Louis Theroux, Bat For Lashes, Danny DeVito Works Named In 2016 MIFF Program

The annual Melbourne International Film Festival has unveiled the first glance of its program for 2016, with a stunning range of cinematic titles sourced from across Australia and the world, including new works by and featuring the likes of documentarian Louis Theroux, musician Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes, and beloved actor/director Danny DeVito.

Theroux's contribution to the program comes via his new documentary, Louis Theroux: My Scientology Movie, in which the bespectacled broadcaster tries, and fails, to gain access to the Church Of Scientology, thus sending him on a "revealing, funny and sometimes absurd" adventure alongside former church second-in-command Mark "Marty" Rathbun and a group of actors hired to recreate notable events in Scientology's history.

Khan makes her directorial debut for anthology flick Madly, which also features behind-the-camera work from Australian actor Mia Wasikowska, Anurag Kashyap, Sion Sono, Gael Garcia Bernal and MIFF 2015 guest Sebastian Silva. The wider film is made up of six short films that dart "between continents, subjects, styles and moods" on "a whirlwind tour of affection, romance and sexual experimentation". Meanwhile, DeVito directs and stars in short film Curmudgeons, an "endearing comedy about a foul-mouthed senior citizen who is about to receive a big surprise". We are so there for that.

Also adding to the program's plentiful bounty is Jason Reitman's short documentary Roast Battle, which peers through the lens at a night at LA's famous Comedy Store, while Alex Gibney canvasses the mildly terrifying world of cyberwarfare in Zero Days. There's a slew of high-quality Australian film to choose from too, including The Family, an investigation into the eponymous, infamous Australian cult, directed by Rosie Jones; Ella, directed by Douglas Watkin, which follows the personal journey of Ella Havelka, the Australian Ballet's first Indigenous dancer; the Neil Triffett-directed Emo: The Musical, which features appearances from Adam Zwar and Dylan Lewis; and the Warren Ellis-scored Bad Girl, a psychological thriller from Fin Edquist.

That's not even beginning to consider the films present on this year's MIFF program that also appear on Sydney's film-festival line-up, such as centrepiece gala Down Under — a black comedy set in the aftermath of the infamous Cronulla riots — as well as Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women, starring Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern and Michelle Williams; Rosemary Myers' adaptation of her stage play Girl Asleep; the affecting Heart Of A Dog, by Lou Reed's wife, Laurie Anderson; Werner Herzog's Lo & Behold; and the inspiring and provocative tale of Sonita, an Afghan refugee and aspiring rapper living in Iran forced to contend against oppressive regimes and familial traditions. 

It would be exhausting to break down every individual film on this year's first line-up here, but it's safe to say that the selection above is a solidly representative sample of the general calibre of cinema brought together for this year's MIFF event, which runs from 28 July to 14 August. Stay tuned for the full announcement on 5 July.

For a comprehensive rundown of this year's program, head to MIFF's website.