Still: Occupied City - Steve McQueen

Oscar winner Steve McQueen's epic work Occupied City, which uncovers WWII histories hidden in plain sight, is selected for the Documentaries programme strand. It world premiered as a Special Screening at Cannes and screened at Telluride Film Festival (among others). The documentary is based on the book Atlas of an Occupied City by Bianca Stigter and is produced by Family Affair Films, sales are handled by A24.

All We Imagine As Light* (NL Co-prod.: BALDR Film, Sales: Luxbox) by Payal Kapadia was the first Indian film to screen in Cannes competition in 30 years, where it won the Grand Prix in Cannes Official Selection. It is now part of Melbourne's Headliners programme strand. A sensuous tale of two nurses, their romantic entanglements and a mystical trip to the coast.

Hala Elkoussy's second feature film East of Noon can be found in the Africa & Middle East programme. The film premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and is produced by vriza productions & seriousFilm. Netherlands-based Egyptian director talked to SEE NL about her film before Cannes.

One of Melbourne's 'Bright Horizons' is Sweet Dreams** by Ena Sendijarevic, which has received awards at the festivals of Locarno and Chicago, won six Golden Calves at the Netherlands Film Festival and was the Netherlands’ entry to the Oscars last year. The film combines unforgiving satire with lavish aesthetics in an audacious tale of the tragic and delicious demise of European Colonialism. It is produced by Lemming Film (sales: Heretic). We interviewed actress Renée Soutendijk about her award winning role in the film.

VR participator in MIFF XR is a previous Venice Immersive alumni: Shadowtime*** (prod. Institute of Time) by Sister Sylvester (Kathryn Hamilton) & Deniz Tortum. We interviewed Hamilton about the work in which a mysterious guide leads you through questions around the climate crisis, irreconcilable realities, and the virtual as a place to take shelter.

Winner of the Berlinale’s Teddy Award for Best Short Film, Grandmamauntsistercat by Zuza Banasińska, is included in MIFF Shorts. It is created with materials from the Polish Educational Archive and tells the story of a matriarchal family through the eyes of a child grappling with the reproduction of ideological and representational systems. SEE NL spoke to Zuza before Berlin.

For more information on Melbourne International Film Festival, click here.

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*Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund
**Film is supported by the Production Incentive
*** Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund and Creative Industries Fund (Immerse\Interact)