The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) has announced the jury for the prestigious $140,000 Bright Horizons Award, and the nominees for the newly created Uncle Jack Charles Award.
Jury and Nominees for Bright Horizons Award
The Bright Horizons Award is given to a first or second-time filmmaker for excellence in direction.
Read: MIFF 2024: Bright Horizons Competition and Award films
Filmmaker Ivan Sen will lead the jury as president, joined by US writer/director David Lowery, Academy Award-winning costume designer Deborah Scott, actress Jillian Nguyen, and Indonesian film producer Yulia Evina Bhara.
‘Bright Horizons is the place to go for auteurs on the ascent – a renowned line-up of filmmakers announcing themselves on the global stage, alongside the incredible opportunity for Melbourne audiences to meet many of them at MIFF,’ MIFF’s Artistic Director Al Cossar said.
‘Presided over by an esteemed Jury of attending cinema visionaries from all around the world, the competition again presents some of the year’s most essential and anticipated moviegoing. Bright Horizons’ 2024 edition is set to celebrate those new voices set to become major talents and the future of filmmaking itself.’
Read: MIFF 2024: Australian films
The nominees for the Bright Horizons award are:
- Inside by Charles Williams
- Good One by India Donaldson
- Hoard by Luna Carmoon
- Janet Planet by Annie Baker
- Julie Keeps Quiet by Leonardo Van Dijl
- Sweet Dreams by Ena Sendijarević
- Universal Language by Matthew Rankin
- The Village Next to Paradise by Mo Harawe
- Flow by Gints Zilbalodis
- On Becoming a Guinea Fowl by Rungano Nyoni.
The jury will meet in person during the festival to deliberate, and the winners will be announced at the MIFF Awards ceremony on 24 August .
Uncle Jack Charles Award
This year, MIFF is introducing the Uncle Jack Charles Award, formerly known as the First Nations Film Creative Award, to honor the legacy of the celebrated actor, author, and activist who passed away in 2022.
Nominees for the $20,000 cash prize and $25,000 in financial services from Kearney Group include:
- Jon Bell (The Moogai)
- Semara Jose (Voice)
- Danielle MacLean (Like My Brother)
- Jake Duczynski (Magic Beach)
- April Phillips (kajoo yannaga [come on let’s walk together]).
The jury for this award features VicScreen production executive Davey Thompson, Kamilaroi actor and writer Thomas Weatherall, and Anmatyerr film veteran and producer Trisha Morton-Thomas.
Other Awards
Other notable awards at MIFF 2024 include the $70,000 Blackmagic Design Australian Innovation Award, recognizing excellence in directing, technical, or creative fields. Nominees for this award are Jaydon Martin (Flathead), Audrey Lam (Us and the Night), Steven Boyle (The Demon Disorder), and Adam Elliot (Memoir of a Snail).
The MIFF Shorts Awards, Audience Award, and MIFF Schools Youth Jury Award will also return as part of the festival, running from 8-25 August 2024.
For more information, visit the MIFF website.
