The Accidental Spy

Days after 9/11, Blerim Skoro was recruited from a Manhattan prison by the CIA and FBI. For over a decade, he was America's infidel mole, roaming the Middle East as a spy deep inside al-Qaeda.

Anna and the Egyptian Doctor

Capturing Kennedy

Capturing Kennedy shares the extraordinary untold story of Jacques Lowe, a Holocaust survivor and young immigrant who, at just 28, became the personal photographer to President John F. Kennedy. Drawing on newly uncovered historic interviews and unprecedented access to Lowe’s personal estate and archives, this documentary chronicles his remarkable journey from surviving the horrors of World War II to capturing some of the most iconic photographs of the Kennedy era. Through Lowe’s unique lens, Capturing Kennedy sheds light on one of the last untold chapters of the Kennedy Presidency and the young photographer whose images shaped it.

Dwarf Story: Little People, Big Choice

Seven years ago, a miracle drug, Vosoritide, came on the market. It provided hope for an end to a medical condition called achondroplasia, more commonly known as dwarfism, that affects one in every 25,000 people. Families were told it would make their children significantly taller, as well as treating other medical complications associated with the condition, offering the promise of a more 'normal life'. But has it worked ?

Expression of Illness

After a routine follow up appointment, documentary filmmaker and thyroid cancer survivor, Bryn Silverman learns her treatment isn’t over. What begins as a solo investigation into the thoroughness of her healthcare, evolves into a larger re-imagining of the metrics we use to measure our well-being and the importance of community in healing.

Family Album

British photographer Samara Pearce travels from London to Ukraine during the war. Her great-grandfather, Austrian Alexander Wienerberger, was an accidental witness to the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932-1933 and took historic photos of starving Kharkiv. Samara wants to follow in her great-grandfather's footsteps and take her own photos of the genocide of Ukrainians that continues to this day.

FAR OUT: Life On & After the Commune

The film traces fifty years in the lives of a group of New England writers, activists and artists. It conveys how the 1960s counterculture, embodied in two rural communes, transformed America. The story begins when a group of radical journalists leave New York for a new life in the country and follows them from the back-to-the-land movement to a new discovery of political commitment.

Free Party

Gaby Wild Old Boy

Gaby is a modest peasant who lives in total poverty in the small house of his ancestors in the middle of the Correze forest. But this precarious stripping is also a life choice that gives him time to observe and understand the nature that surrounds him.

Gaza Trapped in Hell

Since the start of Operation Iron Sword, provoked by Hamas’ attack on Israel, conditions in Gaza have become apocalyptic. After months of offensives, most of the territory is an uninhabitable field of ruins. 1.5 million people have been displaced, forced to constantly relocate by the advancing Israeli army. Gazans are barricaded by the sea to the west, the border with Israel to the north and east, and the border with Egypt to the south. Israel has forbidden international journalists from accessing the territory but, working alongside 29-year-old Gazan journalist Shrouq, we recount what is happening.  Like all Gazans, Shrouq is going through hell. A widow and mother, she and her young daughter are constantly on the run. Barely a third of hospitals are functioning. According to Unicef estimates, a child is injured or killed every 10 minutes in Gaza. Many have lost their legs. They are being amputated to limit infections, given the improbability of a medical follow-up.   Aid trucks are regularly attacked by gangs, who raid them in search of food, which is then sold at a premium on the market – a single cigarette costs around ten euros. Shootings often break out at distribution points, some attributed to mafia gangs, others to the Israeli army. Amid all this confusion, it’s the strongest who manage to help themselves. Food aid, when it does arrive, is highly inadequate and hardly reaches those who need it: the weakest and the poorest.  Gaza remains under the strict control of Hamas. Since 2006, there have been no elections, no freedom of speech for civilians and no criticism of the war. Throughout our investigation, no one dares mention their name. The only exception is a foreign witness, who we disguise for their protection. They describe how Hamas steals humanitarian aid and only helps those who work with them.  In the midst of this chaos, children continue to play on the beach, maing the most of cobbled-together merry-go-rounds. But survival is a constant struggle. Finding drinking water is always a preoccupation, often delegated to children. They haven’t been to school since the start of the war. But life persists in the details of everyday life. The women cook with wood, as there are no more gas bottles. Here, on the beach, can be found a dispensary for gynaecological consultations, a hairdresser and even a sewing workshop, where the machine is powered by pedals.  As the weeks turn into months, Shrouq is exhausted. Journalists recount what is happening in figures: nearly 4,000 unexploded bombs, 39 million tonnes of debris, 62% of housing destroyed. But these figures do not tell the whole story of civilian distress and despair. As she watches over her daughter, Shrouq has just one wish: “I pray for a better future, without war and suffering.

