A letter from the Festival Director

Welcome to the world of the "Melbourne Underground Film Festival" [MUFF].
To borrow a phrase from Big Kev... "We're excited". After the initial ground roots rebellion success of our first MUFF in the year 2000, we have planted fresh seeds to develop the MUFF concept and explore its synergy. We are moving toward MUFF's potentiality of Being to become the most authentic and daring festival on the Australian film landscape.

MUFF aims to be underground in the sense that it is attuned to the wellspring of new talent that is breeding in the backwaters of Australian cinema culture. This underground will of course eventually become mainstream as these directors, producers and artists are embraced by the industry and the synthesis of industry standards and new creativity becomes manifest. Examples of this commercial crossover are "Pi," "Reservoir Dogs," "Blair Witch Project," "Memento," "Romper Stomper," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "The Killer" to name a few from the past decade. We oppose film mediocrity and will keep a sharp eye on Australia and its position as a new Utopia for film kultur.

Australian Film has wallowed in complacency since its Renaissance in the 1970's... apart from some out of the blue break through hits. MUFF is an initiative to help change that complacency through providing a forum devoid of dull ideology, that embraces new ideas and new talent. The art form is only 100 years old folks... much great original work remains to be done. Australia is positioned perfectly geographically, technically and talent-wise to be a major force in the growing new world cinema. We're here to give our young filmmakers a voice for their originality, and MUFF will grow in 2001 and over the coming couple of years to become Australia's most daring and original, i.e. best! film festival.

We have a dedicated team that is growing hungrily and we have the vision to get MUFF where it needs to go.

Viva la causa

Richard Wolstencroft, Festival Director