MASIFF - Mparntwe Alice Springs International Film Festival

MASIFF 2024 | Araluen Arts Centre Screenings

AGENT OF HAPPINESS 5 OCT 11:00 am - A reminder of the fragility and beauty of individual satisfaction. How do you measure happiness? Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness offers an answer, and Amber, an agent dedicated to this mission, travels door to door to gauge it.

THE MONK AND THE GUN 5 OCT  7:00 pm- This charming insight into Bhutan's period of modernisation won the Special Jury Prize at the Rome Film Festival and the Audience Choice Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

THE MOON IS UPSIDE DOWN 6 OCT 6:00 pm Three women – a duped mail-order bride, a numbed anaesthetist determined to have a romantic weekend, and an empty nester on an unexpected mission of mercy – each navigates her way through an unfamiliar landscape and the contours of the human heart. SHORT FILM Pasifika Drift

SUJO 7 OCT 7:00 pm After a cartel gunman from a small Mexican town is killed, his four-year-old son Sujo is left orphaned and at risk. Rescued by his aunt, Sujo grows up in isolated poverty, constantly threatened by his father’s dangerous legacy. As a teenager, Sujo rebels and joins the local cartel but ultimately seeks a fresh start away from violence. As he matures, Sujo must confront his family history and face his future front on. Winner, World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival 2024. Screening with short film TAYAL FOREST CLUB A coming-of-age tale using Tayal characters and symbols that illustrates the impact of modern society on the community. SHORT FILM Tayal Forest Club

*SPARK FILM SHOWCASE 10 OCT  Circus Lawns, Araluen Arts Centre  6:30 pm The SPARK Short Film Initiative returns with three incredible short films, created bespoke for the festival. Three teams of emerging NT filmmakers received funding and support from Screen Territory to produce short fiction films. BEAR Directed by Rebecca Parker FENCE Directed by Samantha Alexis Laughton LIVE FROM THE ALICE Directed by Damon van der Schuit

MY FAVOURITE CAKE 12 OCT 2:00 pm  Heartfelt, humorous and boldly political, this double Berlinale-winning late-life romance is sure to capture your heart.

SEED OF THE SACRED FIG (NT Premiere) 12 OCT 7:00 pm Winner of the Prix Spécial and FIPRESCI Award at Cannes, acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Mohammad's new work is a courageous testament to defiance in the face of tyranny.

ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT 13 OCT 11:00am  In Mumbai, Nurse Prabha’s routine is troubled when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Her younger roommate, Anu, tries in vain to find a spot in the city to be intimate with her boyfriend.

WE WERE DANGEROUS (Closing Night) 14 OCT 6:30 pm  In 1954 New Zealand, Nellie, Daisy and Lou find themselves in an island facility for delinquent girls, and become aware that disturbing events are unfolding under cover of night. ‘We Were Dangerous’ explores a sinister history of eugenics in New Zealand while managing to be funny and uplifting - as befits a film with Taika Waititi as executive producer - and premiered at South by Southwest.