Her Name Was Zehava

Zehava, a young trans woman, was denied asylum by Israel and repeatedly imprisoned due to her “second-class” status as a Palestinian. She fled from the West Bank to Israel after surviving sex trafficking and attempted murder—only to face new obstacles as an undocumented, homeless Palestinian, and live under the constant threat of deportation

Humans of Pride

Humans of Pride chronicles half a century of Pride in NYC, tracing its journey from the Stonewall Riots of 1969 to the historic WorldPride celebration of 2019. This powerful film captures the voices and stories of an ensemble of activists across the community, as they participate and eyewitness history in the making. As the voices unite and sometimes fight each other, they begin to unveil the real world effort it takes to sustain progress.

Lens on Afghanistan

A sci-fi documentary that follows the rise and fall of Lyd — a 5,000-year-old metropolis that was once a bustling Palestinian town until it was conquered when the State of Israel was established in 1948. As the film unfolds, a chorus of characters creates a tapestry of the Palestinian experience of this city and the trauma left by the massacre and expulsion.

Mountain of Gold

Gold fever has gripped northern Niger. In search of the precious metal, and despite the risks, an army of researchers has invaded the sites of interest. While camps are set up and dismantled as rumours of new leads spread, Moussa and his companions are banking on the Ikazan vein.

Ocean Star

​OCEAN STAR is an independently financed feature documentary about young people in Mauritius, a beautiful tropical island known as the star of the Indian Ocean. Focusing on people between the ages of 16 and 25, OCEAN STAR explores the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Touching on key themes that are relevant to a global audience, from sustainable agriculture to LGBTQ rights, from the future of education to the challenges of sporting and creative careers, OCEAN STAR offers a unique insight into contemporary Africa through young people and their heartwarming, compelling stori

Opportunity Shop

A captivating documentary exploring the world of second hand stores from the point of view of their owners and consumers. A community striving for a circular economy and a brighter future. It explores a more sustainable way of shopping and the lives it touches throughout it. From recycling to employing people with disability to fighting against homelessness, this documentary attempts to showcase the good done throughout their efforts for more sustainable practices.

Ride the Line

In the darkest times, while being in the worst shape of their life, two desperate friends decided to cycle 1,500 km along the entire front line in Ukraine, through liberated villages and towns, with the aim of raising funds for Ukrainian aid projects. De-occupied, but still mined territories, prepared many surprises for the two daredevils on the line of war, obscurity and longing for victory.

Saffron Robe

An exploration of a Buddhist monastery in Laos and it's abbot's efforts to help his country's children out of poverty.

Signs Before Dying

Signs Before Dying" explores phenomena surrounding near-death experiences through a multidisciplinary lens, including real testimonies, scientific analysis, and spiritual traditions, providing concrete evidence that the phenomena occurring before death are a profound reality waiting to be understood. Featuring top-tier experts such as doctors, surgeons, professors, psychiatrists, writers, journalists, communicators, and renowned sensitives, the documentary addresses these phenomena from anthropological, scientific, and spiritual perspectives.

Special Operation

When the Russian troops occupied Ukraine’s Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, their activities were documented by CCTV cameras. Spetsialna Operatsiia is based on that footage, recorded at the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history.

Wrestling the Angel

A fine art painter transforms through a life-threatening crisis to reveal significance in everyday beauty, Aesop's fables and the story of Jacob Wrestling the Angel, and how we can live life more deeply. Ann Arnold, the artist, lives and works in Berkeley, California

International Stories

Gihan

Within the enigmatic realm of emotions, masks emerge as intricate vessels, carrying the raw essence of our innermost selves. In Gihan, these masks become a canvas of transformation, a bridge between the visible and the concealed. With each mask, Gihan invites us into her world and her journey through a landscape of evolving emotions. Amidst this dance between the seen and felt, Gihan beckons the audience to explore their own emotions, to seek connection, and ultimately to embrace the intricacies of being human.

Going back home: Mother VR

In the precariousness of prison, a group of women dream of reconnecting with their children. Together, they carefully guard a collection of objects that reconnect them with their memories, safeguarding them from danger in an interactive and virtual museum. This is a short documentary film in virtual reality (360 video + 3D space), co-created with a group of women in prison. Through virtual reality, families can send 360 video messages from their homes, granting the inmates the fleeting possibility of Going Back Home for a few seconds

The Matriarx

The Matriarx is an immersive VR experience taking the heroine and hero into a world where matriarchal structures have endured. It is a parallel world in which people treat each other based on a different set of societal rules. This has its effect on social, economic and the political life. Family and love relationships function differently. How do you perceive yourself in a world that follows different structures? The Matriarx will open the experiencers’ horizons by raising their curiosity and by empowering them. This experience will attract everyone who is curious about societal change.

Open Your Eyes

Reimagined Volume III: Young Thang

Inspired by “The Woman with Two Skins” of Southern Nigeria, the story follows Young Thang, a human girl living within The Community, a place where humans are forbidden; deemed dangerous and ugly. Can Young Thang find the courage to reveal her full self and save the very beings that discriminate and suppress her?

