Melbourne Documentary Film Festival

Opening Date: Tuesday, 15 Jul 2025

MDFF OPENING NIGHT FILM: Tuesday July 15, 6.30pm. Join filmmaker Fiona Cochrane and artist Mic Conway for a post-film Q&A! A charming portrait of brother-duo Mic and Jim Conway’s passionate journey from humble Jellybean Jug Band to now famed Captain Matc ... more

Opening Date: Tuesday, 15 Jul 2025

A collection of shorts to kick off the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival on opening night. ... more

Opening Date: Wednesday, 16 Jul 2025

Calm The F**k Down (Dir: Helen Gaynor – 40m)

In Australia, one woman is murdered by her current/former male partner every ... more

Opening Date: Wednesday, 16 Jul 2025

The Social Trap: 5 Women vs The Big 5 (Dir: Elisa Jadot – 80m) Following five women battling tech giants like Meta, The Social Trap exposes the public health crisis of screen addiction and their fight to protect children from digital harm. ... more

Opening Date: Thursday, 17 Jul 2025

Hot Water: Investigating Australia's Marine Ecosystem (Dir: Ash Dunn – 51m)

A vibrant journey across Australia’s marine wonders, Hot Water highlights ... more

Opening Date: Thursday, 17 Jul 2025

Her Shark Story (Dir: Ignacio Walker – 76m)

A young marine biologist in Galapagos reconnects with her father through their shared ... more

Opening Date: Friday, 18 Jul 2025

Goddess of Slide: The Forgotten Story of Ellen McIlwaine (Dir: Alfonso Maiorana – 90m)

The forgotten story of Ellen McIlwaine, the ... more

Opening Date: Friday, 18 Jul 2025

Disappear Here (Dir: Ben deHoedt – 91m)

The vexed question of how to live an artistic life is illustrated in DISAPPEAR ... more

Opening Date: Friday, 18 Jul 2025

Peter Doherty: Stranger In My Own Skin (Dir: Katia de Vidas – 65m)

An emotionally charged portrait of Libertines’ frontman Peter ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 19 Jul 2025

Stupa (Dir: Peter Downey – 52m)

The inside story of outsider art with Boinga Bob, an autistic artistic treasure from Australia ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 19 Jul 2025

Fire at Sea: The HMAS Westralia Disaster (Dir: David Jenkins - 82m) A gripping investigation into the 1998 HMAS Westralia ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 19 Jul 2025

Palestinians Don’t Need Sidewalks (Dir: Jill Pauline Hickson – 71m)

A raw journey through occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, this ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 19 Jul 2025

A Journey Between the Fires is a deeply personal and compelling story following Award winning singer songwriter Troy Cassar-Daley as ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 19 Jul 2025

Memory Collector (Dir: Teddy Grouya - 20m)

A part-time archivist with a passion for old home movies scours thrift stores for ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 19 Jul 2025

The Dolphin Dilemma (Dir: Olivia Andrus-Drennan – 18m)

This film explores an international collaboration that, for the first time, proves that ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 20 Jul 2025

By Far Kaymakchalan (Dir: Boris Trbić and Dragan Gavrilović – 60m)

Uncovering Australia’s forgotten WWI role alongside Serbian forces, By Far ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 20 Jul 2025

Space Cowboy (Dir: Marah Strauch and Bryce Leavitt – 95m)

An emotional odyssey of skydiving cinematographer Joe Jennings, Space Cowboy traces ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 20 Jul 2025

Reflections of Courage (Dir: Janet Shay – 48m)

Reflections of Courage is a poignant 50-minute documentary chronicling the extraordinary journey of ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 20 Jul 2025

Seen (Dir: Hailey Bartholomew – 75m)

A heartfelt exploration of self-discovery, Seen emphasizes the importance of understanding ourselves to support our ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 20 Jul 2025

The Longer You Bleed (Dir: Ewan Waddell)

This personal documentary follows displaced Ukrainians in Berlin contending with the traumatic absurdity of ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 20 Jul 2025

How to Sue the Klan (Dir: John Beder – 34m)

In 1982, five Black women from Chattanooga successfully sued the Ku ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 20 Jul 2025

Chasing Roo (Dir: Skye Fitzgerald – 34m)

An investigation into the harvesting of kangaroos in Australia, this film offers an intimate ... more

Opening Date: Tuesday, 22 Jul 2025

Deep Ecology (54m)

Deep Ecology delves into the profound interconnectedness of our personal and collective grief with the ecological and systemic ... more

Opening Date: Tuesday, 22 Jul 2025

Human Race (Dir: Simon David de-Tusch Alec – 100m) Following professor Eske Willerslev’s quest to map 5,000 ancient human DNA profiles, ... more

Opening Date: Tuesday, 22 Jul 2025

As the elusive pursuit of happiness continues to plunge humanity deeper into depression, Tim is forced onto a transformative journey, ... more

