SIGNAL is the City of Melbourne’s creative studio for young people aged 14 to 25. The program offers young people the opportunity to work alongside professional artists in a collaborative way through multi-artform workshops and mentoring.

One of its many initiatives is SIGNAL Curators, through which participants hear from artists, curators and art-world people, and plan exhibitions, workshops and other projects. In the lead-up to MIFF 2023, four SIGNAL Curators participants tell us what films they’re looking forward to at the festival.

Above: Perfect Days  |  Header: Theater Camp

By Olivia Sutherland

Wim Wenders’s Perfect Days looks like a beautiful film. I’m really excited to see this, especially because of its slow, soft pace and the gorgeous stills released on the MIFF website. I’m anticipating an immersive, gentle slice-of-life story, with a bit of Studio Ghibli energy in its quiet appreciation of everyday life. I’m looking forward to a movie that is a bit like holding a boiled lolly in your mouth for as long as possible.

Art Talent Show

By Sunny Tandoc

Art Talent Show piqued my interest as I want to see how young artists internationally express themselves and what professors at the Prague’s Academy of Fine Arts want to see in their potential students’ work. I am particularly keen to see how the artists tackle the themes of sexuality in their work and the generational divide between the young creatives and their professors. The topics tackled in this documentary intrigue me as a fellow young queer multidisciplinary artist who graduated two years ago.

Keeping Hope

By Juliana Neild

The documentary Keeping Hope is one of my top picks for this year’s festival, as I’m interested in how director Tyson Mowarin captures the beauty of the Kimberley region alongside the troublingly high suicide rates among young First Nations men in the area. Actor and Nyikina man Mark Coles Smith seeks to understand why young people are faced with this situation, whether the proposed solutions are effective and how to find hope in community.

I believe that Keeping Hope will have a transformative impact on its viewers and encourage others to witness this poignant journey of healing and empathy.

Theater Camp

By Lauren Rosenberg

It’s 19 August, and you’ve marathoned through five to 27 films. You’re not sure if your brain can take another, but this one is different: it’s Theater Camp, directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman. With high stakes (saving the camp) and its promise of showtunes, show-offs, and a show on and off the stage, this is the perfect way to close the MIFF 2023 curtains. The film looks camp and funny, and boasts an all-star cast, including Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen) and Ayo Edibiri (The Bear). Watch it at the Closing Night Gala or the day after – in the CBD or across regional Victoria!