The Melbourne Women in Film Festival returns in 2025 for another exciting year of films that will excite and inspire you. The massive line-up includes over 40 world-class features, shorts and special event screenings.
“I am thrilled to invite audiences to immerse themselves in a celebration of both emerging and established women and gender-diverse filmmakers from across the region,” said Festival Director, Sian Mitchell. “Come and discover groundbreaking new voices, hidden cinematic gems, and the powerful legacies of women’s filmmaking. This is where the future of film is being written, and we can’t wait to share it with you.”
The ninth year of the popular festival showcases female and gender-diverse filmmakers across Australia, Aoteaoroa New Zealand and Pasifika. Screenings and events will be held across ACMI and Federation Square from Thursday March 20 – Monday March 24.
Opening night will feature Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu’s We Were Dangerous (Aotearoa NZ) a powerful story about hope, girlhood and the celebration of female friendships, is set to define the tone for the festival. The wickedly funny Audrey which lit up our screens last year, the screening will be followed by a captivating panel discussion, the show is Aussie black comedy at its best and features Jackie van Beek, Hannah Diviney, Josephine Blazie and Jeremy Lindsay Taylor.
In a night of schlock, horror and gore, MWFF, in collaboration with the TILDE Film Festival, will present The Almost Midnight Movie Marathon. First up is Alice Maio Mackay’s T Blockers (Australia, 2024), a high-octane tribute to queer and genre cinema. When ancient parasites emerge to feed on hatred and infest the fearful, a struggling young trans filmmaker becomes the only one who can sense the possessed and lead the charge to stop the horror from spreading. Stick around (if you dare) for Sasha Rainbow’s debut feature, Grafted (Aotearoa NZ, 2024), where Mean Girls meets Face/Off. A disfigured Chinese scholarship student at a prestigious New Zealand university turns to terrifying science to gain the popularity she craves in this twisted tale of transformation. The Almost Midnight Movie Marathon is a blood-curdling ride not for the fainthearted.
The short film program will offer five dynamic selections that spotlight fresh talent and new ideas. Freshly Squeezed 1 and 2 will offer a curated selection of shorts to be displayed on the main screen at Fed Square showcasing the talent of female filmmakers. Next Gen Shorts highlights the next generation of filmmakers exploring womanhood, life in the suburbs of Melbourne, mother/daughter relationships and “spilling the tea” with friends. ARTRAGEOUS! will showcase experimental and avant-garde short from the 1990s and early 200s, heard to find films from Australia’s third-wave feminisim, riotgrrl and 90s surrealise revival eras. The will be followed by the MWFF Short Film Awards honouring the year’s standout filmmakers with celebrations at Cameo,ACMI. Wrapping up the shorts screening is Daydreams and Nightmares, a captivating collection of short films from emerging talent across the region.
Interactive events include Masterclass : The Art of Visual Storytelling…on a Budget – led by art department expert Lucy Gouldthorpe (Love Me, Shantaram) will teach filmmakers how to shape the look, mood and style of their stories for low-budget film and television projects. Returning to the festival is The Lifecycle of Film, co-presented by Women in Film and Television Victoria, a dynamic mentorship program with three intimate roundtable conversations led by industry experts from development to exhibition.
Melbourne Women in Film Festival is a stacked event showcasing the best and upcoming feature and short films that celebrate the women’s groundbreaking work shaping the industry’s future. You can view the full program below and get your tickets here
PROGRAM
Opening Night: We Were Dangerous | Thursday 20th March, 7pm
Reframing Audrey | Friday 21st March, 7pm
Freshly Squeezed Shorts 1 | Saturday 22nd March, 12:15pm
The Lifecycle of Film | Saturday 22nd March, 2:30pm
Next Gen Shorts | Saturday 22nd March, 4pm
The Almost Midnight Movie Marathon | Saturday 22nd March, 7pm
Fed Square Main Screen Shorts | Saturday 22nd March, 8pm
Masterclass: The Art of Visual Storytelling … on a Budget | Sunday 23rd March, 11am
ARTRAGEOUS! | Sunday 23rd March, 1:00pm
Freshly Squeezed Shorts 2 | Sunday 23rd March, 4pm
Fed Square Main Screen Shorts | Sunday 23rd March, 6pm
MWFF Short Film Awards | Sunday 23rd March, 7pm
Closing Night: Daydreams and Nightmares | Monday 24th March, 7pm
