2024 9th Edition entries open
Now ranked as the #1 Melbourne Film Festival and Most Anticipated Melbourne Film Festival by Time Out for 2023! Google has ranked as 15th Best Documentary Film Festival in the world! Or the top 20 in the world!
We are very excited to announce that the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival has shown 7 documentaries that are eligible to compete for Best Feature Documentary at the 2024 Oscars – the highest number from any Australian Documentary Film Festival. It’s interesting to note that all of the documentaries selected are also Film Freeway Submissions!!
https://www.thewrap.com/documentaries-oscar-race-list-2023/
The festival is effortlessly diverse in a natural and authentic way and has a positive energy and vibe about it, as we are about acceptance. The festival has inspired over 30 people to visit Australia, inspired 5 people to start their own festivals and 6 filmmakers have felt inspired to make their own documentaries because of the festival – that’s leadership! Melbourne Documentary Film Festival authentic commitment to supporting and uplifting marginalized communities has elevated MDFF to be one of the great Australian Film Festivals!
We especially back mavericks, independent and creative thinkers pushing the documentary genre forward. The documentaries we play are simply discussion points to allow critical discussion, debate and independent thinking. It’s not to lecture, or virtue signal
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival was only event in the Southern Hemisphere to put on a screening event in solidarity for the SAG/AFTRA strike. Our position on the Middle East situation is release the hostages, and also ceasefire with no civilian, journalist, aid worker or children deaths on either side and peace in the region. Antisemitism and Islamophobia have no place at our festival.
From supporting local and hosting international Filmmakers, helping with World and Australian premieres, to feedback on documentaries, help with DCPs and Masterclasses, it is what we do!
Melbourne’s local doco fest. The Southern Hemisphere’s coolest documentary film festival!
Vivienne Westwood, King Crimson, George Gittoes, Tendechi Trucks, Penelope Spheeris, Jason Mamoa, Rosario Dawson, A-Ha, Eric Roberts, Mel Brooks, Daniel Day-Lewis, Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Guillermo Del Toro, Robert Fripp, Paton Oswalt, Nichola Meyer, John Hiatt, Jerry Douglas, In Hearts Wake, Paul Mcgann, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Banksy, Octavia Spencer, Liza Minelli, Leon Mackenzie, Marlee Matlin, Declan Kelly, Lyle Lovett, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Tony Barry and that’s just the 7th edition.
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival is an indie festival providing support and encouragement and helping propel filmmakers onto Netflix, SBS, ABC or getting their own limited theatrical run at the cinema, through their own talents, hard work and determination!
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival is the in-house documentary film festival for Cinema Nova (Australia’s Best Independent Cinema 2023) the largest independent cinema in the Southern Hemisphere. Join us on the Purple carpet at the Purple Palace, or on the jumbo screen in Federation Square! We give filmmakers great opportunities, what you do with these opportunities is up to you!
Each year we have a stellar line up of documentaries and celebrate with a fun party atmosphere at the cinema with popcorn, choc tops and curated cocktails! Join us on an adventure!
In compliance with Covid Safe Events Victoria for the last 3 years we have had no reported cases of Covid 19 at our documentary events in Melbourne, Australia! We also started trialling bringing out international travellers to Melbourne again in a safe, pragmatic way. We put on a fun, safe event!
One of the most meaningful things about our festival is that 5 filmmakers over the last 7 years have been inspired to create their very first documentary because of our festival.
What we are most proud of is that we play compelling, authentic, genuine and nuanced stories from filmmakers from around the world. We give so many documentary filmmakers a voice and a platform to screen their work in Australia.
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival is respectful of differing points of view, personal beliefs, faiths, perspectives and political opinions but critical on issues and encourages the audience to draw their own conclusions and be independent and critical thinkers. We believe in humanity.
For more information, visit Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
