The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951,[1] making it one of the oldest in the World.





MIFF is Australia's largest film festival with over 400 films shown from more than 50 different countries, as well as the largest showcase of new Australian cinema.[1] It's also Australia's most attended film festival with over 182,000 admissions (2007 estimate). In 2007, it contributed more than AU$8 million to Melbourne's economy,[1] making it a significant city event.





The festival is currently accredited by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,[2] the Australian Film Institute,[3] and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts;[2] and is the only festival in Australia to be accredited by all three.





MIFF is a member of the four major Melbourne film festivals line up, which also include the Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF), Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) and Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF).





The current festival director is Richard Moore, and its ambassadors include Eric Bana, Geoffrey Rush, Fred Schepisi and Morgan Spurlock.[4]





The 58th festival took place between July 24th and August 9th, 2009. The 59th festival will take place between July 23rd and August 8th, 2010