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Lights, camera, action! Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival features 50 films

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Lights, camera, action! Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival features 50 films

The Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival (MIFF) features movies ranging from comedies to documentaries. The event takes place from Oct. 17 to 19.

By Maria Sonnenberg
 |  For FLORIDA TODAY

You can thank fictional trolls under the Melbourne Causeway for the Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival (MIFF).

The annual event is now in its 26th year of fanning the creative flames of filmmakers around the globe. The 2024 version spans Oct. 17 to 19 at its usual venue, the Premiere Theaters Oaks Stadium 10 in Melbourne.

The seeds for the festival sprouted after Dr. Terry Cronin and his friends Pat Martin, Bob Lizek and Jeff Hall created a short horror film detailing the mayhem wrought by trolls under the Melbourne Causeway. The guys entered the film in festivals, but weren’t too impressed about the barebones ambiance they experienced at some of these events. They figured they could do much better, and they have.

As film festivals go, MIFF scores high on the posh meter with a red carpet, opening night glitz and plenty of parties and celebrations, not to mention 50 films. Those are selected from more than 200 submissions that, while highlighting the talents of Florida filmmakers, also include international films.

Some films are the work of aspiring filmmakers, and others represent mature talent from professionals in the industry.

“A lot of professional filmmakers use these short films as business cards to represent what they can do,” Cronin said.

Seeing all the 50 submissions will pretty much commandeer the weekend, yet many film buffs gladly embrace the opportunity. Fans will spend hours looking at films in all genres, from comedy to documentaries. There’s even a segment of the festival devoted to the works of young filmmakers.

The 20-minute documentary “Marina: the Fire-Eating Mermaid” opens the festival at 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 17, followed by the U.S. premiere of “Isla Monstro,” the single feature-length flick of the festival. Billed as an adult animated feature comedy, the 96-minute movie tells a tale of how hairbrained entrepreneurship can conquer even the direst of situations, such as being marooned in an island overrun by mutants and monsters.

A $40 universal pass will provide entry into all screenings and festivities, or you could opt for $10 tickets to specific genres such as horror, comedy, etc. The festival ends with a bang at the VIP program, which includes an after-party at Hemingway’s Tavern next door. Single tickets to the VIP event are $20, but are included in the universal pass.

The festival is more than films, for at its root is the desire to help the community. Since its inception, the event has donated proceeds to local nonprofits.

This year, as it has been for several, the recipient is No Limits Academy, a Melbourne not-for-profit school that provides innovative educational opportunities to children with complex physical disabilities.

For more information and tickets, visit melbournefilmfestival.org.

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