Curated by Richard Wolstencroft. Notes by RW and David Valkenet.
MUFF's wild, wonderful and woolly winter selection of Indy and guerilla cinema treats, from both local and overseas sources is here in 2011 to delight, enlight, charm and surprise the cinematically adventurous.
Jury Statement
[aka Jimmy The Exploder]
I'm not sure whether Richard Wolstencroft is a genius or a
madman. I suspect the latter. But when homeboy screened Bruce
La Bruce's banned feature L.A. Zombie last year he won severe
kudos from those of us that abhor censorship. The OFLC can eat
a bowl of dicks before it dictates to me what I can and can't watch.
And in an age where arthouse cinemas play studio-pics-in-disguise
and 'festival' films star George Clooney - hell even our porn is pube
free - WE NEED MUFF!
I'm honoured to join some of my antiheroes Bruce La Bruce,
Bret Easton Ellis, Lloyd Kaufman and Ron Jeremy, in being the
latest guest of MUFF. Twelve years speaks for itself. Let's tear
this fucking shit apart!
Jimmy The Exploder
Jimmy The Exploder is an AFI Award winning filmmaker who
wrote and co-produced The Black Balloon. He will direct his
zombie rockumentary Sex, Brains & Rock n' Roll next year.
The Devil’s 6 Commandments
Action Thriller × AUS × 83 mins
Dog's Bar × Monday 22 August × 9pm
On the verge of committing suicide after being brutally
raped by thugs, Nina is persuaded by Ares, her
psychotic step brother to track down the thugs and
torture them. As they set out on their mission Nina and
Ares encounter Trevor Moretti, a rogue cop who helps
their cause; Albert Pike, a homophobic multi millionaire;
and Freddie Ramone, a priest with a dark past.
Boronia Backpackers
Drama × AUS × 97 mins
Memo × Saturday 27 August × 6pm
After spending years saving, Darren and Kane,
two thirty something trash & treasure salesmen,
finally get to backpack their way around the world.
Their forty something girlfriends who are left behind
decide it’s time to do the same. While Kane wants
to visit every Olympic city, Darren wants to visit
every ancient landmark. Boronia Backpackers
was filmed in over twenty countries.
Citizen Jia Li
Pop Dramedy × AUS × 78 mins
Memo × Monday 22 August × 7pm
After Jia loses both her job and home in the one day,
her life is thrown out of balance. This acts as a catalyst
for her to find her true identity. She is helped by her
friend Daisy, who is also struggling to come to terms
with her half-Chinese, half-Japanese ancestry. All the
while, Jia’s being pursued by her ex-boyfriend, Kong,
a triad. After playing at Comicon, MUFF is proud to
present the Australian Premier of Citizen Jia Li.
Q and A with the cast and crew following screening.
Come and Get Me
Horror × AUS × 86 mins
Memo × Friday 26 August × 7pm
When four girlfriends hitch a ride home, a fun girls
night out turns into a night of murder and chaos as
they are staled by three serial killers through the
dense Australian backlands. Chris Sun’s in-your-face
debut was nominated for 9 awards at the Bloodfest
Fantastique Film Festival, winning Best Director,
Special Effects, Actress and Editor. If you missed it at
Bloodfest now’s your chance to catch it at MUFF 12!
Q and A with the cast and crew following screening.
Birthday
Feature × AUS × 90 mins
Memo × Saturday 20 August × 9pm
Full of human drama, considerable wit, beauty and
eroticism, Birthday tells the story of M (Natalie
Eleftheriadis), a sex worker and an extraordinary
woman quietly reflecting on her rather un-extraordinary
25th birthday. Instead of celebrating, her day is spent
answering the silent prayers of Father Philip (Travis
McMahon), who has lost his faith, and Joey (Richard
Wilson), a young man, forgotten by the world, who has
never learned to love or even how to kiss. But M has her
own silent prayer, her own secret birthday wish. A very
accomplished new kinky sex drama from J Harkness.
A great local addition to the MUFF line up and another
MUFF 12 Must See!
Q and A with the cast and crew following screening.
F
Horror × UK × 79 mins
Memo × Saturday 20 August × 7pm
In the director’s own words: “The film is amazing – really
genuinely scary and dark. It is about a group of teachers
trapped in a school by a group of murderous hooded
kids. It focuses on a burnt out alcoholic teacher who
has to try and save his daughter Kate when the school
comes under attack by a group of hooded kids after
hours.” What he didn’t mention was that the hooded
kids are played by ‘parkour’ experts. You know that mad
Gen Y running and jumping thing? They dash around
the rafters in a dark and empty school, creating a very
creepy and intense atmosphere. Great new UK Horror
fare at MUFF 12!
Iconoclast
Documentary × AUS × 213 mins
Dog’s Bar × Wednesday 24 August × 7pm/9pm
A documentary of epic length and proportions
about the controversial life of Boyd Rice, American
underground artist/musician and fascist intellectual.
Four hours in length and six years in the making,
Iconoclast delves into Rice’s career, creative
development and mindscape. Mentor to Marilyn
Manson, friends with Charles Manson! and pioneer
of ‘noise’ music; Iconoclast is an eye-opening exposé
of ‘underground’ culture and the attraction of the
many weird worlds Boyd has explored over the years.
Presented across two sessions in two parts!
Needle
Mockumentary × AUS × 79 mins
Memo × Friday 26 August × 9pm
An antique mechanical device comes into a college
student’s possession and soon after, his circle of friends
begin to die in bizarre and terrifying ways. A great
new Australian genre effort where a college student
must unmask a killer who is harnessing deadly ancient
powers. One of MUFF 12’s must see films. With great
thespian turns from Michael Dorman and Tahyna Tozzi
and assured genre direction from John V Soto
(a MUFF 12 guest!). Join the director for an intro and
a Q and A following the film!
Die for Real
Mockumentary × AUS × 79 mins
Dog’s Bar × Tuesday 23 August × 9pm
Four teenagers drive out to the woods for a night of
camping and revelry, among them are Emily who is about
to break up with her boyfriend Adam, after accepting
her acting school offer in LA, and her two friends Jade
and Ben. To Emily’s disgust, Adam has borrowed a set
of head-mounted cameras to document their last night
together. After entering a drug-enhanced state, where
reality becomes elusive, the group are unable to discern
if noises in the woods are someone stalking them or
just their imaginations, the teenagers descend into
panic and paranoia. Die for Real is the world’s only ‘First
Person Horror Film’. An inventive new local genre treat!
2012: TIME FOR A CHANGE
Documentary × USA × 85 mins
Memo × Saturday 20 August × 5.30pm
An optimistic alternative to apocalyptic doom and gloom.
The film follows journalist Daniel Pinchbeck, author of
the bestselling 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, on a
quest for a new paradigm that integrates the archaic
wisdom of tribal cultures with the scientific method. This
is an amazing must see doco at MUFF 12. Was going to
theme MUFF 12: Paradigm Shift inspired by this film until
“Destroy…” came along. Uplifting, positive and hopeful
with a cool glum hipster host in Pinchbeck.
The Little Things
Drama × AUS × 86 mins
Memo × Monday 22 August × 9pm
The Little Things is an indie-rom-com with a supernatural
twist. Supported by an alternative soundtrack
it tells the story of a girl named Dee, who believes she
has a gift that can alter people destinies, provided she
never leaves her house. However, when her powers are
threatened by the possibility of eviction her only hope is
the first life she affected with her gift, Mitch. But he may
not be so willing to help when he finds out she’s been
manipulating his entire life.