Welcome to the University of Melbourne Film Society weblog

The Melbourne Uni Film Society is about providing an environment for students with a passion or interest in film to come together and explore films they otherwise would not have come across, and so developing an appreciation for the vast world of cinema that lies outside the weekly blockbuster megaplexes. We screen films every Thursday at 6:15pm, in the 'widescreen room' on the 4th floor of the Arts Centre on campus (cnr Swanston and Grattan sts).

Membership costs $4 for UMSU members and $8 otherwise, which covers all the year's screenings. To join, simply come to a screening and sign up at the door.
Any queries, or to join the mailing list, email: unimelbfilmsoc@gmail.com

Week 3 Screening: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Nights (Mungiu, 2007) + Free Movie Passes

Hello Film Soc'ers!

This week, we're back on campus. The film we're showing is 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.

The synopsis, from our friends at Wikipedia:

The film is set in Communist Russia in the final years of the Nicolae Ceşescu era. It tells the story of two students, roommates in the university dormitory, who try to arrange an illegal abortion.

Written and directed by Cristian Mungiu, this 2007 Romanian film won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007. The movie also made it into both David and Margaret's (of ABC's At the Movies) top 10 movies of 2007. Now that's an achievement! Have a look here.

What: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Nights (Cristian Mungiu, 2007)

When: 6.15pm Thursday,

14 August 2008

Where: Widescreen Room,

Level 4 Arts Centre (Cnr Swanston and Grattan)

As an added incentive to our members, the first 15 members to arrive at the screening this week will each get a free double pass to Hellboy 2: the Golden Army, screening at Melbourne Central Hoyts on Monday 18th August at 6.45pm.

Hope to see you all there!

Alicia
Secretary

Week 12 - Final Film Screening of the Semester: September (Carstairs, 2007) and Beneath Clouds (Sen, 2002)

Hello Film Soc'ers!

The final film screening of the semester will be held in conjunction with the Melbourne University UNICEF club. There will be two film screenings for this week, to commemorate Reconciliation Week (26 May to 30 May).

UNICEF will be holding these activities for the week. Those of you who have facebook, the link to the UNICEF event is http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=17885066429
(please note that all events are free)

Monday 26: BBQ at North Court (Kangaroo, Emu, Croc) 12-2pm
Tuedsay 27: Film 'September'

What: September (Peter Carstairs, 2007)
When: Tuesday 27 May, 12-2pm
Where: Baldwin Spencer Theatre



Set in Western Australian in 1968, September is a story about two best friends, Ed and Paddy, from two different worlds. Ed is the son of a white landowner and Paddy is an Aboriginal boy whose family works on their farm. Ed and Paddy's mateship manages to transcend social, racial, and class boundaries.

Wednesday 28: Social Event at Naughton's Hotel 7-11pm

Thursday 29: Film 'Beneath Clouds'

What: Beneath Clouds (Ivan Sen, 2002)
When: Thursday, 29 May 6-8pm (our so-called 'regular screening')
Where: Widescreen Room, Level 4 Arts Centre, (cnr Swanston and Grattan)
FOOD AND DRINK WILL BE PROVIDED!!!

Beneath Clouds is the story of Lena, the light-skinned daughter of an Aboriginal mother and Irish father and Vaughn, a Murri boy doing time in a minimum security prison in North West NSW. Dramatic events throw them together on a journey with no money and no transport. To Lena, Vaughn represents the life she is running away from. To Vaughn, Lena embodies the society that has rejected him. And for a very short amount of time, they experience a rare true happiness together.

The film society committee exhorts you loyal film society members to support this worthy cause and at the same time, come along to celebrate the end of semester!!

Until we meet again, the film society committee wishes you all the best for assignments and exams. Have a wonderful uni break!


Signing off for this half of the year,
Melbourne University Film Society Executive Committee

Week 11 Screening: Maria Full of Grace (Marston, 2004)

Hello Film Soc'ers!

