The rich history of the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is woven into Melbourne’s cultural fabric. But Australia’s arts and media landscape looks very different than when the festival began in 1952. Today, MIFF not only contends with other festivals and campaigns, but also major exhibitions, events and even streaming platforms. How could we create a distinctive campaign that positions the Melbourne International Film Festival as a vibrant cultural destination and an eye-opening cinema experience for all?
        To understand what makes MIFF unique and ensure this year’s campaign turned heads, we went back to basics, breaking down the audience experience into three stages: seeing differently, feeling deeply and leaving transformed; otherwise known as eye-opening cinema. Like frames in a film, the eyes close and open across iterations. The stacked design is key here, working on a literal and metaphorical level to articulate the engagement and awakening that occurs when you’re deeply moved. The giant eyes have an impactful presence, capturing attention and creating intimacy, whether that’s on a phone or a 22-metre IMAX screen.
        Rough lines, texture and light moving across the eyes in the form of halftone dots give the design a tactility we feel audiences are craving. It’s also a subtle nod to previous MIFF eras, linking us to our past as well as our present. Meanwhile, our campaign artwork in motion adds special touches in all the right places. It’s playful and punchy with clean cuts to convey purpose. The pupil acts as a framing device for key dates, program announcements and wayfinding, connecting our audience with festival happenings.
        The combined result is a bold, contemporary identity built to stand out in an attention economy and bring people back to the cinemas (with 20,000+ new Instagram followers to show for it). The ‘EYE – OPENING – CINEMA’ campaign reflects the tonal difference of MIFF as a film festival: incredible filmmakers and films designed to capture and compel your attention; movies that matter in an age of distraction; movies that are distinct in an age of ‘all-too-similar’. Our mission to redefine the audience experience as something visceral, profound and ultimately transformative directly informed this year’s bold campaign and remained at the heart of the design process.

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Chief Executive Officer: Damien Hodgkinson
Commercial Operations Director: Vic Pope
Artistic Director: Al Cossar
Head of Marketing & Communications: Olivia Simon
Campaign Identity Creative Direction & Design: Sasha Taylor
Digital Marketing Lead: Mikhayla Dennis
Digital Content Coordinator: Milla Rovere
Marketing Campaign Coordinator: Lizzy Carmine
Publications Manager: David Heslin
Program Guide Designer: Mikayla Winslow