The volcanic island of Madeira – a Portuguese archipelago located somewhere in the north Atlantic Ocean – will play host to the third edition of one of the world’s most surreal, intriguing and adventurous film festivals: the Madeira Micro International Film Festival (MMiFF).
MMiFF stays true to its “micro” ethos in both guest numbers (maximum capacity is 150) and film programme (which consists of seven curated feature films accompanied by a short film programme). The films themselves, however, are anything but “micro”. The festival programmers have cherry-picked a selection of acclaimed films from festivals such as Sundance and Cannes, but with a distinct and apparent appetite for suspense and horror genres. The festival takes place atop a cliff in a stunning Art Deco cinema dating back to 1933. With the cinema’s crumbling facade and the sound of the sea crashing against the shore, it’s easy to see why the programmers have embraced the haunting and surreal ambience of this seaside village with a programme that reflects this.
Highlights of the programme include Peter Strickland’s dark melodrama The Duke of Burgundy (2014), which has caught the imagination and praise of film critics since its premiere at TIFF, and It Follows (2014), which The Telegraph called, “the most exciting film in Cannes.“
Watch this space for our interview with the festival’s founder, Michael Rosen.
The Duke of Burgundy (2014) – Peter Strickland