Streets of Change VR

Streets of Change VR is a powerful virtual reality experience that brings to light the often-overlooked realities of street homelessness, challenging the stigma and stereotypes that surround it.  Rooted in real lived experiences, the film humanises rough sleepers through three intimate character stories, revealing their resilience and the harsh truths of life on the streets. Through hyper-realism, spoken word poetry, and immersive storytelling, it confronts issues like poverty, addiction, and mental health with honesty and emotional depth.  By placing viewers in the shoes of those experiencing homelessness, Streets of Change VR fosters empathy, breaks down prejudice, and invites urgent conversations about inequality.  Streets of Change VR is a call to action aiming to inspire compassion, shift perspectives, and drive meaningful community change amid a growing homelessness crisis.  Our project is available as a PCVR experience for Rift, Vive or Quest 2 or 3 with Link cable, for Quest 3 standalone, and also for Quest 2/other devices as an 8k 360 film

They Shall Not Come Back

They Shall Not Come Back is a narrative-driven VR interactive experience where players embody the lingering soul of a young soldier lost in the turmoil of World War I, striving to reunite with his family in NYC for one final encounter. Caught between the harsh realities of the battlefield and the ethereal realm of the afterlife, players embark on a moving journey across time and space, uncovering the enduring strength of bonds that transcend mortality.  The experience features interactions such as typing Morse code on a telegraph machine, climbing a ladder in a trench bunker, playing the piano in a New York apartment, and exploring environments to revisit generational memories. Created by a small team of MFA and BFA students at the USC Games Program and USC Ganek Immersive Media Lab, the project explores the emotional depth and generational gaps in understanding loss during a chaotic period in history. Leveraging the latest immersive technology—including volumetric capture, motion capture, procedural animation, instinctual interactions, and distinct visual aesthetics—it creates a powerful and reflective experience.

Tuskee Airmen

Amidst an era defined by widespread segregation, both in civilian and military lives, the members of the 332nd Fighter group shattered barriers as the first black military pilots in the United States Armed Forces during the second world war. The 360/VR film dives into the rich history of the fighter group who became more commonly known as the Tuskegee Airmen. Through remarkable first-hand accounts of several veterans of the 332nd, “The Tuskegee Airmen” chronicles their arduous journey, from the formation of an all African-American fighter group and their training in the segregated South to their deployment in Europe and culminating in their enduring legacy post-World War II. The documentary was filmed at historically significant sites: from the iconic Tuskegee University and Moton Airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama—where cadets honed their flying and combat skills—to the village of Ramitelli in southern Italy, a pivotal base for the 332nd Fighter Group. In the 360 film we also experience breathtaking flight maneuvers inside a North American Mustang P-51 aircraft, the famous WWII fighter plane that was issued to the 332nd on their base in Ramitelli. With the tails of their planes painted bright red and an exemplary record of defending bomber squadrons, the group earned the moniker 'Red Tails' or 'Red Tail Angels’. By seamlessly interweaving archival videos and photographs with the 360-degree footage, the VR documentary - the first about the Tuskegee Airmen - immerses the viewer in a crucial but long overlooked part of American WWII history.

WE WERE CHILDREN ONCE

It is unfathomable to imagine that over 1.5 million children perished during the Holocaust in World War II. Those children who lived through these terrors and escaped death have continued to live with the trauma their perpetrators subjected to them.  Part 1, is a 360-VR experience that views war from a child's perspective and delves into the trauma world of the children survivors following the Holocaust in World War II as they work through their war experiences in an effort to come to find meaning and come to a closure.  Part 2, is a Wall Installation that sheds light on personal stories of children living in conflict zones now in 2025. It draws attention to the fact that children in conflict zones continue to be subjected to violence and trauma.  This hybrid documentary explores authentic accounts of children with lived experiences over an 8-decade period, integrating them with fictional elements and animation to bring audiences closer to the realities of what it is like to be a child caught up in war whilst also offering hope for healing and reconciliation.

Innovation / VR

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Online

Support to MDFF

Support

Gift Cards

These are all the passes tied to your account. Now, use our online schedule to reserve tickets. You can access your tickets via {{my_tickets_link|"My Tickets"}} or via the PDFs attached to each ticket order confirmation email. {{buy_pass_link|Looking to buy more passes?}}

These are all your purchased tickets. Open this page on your phone, and at the door tap the "Show Barcode" button and show your screen to the attendant. Prefer paper? Print the PDF attached to the order confirmation email, or click one of the gears below and select "Download tickets PDF". If purchasing multiple tickets, be sure to print or show each unique ticket barcode.

None available

Explore our on-demand catalog here, and head over to the {{livestreams|Live Streams}} tab to see what's coming up.

Here's what's coming up soon. Can't make it? No sweat. Many live streams will be available for on-demand viewing as well.