Jazz on Film
PRESENTED BY FED SQUARE AND THE MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
This Melbourne International Jazz Festival, catch free films on the Big Screen celebrating the power of music.
Bring a music-loving friend, your family and your jazz band to catch free films at Fed Square this MIJF.
The program includes free screenings of a classic live John Coltrane performance in Comblain-la-Tour; Miles Davis: Birth of Cool, a look into the life of the visionary musician; and the 2020 animated film Soul, featuring an Oscar-winning jazz soundtrack by Jon Batiste, alongside a heartwarming story and stunning visuals.
Saturday 17 October, 7.30pm | Main Square
The broadcast of John Coltrane’s 1965 performance at the short-lived Belgian jazz festival in Comblain-la-Tour features Trane’s classic quartet with Elvin Jones (drums), Jimmy Garrison (bass) and McCoy Tyner (piano).
Saturday 17 October, following John Coltrane: Live in Comblain-la-tour | Main Square
The life and career of musical giant and cultural icon Miles Davis, a true visionary, innovator and originator who defied categorization and embodied the word: cool.
Rated: M, mature themes
Sunday 18 October 3pm | Main Square
Joe Gardner is a middle-school band teacher whose life hasn’t quite gone the way he expected. His true passion is playing jazz, and he’s good. But when he finds himself in another realm helping someone else discover their passion, Joe begins to uncover what it truly means to have soul. Featuring the voices of Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett and Tina Fey, Soul is elevated by original jazz compositions by Jon Batiste and a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The film’s Dorothea Williams Quartet features animated performances modelled on the playing of renowned jazz musicians hand-picked by Batiste, including 2025 MIJF artist Linda May Han Oh on bass, bringing an added layer of authenticity to this joyous tribute to the music.
