This article was supposed to cover two festivals – Sydney Film Festival (SFF), which planned to launch its full program on 21 July after its initial June launch, and Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), which released its incredible, wide-ranging program in full on 13 July, a Tuesday. But as the Delta variant rampaged through Sydney and case numbers exploded, SFF’s program announcement was postponed. That same day, a Wednesday, the virus hopped borders south. By Thursday, Melbourne announced a snap lockdown. The state’s film festival (5 – 22 August) was less than a month away.

I’d spoken with MIFF’s Artistic Director, Al Cossar, on the Monday. In COVID time, this was now a lifetime ago. There was a weariness to Cossar’s voice when he first answered my call but soon he was talking animatedly – about the 283 international and Australian films on the program, its experimental offerings, its multi-sensory components, its diversity, its scope, its aspirations. About what it could be. ‘Could’ being the operative caveat.

2018 Melbourne International Film Festival

The opening night of the 2018 Melbourne International Film Festival. Photo © Tony Zara and Dean Wallis

Such is...