For this week's screening, we are going with a Columbian film, Maria Full of Grace (Joshua Marston, 2004).

When: Thursday 22 May, 6.15-8.05pm

Where: Widescreen Room, Level 4 Arts Centre

(cnr Swanston and Grattan)

Follow the story of Maria Alvarez, a 17 year old Columbian girl who finds herself pregnant and who has to take on the job of a drug mule to support her family.

This film stars Catalina Sandino Moreno, who won the Best Actress award at the Berlin Film Festival and was also nominated for Best Actress at the 2005 Academy Awards. The film also won for Best Female Lead and Best First Screenplay at the 2005 Independent Spirit Awards.

And as always, we've included Roger's review here for those that need a bit more convincing: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040730/REVIEWS/407300303/1023

On a slightly related note, the Spanish Film Festival is going strong in Melbourne now, and will run from 14-25 May, so do check it out: http://www.spanishfilmfestival.com/Melbourne/home.aspx

Hope to see you all there!
Alicia
Secretary

Week 8 Screening: Junebug (Phil Morrison, 2005)

Hello film lovers,This week we're showing JUNEBUG. Junebug is a 2005 comedy-drama directed by Phil Morrison. I will not sully its quality with my half-assed description of its plot so check out Roger Ebert's review

Here's more info from IMDB.

As usual the screening will be at:

Widescreen Room, Level 4,

Arts Centre,Corner of Swanston and Grattan St

6.15pm on Thursday, May 1.

See you there,
Garry Johal
El Presidente
FILMSOC

Week 7 Screening: Taste of Cherry (Kiarostami, 1997)

For this week's screening we're going with acclaimed Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami's masterpiece, Taste of Cherry (or Ta'm e guilass, for you purists).

What: Taste of Cherry (Kiarostami, 1997)
When: Thursday 24 April, 6.15pm
Where: Widescreen Room, Level 4 Arts Centre (Cnr Swanston and Grattan)


The film is about an old man who goes around trying to look for someone to assist him in his suicide - someone to help bury him in a grave he's already dug out in the mountains.

If, for some reason, the premise doesn't sound enticing enough for you, it was chosen by Les Cahiers du cinéma as one of the 10 best pictures of 1997. So it's got the nod from the prestigious film journal founded by screen biggies Godard, Truffaut, Chabrol, et. al. Pity they're not around to see it.

Hope to see you all there!
Alicia
Secretary

Week 6 Screening: Happy Together

What: Happy Together (Wong Kar Wai, 1997)

When: 6.15pm, 17 April 2008

Where: Widescreen Room, Level 4 Arts Centre

(cnr Grattan and Swanston Streets)

This week we're screening Wong Kar Wai's seminal 1997 film, Happy Together. It won Wong the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival (1997).


Wong belongs to the mid-1980s Second New Wave of Hong Kong filmmakers. His films are known for their ability to invoke melancholy and nostalgia. His style often involves the use of poppy songs, saturated visuals and eccentric audio-visual rhymes.


Happy Together also features cinematography by renowned Aussie cinematographer and collaborator Christopher Doyle who's done cinematography for films such as Wong's Chungking Express, Days of Being Wild, 2046, as well Rabbit-Proof Fence, Lady in the Water and Paranoid Park.Wong Kar Wai's most recent film was My Blueberry Nights starring Jude Law and Norah Jones.


Here's a good review of Happy Together from Variety - http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117329753.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0

Hope to see you all there!

Week 5 Screening: High and Low (Akira Kurosawa, 1963)

When: 6.15pm, Thur 10 April

Where: Widescreen Room,Level 4 Arts Centre (cnr Grattan and Swanston)

Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy industralist whose family becomes the target of a ruthless kidnapper in Akira Kurosawa's exemplary film noir. Based on Ed McBain's detective novel 'King's Ransom', High and Low is both a riveting thriller and a brillant commentary on contemporary Japanese society.

imdb spiel here.

Hope to see you there,
Alicia
Secretary