Opening Date: Tuesday, 22 Jul 2025

A haunting documentary about Japan’s “evaporated people” who vanish to escape societal pressures, exploring their stories and the cultural factors ... more

Opening Date: Wednesday, 23 Jul 2025

Our Warrior: The Story of Robbie Thorpe (Dir: Anthony Kelly – 53m)

A powerful portrait of Aboriginal activist Robbie Thorpe, Our ... more

Opening Date: Wednesday, 23 Jul 2025

Clear Sky (Dir: Michael Del Monte – 76m)

An unflinching portrait of Shawn’s battle with addiction and cultural disconnection, Clear Sky ... more

Opening Date: Thursday, 24 Jul 2025

A River in the Middle of the Sky (Dir: Wahyu Al Mardhani & Chris C.F - 80m)

A River in the ... more

Opening Date: Thursday, 24 Jul 2025

NYAA WA (Dir: Charlie Braces – 60m) NYAA WA 'Take Care' is a Music Documentary featuring Naarm-based artist Charlie Needs ... more

Opening Date: Friday, 25 Jul 2025

ENCORE SESSION: Sunday July 27, 8.00pm. Bonegilla - The Migrant's Journey (Dir: Simon Reich – 86m) After the Second World War, the Australian government decided to accept immigrants from countries other than the British Isles. This was the real beginnin ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 26 Jul 2025

Exposing surfing’s toxic link to Neoprene and Cancer Alley, The Big Sea uncovers environmental racism and corporate greenwashing, urging the ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 26 Jul 2025

Before 1770: The Journey Home (Dir: Wesam Charkawi & Fred El-Harris – 96m)

Challenging colonial narratives, ‘Before 1770’ uncovers the Yolngu ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 26 Jul 2025

Dancing Against the Odds (Dir: Matt Byrne – 64m)

In a stunning documentary accompanying the dance film Counterpoise, Dancing Against the ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 26 Jul 2025

Ferrari: Fury and the Monster (Dir: Steve Hoover – 80m)

Ferrari: Fury And the Monster tells the story of Mauro Forghieri ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 26 Jul 2025

The Broken Goddess (Dir: Ximena Pereira – 21m)

The myth of María Lionza, a Venezuelan jungle deity, intertwines with a migrant ... more

Opening Date: Saturday, 26 Jul 2025

Frozen Water (Dir: Anastasia Fetisov - 25m) Frozen Waters chronicles the awe-inspiring journey of endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh as he becomes the first person to swim beneath Antarctica's ice sheet. In this historic feat, Pugh swims 1 kilometre through su ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 27 Jul 2025

Wouldn't Make It Any Other Way (Dir: Stephanie Lane – 21m)

A family prepares for their mother's 60th birthday party while ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 27 Jul 2025

WASKA: The Forest Is My Family (Dir: Nina Gualinga – 15m)

Set in a world post-environmental collapse, the film follows a ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 27 Jul 2025

The Falcons (14m)

The Falcons is an intimate, observational documentary that explores the Tshakhruk Ethnoband in the highlands of Armenia, a ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 27 Jul 2025

The Nicholas Building (Dir: Mark Newbold – 90m)

Since the early 1990s, the Nicholas Building has been a centre of arts, ... more

Opening Date: Sunday, 27 Jul 2025

The New Peasants (Dir: Jordon Osmond – 66m)

An intimate portrait of a family’s 20-year transition to a sustainable, simple life, ... more

Opening Date: Tuesday, 29 Jul 2025

Piquancy Silent Heroes (Dir: Nandita Chakraborty - 54m)

Celebrating 16 unsung heroes from Melbourne’s diverse communities, Piquancy Silent Heroes highlights their ... more

Opening Date: Tuesday, 29 Jul 2025

A documentary directed by Brett Story and Stephen Maing that chronicles the grassroots efforts of Amazon workers at the JFK8 ... more

Opening Date: Wednesday, 30 Jul 2025

After the Rain: Putin’s Stolen Children Come Home (Dir: Sarah McCarthy – 80m)

Deep in a forest by the Baltic Sea, ... more

Opening Date: Wednesday, 30 Jul 2025

Left Behind (Dir: Anna Toomey – 76m)

Left Behind is the inspiring story of a group of determined and passionate moms ... more

Opening Date: Thursday, 31 Jul 2025

The Invisible Doctrine (Dir: Pete D Hutchison – 75m) George Monbiot deconstructs the roots, secretive propagation and deep impact of a ... more

Opening Date: Thursday, 31 Jul 2025

The Strongman and the Last Days of the Khmer Rouge (Dir: James Gerrand – 110m)

A revealing portrait of Cambodia’s Hun ... more

Opening Date: Wednesday, 6 Aug 2025

Love in the Walls (Dir: Samuel Kostevc - 1hr)

In a Melbourne social housing community, this moving 60-minute documentary explores residents’ ... more