Red Hill
Police officer Shane Cooper (Ryan Kwanten) and his pregnant wife move to the sleepy Victorian town of Red Hill, where they intend to live out a relatively peaceful existence. Instead, they soon find themselves faced with the psychotic rage of a vengeful escaped murderer (Tom E. Lewis). It soon becomes clear that to win this one, Cooper might have to throw out the rule book. Early reports are that this one cannot be missed.

Summer Coda
Here at Broadsheet we’ve been looking forward to the release of this one since we interviewed Angus Sampson last year. Heidi (Rachel Taylor) returns to Australia in search of family and friends. Soon enough, she finds herself the subject of a farmer’s (Alex Dimitriades) affections, and it isn’t long before Heidi’s residing amongst the splendid orange groves of Mildura. An array of quirky characters played by the likes of Nathan Phillips, Cassandra Magrath and Jackie Weaver make this a light-hearted and enjoyable stroll through the Victorian landscape.

The Tree
This Australian/French co-production was the closing film at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, receiving rave reviews and a standing ovation. Julie Bertucelli directs this deceptively simple tale of a young girl dealing with the loss of her father, set against the stunning backdrop of rural Queensland. The performance by young Morgana Davies is the talk of the town.

Uninhabited
When two lovers escape to a deserted tropic island for a romantic getaway, they expect nothing more than a week of sand, surf and sunshine. But it doesn’t take long before the couple realises that the island is not quite as deserted as they thought. Shot on the Great Barrier Reef, Bill Bennett’s new film is the latest edition to a subgenre of horror films that translate Australia’s vistas into landscapes of isolation and terror.

www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au