F.Y.I.

Melbourne International Film Fest receives 150k government investment

Melbourne International Film Festival has received an extra $150,000 in funding from the Victorian state government to improve exhibition equipment.

The announcement:

Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business Louise Asher today announced an additional $150,000 in funding for the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) to ensure its venues have up-to-date exhibition equipment for the 2012 festival.

“MIFF is a landmark on Melbourne’s events calendar, attracting people to the city day and night, and adding to our reputation as Australia’s most vibrant cultural destination,” Ms Asher said.

“As Australia’s oldest and largest film festival, MIFF is respected locally and globally for the quality and breadth of its programming.

“With films now delivered in a variety of formats, the $150,000 funding boost will ensure MIFF has the programming flexibility to show films in different formats across different venues.

“The funding will allow the 2012 MIFF to screen the most exciting program to date, securing a high number of films from the prestigious Cannes Film Festival,” Ms Asher said.

In addition to funding of $150,000 for equipment, the 2012 MIFF has also received $17,500 from the Coalition Government through Tourism Victoria’s Events Program to attract more visitors and showcase Melbourne as a leading screen culture and film capital.

Melbourne International Film Festival Chair Claire Dobbin said as a direct result of the funding, this year’s festival line-up will feature over 35 films from Cannes, a significant increase on previous years.

“The majority of these films are only available in digital cinema package (DCP) format and without these additional funds MIFF would not have been able to secure these titles,” Ms Dobbin said.

“Cinema-loving Victorians can reap the benefits of the increased diversity of films on offer.”

The 2012 festival will open with the Australian premiere of The Sapphires which recently debuted at Cannes. The Sapphires tells the story of four talented female singers from a remote Aboriginal mission in Victoria who are offered their first real gig entertaining American troops in Vietnam.

MIFF is the longest-running film festival in the Southern Hemisphere, offering filmgoers the opportunity to sample more than 300 titles annually from Australia and around the globe. MIFF also runs key government funded industry programs including MIFF Accelerator, MIFF 37ºSouth Market and the MIFF Premiere Fund.

Source: Victorian Government press release

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