The 2025 edition of the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is happening from August 7 to 24, with more than 275 films, shorts, and immersive experiences lighting up cinemas across the city, regional Victoria, and online. Now in its 73rd year, the festival promises a bold, genre-spanning lineup that’s as much about cinematic spectacle as it is about cultural conversation.
Leading the charge is the world premiere of Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Man, Andrew Farrell’s follow-up to Working Class Boy. This documentary offers an intimate look at Barnes’ rise from Glasgow tenements to Aussie rock royalty, featuring never-before-seen footage and candid interviews.
Music lovers are in for a treat with the Music on Film program, presented by RRR. Highlights include Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements, a meta-doc on the ’90s indie icons starring Joe Keery as Stephen Malkmus; Move Ya Body: The Birth of House, celebrating Chicago’s dance revolution; and It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, Amy Berg’s exploration of the singer’s enduring legacy.
Two standout Sound and Screen events will blend live music with cinema: Julia Holter will perform a live score to Dreyer’s silent classic The Passion of Joan of Arc, and Parasite Live in Concert will feature composer Jung Jae-il conducting Orchestra Victoria through his Oscar-winning score.
The Bright Horizons Competition returns with ten films vying for the $140,000 prize, the richest feature film award in the Southern Hemisphere. The jury is led by Aftersun director Charlotte Wells.
Australian cinema is well-represented with titles like Went Up The Hill starring Dacre Montgomery and Vicky Krieps, We Bury the Dead featuring Daisy Ridley and Mark Coles Smith, and the WWII horror Beast of War.
For the first time, MIFF partners with the AFL to present Footy Shorts, a gala screening of five new documentaries exploring Australian rules football from fresh perspectives.
Tickets go on sale to MIFF Members from July 10 to 14, and to the general public from July 15. Explore the full program at miff.com.au.
