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P.J. Hogan’s Mental picked for MIFF closing night

P.J. Hogan’s Mental has been named as Melbourne International Film Festival’s closing night film on Saturday 18 August.

The film reunites the Muriel’s Wedding writer and director, Hogan with its star, Toni Collette.

Mental joins over 300 films including opening film, The Sapphires, about an Aboriginal all-girl singing group sent to Vietnam to entertain the troops.

MIFF’s artistic director Michelle Carey said: “How wonderful that we are able to book-end the 2012 MIFF with what will surely be two of the biggest Australian films of the year, in The Sapphires and Mental. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast, P.J. Hogan’s new film is as outrageously fun as it is smart and moving.”

The news comes at the announcement of the full program line-up.

The festival will also see a number of world premieres for Australian films including those from the Premiere Film Fund: 100 Bloody Acres, directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes; Save Your Legs! by Boyd Hicklin; and Last Dance directed by David Pulbrook as well as Lasseter’s Bones by Luke Walker; Jack Irish: Bad Debts by Jeffrey Walker and Errors of the Human Body by Eron Sheean.

Australian documentaries to have their world premieres are Make Hummus Not War directed by Trevor Graham and First Fagin by co-directors Alan Rosenthal and Helen Gaynor; and Paul Kelly: Stories of Me, which will screen in the music program, Backbeat.

 

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