Celebrate all things women with the annual Melbourne Women in Film Festival (MWFF). The festival is back for its eighth celebration of filmmaking by women and gender-diverse people. This year, the festival’s focus is on how filmmakers respond to their physical and sociocultural environments through storytelling.
A mix of live and online screenings, panel discussions and workshops will unpack these elements of storytelling from March 21-25 at ACMI. The climate crisis, sustainability and contemporary social and cultural environments will all be under the spotlight.
The festival’s opening night screening on Thursday, March 21 will be a showing of Winhanganha, by acclaimed Wiradjuri artist Jazz Money. The film is named for the Wiradjuri language word meaning ‘remember, know, think’ and it offers a poetic exploration of storytelling and resistance. After the screening, Jazz Money will host a Q and A session for attendees.
Closing night on Monday, March 25 will showcase Memory Film: a Filmmaker’s Diary. This Australian documentary by Jeni Thornley chronicles decades worth of activism, traversing themes including love, the pain and pleasure of motherhood and gender fluidity. Again, there’ll be a Q and A session to round out the night.
In between, catch unorthodox documentary Carbon: the Unauthorised Biography (narrated in first person by Succession’s Sarah Snook), or Outback drama The Royal Hotel. If short films are more your style, book in for the Freshly Squeezed Shorts or Next Gen Shorts sessions.
Tickets for the Melbourne Women in Film Festival are on sale now here, where you can also view the full festival program.