Guest Speakers at MIFF

With 20 days to opening night, the list of local and international guests at this year's Melbourne International Film Festival has just been released. The MIFF press release is as follows:

INTERNATIONAL & LOCAL FILMMAKERS DESCEND ON MIFF

MELBOURNE, Thursday 5, July 2007 – With only three weeks until the 56th Melbourne International Film Festival opens at the Regent Theatre with Sicko, the festival is pleased to announce an exciting line-up of international and local guests.

In the first week of the festival, guests include:

• Stephen Kijack (July 25– July 29). Director of Scott Walker: 20^th Century Man, which looks at one of the great voices of his generation. Scott Walker went from superstardom in ‘60s sensation The Walker Brothers to one of the most talked-about disappearing acts in pop history – this film shows it all.
• Vivacious director Anna Biller will be accompanied by actor, Jared Sanford (July 25 – August 1) to present Viva – a lurid tribute to sexploitation cinema of the ‘60s and ‘70s;
• MIFF Accelerator alumni, Ben Hackworth returns to MIFF with his debut feature film, Corroboree.
• Tom Kalin (July 26 – 29) will arrive in town for the Australian premiere of Savage Grace, which stars Julianne Moore and follows the story of a society murder that had the world talking on both sides of the Atlantic.
• Jonathan King (July 26 – 30) presents his comedy-horror film, Black Sheep, which will no doubt have audiences in squeals of horror and delight.
• MIFF favourite Taika Waititi (July 27 - 30) returns to MIFF with his debut feature, Eagle Vs. Shark – New Zealand’s answer to Napoleon Dynamite.
• Judy Menczel and Con Anemogiannis will present The Book that Shook the World, an investigation of the repressive censorship laws under which Australians lived in the 60s/70s.
• Kriv Stenders will be in town for his latest feature, Boxing Day – a claustrophobic character piece with tension wound so tight it’s sure to snap.
• Simon Nasht will present Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and the Furious Life of Errol Flynn;
• David Valach (July 28 – August 2) will present his film, My Father, My Lord, about a Rabbi whose faith is tested when fate deals him a cruel blow.
• Ethan Hawke (July 29) will present his film, The Hottest State, based on his novel about first love and heartache.
• Photographer Donovan Wylie whose film, The Train, screens as part of the Magnum in Motion programme;
• and Paul Cox will present Kalaupapa Heaven, a documentary about the leper community on the island of Molokai.

The second slate of guests includes:

• Lucille Desoto Clements will arrive to screen the World Premiere of Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw, an on-the-road documentary tracing the hidden passions and industry esteem of Australian rock band Rose Tattoo.
• Natasha Gadd and Rhys Graham will present their documentary about Australian hip hop, Words From the City.
• Lawrence Johnston’s Night will have its World Premiere in the second week of the festival with the filmmakers in attendance.
• Peter Carstairs will bring the World Premiere of his debut feature September – the first film made with the Tropfest production fund.
• Robert Sarkies (August 3 – 5) who arrives to present Out of the Blue, an edge-of-the-seat drama of courage and heroism.
• Anna Broinowski will present her documentary, Forbidden Lie$ about Norma Khouri, who conned the world into thinking she was a Jordanian virgin on the run from Islamic extremists.
• Bob Ellis presents the World Premiere of Run Rabbit Run, an intimate portrayal of SA premiere, Mike Rann.
• Tony Ayres will be in Melbourne for his autobiographical film, Home Song Stories.
• Tim Slade will present 4, a documentary about Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
• Luke Walker and Melissa Maclean will present the World Premiere of Beyond Our Ken, an in-depth look into the cult, Kenja.
• Oscar Redding will present the World Premiere of The Tragedies of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark – a modern day tale set in Bourke Street Mall;
• Steve Thomas, whose documentary Hope, will have its World Premiere at MIFF.