Film festivals are a great way to elevate your movie-watching experience. There is a lot of excitement around seeing the latest movies before they go mainstream. The movie festivals being held in Melbourne and Victoria this year feature movies from Australia as well as many others from Europe and America. These film festivals are also a great way to watch movies you might not hear or know about any other way. So, which film festivals are coming to Melbourne and Victoria this year?
Melbourne Documentary Festival
Date: 24 – 27 October 2022
Venue: Classic Cinema and online
Website: https://www.jiff.com.au/
Tickets: https://www.classiccinemas.com.au/events/armageddon-time-jiff-opening-night
The Jewish film festival has been around for more than 30 years, and it is meant to showcase the best of Jewish films. This year, the festival features 52 films from all over the world. You can enjoy deep dives, comedies, true stories, and various movies from other genres.
While all the movies will be available through Classic Cinema, some titles will be released online for your enjoyment.
Apart from Jewish movies, the festival will also include the screening of different Israeli films, presentations, and special screenings.
Japanese Film Festival
Date: 18 November – 5 December 2022
Venue: Various venues around Melbourne
Website: https://japanesefilmfestival.net/
Tickets: https://japanesefilmfestival.net/tickets/
The Japanese film festival is brought to you by The Japanese Film Foundation, which has its headquarters in Sydney. Also known as “J-Film”, this film festival brings you stories from the west and the east. The festival will be touring different cities in Australia including Melbourne.
The main attraction is the screenings, which will include animation and action. There will also be comedies, thrillers, documentaries, and thrillers being screened. The festival will start with various outdoor screening sessions before moving indoors for a more intimate experience.
Ali Italian Film Festival
Date: 13 September – 16 October
Venue: Palace Cinemas
Address: The Aston Theatre, Palace Baldwin, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Kino Cinema, Cinema Nova, Pentridge Cinema, Palace Westgarth
Website: https://www.italianfilmfestival.com.au/
Tickets: https://www.italianfilmfestival.com.au/eticket-bundle
The St. Ali Italian Film Festival will be beginning a taste of Italy on the Australian shores this September. The festival will feature movies from different genres including documentaries, romance, tragedy, comedy, and drama.
This is the biggest Italian film festival outside Venice and there is a lot to be excited about. You can visit the festival’s website if you would like to watch trailers of some of the films and special screenings that you can expect during the festival.
British Film Festival
Date: 19 October – 16 November
Venue: Palace Cinemas
Website: https://britishfilmfestival.com.au/
Tickets: https://britishfilmfestival.com.au/eticket-bundle
The British Film Festival celebrates the British film industry on Australian soil. This year, the festival brings you 37 exceptional films from different genres. The organisers say that the list of films will feature some actors you might know about and some of the emerging talent in Britain and across the world.
Perhaps the biggest reason to go to this year’s festival is the Bond showcase. James Bond will be on the big screen as the festival seeks to celebrate over 60 years of Bond films. Attendees will also get an opportunity to enter a draw where they get a chance to win an 8-night, all-expenses-paid cruise from Sydney to Tasmania.
Flickerfest
Date: 17 February to 17 October
Venue: Select venues across Australia
Address: Bell, Wandoan, Cairns, Bondi Pavilion, Merimbula, Burnett Heads, Mullum, Warra, Meandarra
Website: https://flickerfest.com.au/tour/
Tickets: Ticket information and availability are only available at the physical locations
Flickerfest started as a short film festival in Bondi Beach over 30 years ago and has grown to become one of the biggest film festivals in Australia. The festival is a celebration of the different short films from Australia and the rest of the world selected from its competition.
While the main tour is for 10 days at Bondi Beach, the festival tours the rest of Australia until the middle of October. Because this festival tours the whole of Australia, you do not have to travel far to see the short films highlighted because it will be coming to a town or city near you soon. Check the festival website for a list of venues and dates near you.
Irish Film Festival
Date: 30 September to 15 October
Venue: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra, and online
Website: https://irishfilmfestival.com.au/
Tickets: https://online.irishfilmfestival.com.au/
The Irish Film Festival is a not-for-profit event that started screening in Sydney in 2015. The festival has expanded enough that it now has screenings all over Australia. The festival is supported by the Irish Embassy and Consulate and it aims to showcase the best of Irish culture.
The festival this year will include 6 new online titles and 6 cinema titles that you might have missed because they came out in the last year or so. If you decide to follow the festival online, you can choose from four additional bundles—women’s voices, documentary, online exclusive, and full festival—all of which have additional content.
You can visit the Irish Film Festival website to learn more about the lineup, films that will be screened as well as what the different bundles have to offer audiences.
Greek Film Festival
Date: 13 to 23 October
Venue: Palace Norton Street
Website: https://greekfilmfestival.com.au
Tickets: https://greekfilmfestival.com.au/melbourne/tickets
The Greek Film Festival is back in 2022 in an in-person format to celebrate the best classic and contemporary Greek cinema. There are 13 films being showcased this year at the Palace Norton Street cinema. These include three documentaries and diverse films that are part of the student film festival portion. There will also be time dedicated to local art and films as well as generational history entries.
This year’s festival is also happening on the 100th anniversary of the Greco-Turkish War (the Asia Minor Catastrophe), which is described as one of the most significant events in the region. You can get more information as well as ticketing information for the various venues on the Greek Film Festival website.
Palestinian Film Festival
Date: 2 to 20 November
Venue: Various locations around Australia
Website: https://www.palestinianfilmfestival.com.au/
The Palestinian Film Festival Australia was pushed back due to the pandemic, but it is now back with in-person screenings organised for this November. The festival focuses on showcasing the best stories from Palestinian cinema.
Those who attend will be treated to over 10 films from the Palestinian community both inside Australia and from all over the world. The festival is also meant to celebrate the Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people who have been supporting the Palestinian community in their regions.
The festival is open to all artists of Palestinian origins, with diverse views and experiences welcomed on the screens at the festival.
The Palestinian Film Festival Australia is a social impact event that is meant to promote the Palestinian culture, art, experiences, and life.
The different film festivals happening in Melbourne and Victoria in the next few months give you a unique experience to see films from all over the world and to experience art and culture from these different regions. You also get to see films that you would have otherwise have missed out on and that might be coming to the theatre before everyone else. What a wonderful opportunity for film buffs!