by FilmInk Staff
FEATURING DEA KULUMBEGASHVILI’S APRIL, KELLY REICHARD’S THE MASTERMIND, AKINOLA DAVIES JR.’S MY FATHER’S SHADOW & AMALIA ULMAN’S MAGIC FARM AT MIFF 2025.
MUBI, the global film distributor, streaming service and production company, has unveiled its slate for MIFF 2025. Newly announced, The Mastermind and My Father’s Shadow join the lineup after their inclusion at this year’s Sydney Film Festival. Magic Farm joins the recently announced April, with both films having their Australian debuts at the festival.
The Mastermind is the latest film from writer and director Kelly Reichardt (First Cow, Showing Up), starring Josh O’Connor (Challengers, La Chimera), as JB Mooney, an unemployed carpenter turned amateur art thief, planning his first big heist. The film, which also stars Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza), John Magaro (Past Lives, First Cow), Gaby Hoffmann (Transparent, Girls), Bill Camp (12 Years a Slave, Joker) and Hope Davis (American Splendor, Synecdoche, New York) has been marked as “quietly gripping” by The Guardian.
My Father’s Shadow is Akinola Davies Jr.’s (Lizard) directorial feature debut and stars Sope Dirisu (Slow Horses, Gangs Of London). The film is a semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian metropolis Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis. The story follows a father, estranged from his two young sons, as they travel through the massive city while political unrest threatens their journey home.
The latest gem from Amalia Ulman (El Planeta), Magic Farm takes viewers on a kaleidoscopic journey packed with twists and turns, cross-cultural encounters and true personalities. Starring Chloë Sevigny (Monsters, Boys Don’t Cry), Alex Wolff (A Quiet Place: Day One, Oppenheimer), Joe Apollonio, Camila del Campo, Simon Rex (Red Rocket, Blink Twice) and Amalia Ulman herself, the origins of Magic Farm emerged from hipster journalism, typified in the 2010s by Vice News, where unserious, semi-gonzo film crews visited “third world” countries in search of a bizarre story and a catchy headline.
April will have its Australian Premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) on August 19 2025, and is nominated for this year’s Bright Horizons film prize. MIFF’s Bright Horizons competition celebrates filmmakers on the ascent, featuring an extraordinary international line-up of first- and second-time filmmakers competing for one of the richest film prizes in the world – supported by VicScreen.
ABOUT APRIL
Synopsis: In eastern Georgia, the morals and professionalism of Nina, an obstetrician-gynaecologist, come under scrutiny after a newborn dies during delivery. As an investigation takes place, rumours emerge that Nina performs illegal abortions for desperate women outside of work.
APRIL will be released on MUBI Australia on 29th August
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ABOUT THE MASTERMIND
Synopsis: In a sedate corner of Massachusetts circa 1970, JB Mooney (Josh O’Connor), an unemployed carpenter turned amateur art thief, plans his first big heist. When things go haywire, his life unravels.
ABOUT MY FATHER’S SHADOW
Synopsis: A semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian metropolis Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis. The story follows a father, estranged from his two young sons, as they travel through the massive city while political unrest threatens their journey home.
ABOUT MAGIC FARM
Synopsis: When a misguided American documentary crew in search of their next viral segment ends up in the wrong town in rural Argentina, chaos ensues. As they collaborate with locals to fake a new music trend, unexpected relationships form and an unfolding health crisis becomes apparent.
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