68 ½, garnering almost 15,000 unique views in a two-week period. In September, films from the graduating class of 2020 – many of which experienced delays in production due to Covid restrictions in Melbourne – will be showcased in a special out-of-season presentation on the MIFF online platform, free to view for a two-week period in September. This will be followed in February 2022 by films from the 2021 graduating cohort.
“This is a unique opportunity for our students’ graduating films to be showcased to MIFF’s audience, as well as to their friends and family,” said Head of Film and Television at the VCA Andrew O’Keefe. “The disruption brought about by Covid has made life very difficult for everyone, including filmmakers, but the films our students have produced make it clear that creativity and visual storytelling are as strong and vital as ever. Having Australia’s finest film school and its premiere film festival showcasing Australia’s most exciting emerging filmmakers is just incredible and I am very proud of what this represents.”
MIFF Programmer (Shorts and VR) Mia Falstein-Rush echoed O’Keefe’s sentiment: “The success of our pivot in 2020 to MIFF 68½, particularly in the record-number of ticketholders for the free Shorts Program, demonstrated the appetite for bite-sized storytelling. The quality of films coming out of VCA year-on-year are always a step above, and I have no doubt audiences will unearth some absolute gems from this year’s cohort. We’re proud to be partnering with VCA to present their graduate films Australia-wide.”
“Prominent themes in this year’s films include isolation, love, existential dread, family, trauma, and self-discovery”, said Screen Production Coordinator at the VCA CJ Welsh. “Many were made either in isolation or under strict Covid restrictions which led to impressive levels of creativity and problem solving. Each film is a testament to the drive and passion of the cast and crew and we can’t wait for audiences to experience these terrific films.”