As the year comes to a close, it’s time for the University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts class of 2023 to showcase the artwork that their creativity and hard work has produced over the course of their degrees. That includes Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Film and Television graduates, forty of who are having their final-year short films streamed for free on the Melbourne International Film Festival’s digital platform, MIFF Play, from the start of Friday December 1st until the end of Friday December 15th.
Adding up to a fitting 440 minutes of runtime total, there’s a lot to check out if you’re a completionist. Though, as is the great thing with shorts, each film also makes for a quick bite on its own, the longest clocking in at 26 minutes short and the shortest at just 3 minutes long. Chances are there will be something to your taste amongst the diverse mix of live-action and animation, fiction and documentary, which includes teen slashers, provocative mockumentaries, improvised and naturalistic personal dramas, and ranges from shorts shot on antique 16mm film to future-facing virtual production projects created with the University of Melbourne’s education partner NantStudios.
Said Head of VCA Film and Television Andrew O’Keefe: “I’m particularly excited for Australia to see the short films by our graduates. This year marks the end of a challenging educational experience for many of these filmmakers whose trajectory was abruptly and adversely affected by the global pandemic. They have all had to overcome adversity and show considerable resilience in order to present their capstone films to the nation. I am very, very proud of them and their work”.
Said MIFF Artistic Director Al Cossar: “VCA has shaped the landscape of our creativity here in Melbourne by supporting, building and showcasing the new voices of Australian cinema year after year – something we are proud to have in common here at MIFF. Through our partnership with VCA we connect industry and audiences alike to the new lineup of emerging filmmakers as they take centre stage. This event is unmissable Melbourne-made filmmaking for those who want to see what’s next for Australian film. Audiences will see the first works of the diverse student talents. Who knows, they could soon follow in the footsteps of VCA alumni legends like Gillian Armstrong, Justin Kurzel or Adam Elliot.”
You can find all of the shorts right here, profiles on the filmmakers behind them as categorised by specialisation here, and a couple of trailers for the season below. Happy watching!
MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY FILM INQUIRER 