'For those of us willing to be challenged and excited, Blessed is another really fine Australian film ... it’s a searingly honest portrait of that most primal relationship – mothers and children. 4½ stars.' – David Stratton

Seven children from five different families wander the streets in an urban odyssey through a day and a night. As the children move deeper into peril, they make choices that will affect the rest of their lives.

Dawn breaks and it's the same day, but now we follow the mothers as they struggle to keep their kids safe.

Adapted from the critically acclaimed play Who's Afraid of the Working Class? and directed by Ana Kokkinos (The Book of Revelation, MIFF 2006; Head On, MIFF 1998), the MIFF Premiere Fund-supported Blessed is a powerful, multi-award-winning story about the life force that connects us all; a beautiful and intensely moving film featuring a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Frances O'Connor (who won the AFI Award for Best Actress for her extraordinary performance here), Miranda Otto, Deborra-Lee Furness, William McInnes, Sophie Lowe, Harrison Gilbertson and Reef Ireland.

Blessed is re-screening at the festival in 2017 to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the MIFF Premiere Fund – a decade of supporting new Australian theatrical films and feature-length documentaries.

Director Ana Kokkinos will attend the session to introduce the film and take part in a post-screening Q&A.