North American Premiere
During Australia’s apocalyptic bushfires in the Black Summer of 2019-2020, unprecedented destruction hit the countryside, destroying land, animals, and homes. While exploring the environmental causes and potential solutions, there’s a focus on the importance of the people at the heart of the matter. Many of the affected regions relied on volunteers—which comprised 90% of Australia’s firefighters—who put their lives and livelihoods on the line to save their communities. Celebrating the firefighters’ heroism and selfless courage, directors Justin Krook and Luke Mazzaferro then look at the aftermath, exploring the mental trauma and emotional toll of surviving where friends and family didn’t. Despite devastation and inner strife, there’s a hopeful recognition of camaraderie and duty between strangers as people work together to rebuild and recover from the wreckage. The film is a clarion call about the increasingly dangerous effects of climate change, and the communal spirit and bravery of those who stand together in the midst of a crisis serve as an inspiration.
Q&A Oct 3 & Oct 5
Media Partner
Australia
2021
English
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
There's Still Tomorrow
A critical and box office sensation in Italy, Paola Cortellesi's triumphant directorial debut is the tale of a Roman housewife in 1946, who stands up against the routine sexist abuse she suffers. Funny, heartbreaking and inspiring.
The Way, My Way
All manner of pilgrims flock to France and Spain to walk the 800 km Camino de Santiago. One such is Bill, a stroppy sexagenarian Australian filmmaker who's determined to do the Camino with minimal prep, a dickey leg, and no firm idea why.
The Stand
This rousing doc explores a 1985 dispute over logging in the Haida Gwaii. Taking us from canny retrospective commentary to the thick of the action, director Chris Auchter employs animation and a wealth of archival footage to riveting effect.
Resident Orca
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No Other Land
Deemed by many critics one of the essential films of 2024, a multiple festival award winner and Academy Award winner for Best Documentary, No Other Land is a reminder that mass expulsion is by no means a new reality for Palestinians.
Misericordia
Edgy, eccentric, and unapologetically queer, this film goes from drama to comedy without putting a foot wrong. Sex and murder are the subjects, and writer-director Alain Guiraudie (Stranger by the Lake) mines them for suspense and outrageous laughs.
Credits
Executive Producer
Rob Galluzzo
Producer
Michael Hilliard, Camilla Mazzaferro, Casey Ventura
Screenwriter
Justin Krook, Luke Mazzaferro, Nick Worthington
Cinematography
Josh Flavell
Editor
Scott Walmsley
Original Music
Matteo Zingales
Directors
Justin Krook
Documentary filmmaker Justin Krook received a Grammy nomination for his first feature, the Netflix original I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2016), which examines the life and career of DJ Steve Aoki. His subsequent feature Machine (2019) premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
Filmography: The Human Experiment (2004); Echoboom (2006); I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2016); Machine (2019)
Luke Mazzaferro
Luke Mazzaferro is a writer, producer, director, and a founding partner of FINCH, an Australian independent film production company. His feature documentary Machine (2019) premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival. He has previously worked with director Patrick Hughes on a variety of projects, including the modern western Red Hill (2010).