Discover Movies

Frank Hurley (1885-1962) was firmly established by 1925 as Australia's most famous photographer. An artist interested less in expressing human experiences than the grandeur of nature and the romance of exotic lands, his work was known to Australians through books, newspaper features and documentary films. His journeys began in December, 1911 when he joined Mawson's expedition to Antarctica as official photographer; his stills of the Expedition were widely published around the world and this documentary "Home of the Blizzard" was released in 1913.

A short look at “Craft”

Frank Hurley's photos of Antarctic heroes, World Wars and mysterious natives in faraway jungles grabbed the attention of all who saw them. But just how real were they? Was he a giant in photography or just a conjurer with a camera?

A three year self-described labour of love, 2040 takes the form of a visual letter from the filmmaker to his four-year-old daughter Velvet, showing her what the year 2040 could look like “if we simply embraced the best solutions that exist today.”

The story of Fred Paterson, member for Bowen in the Queensland parliament in the 1940s and the only Communist Party member ever elected to any Australian parliament.

This short film documents Australian composer Richard Meale’s homage to the young French poet, Arthur Rimbaud. Meale composed a music piece for woodwind, percussion and strings which he titled “Incredible Floridas."

A film about the cultural evolution of the Sydney beach side suburb of Maroubra and the social struggle faced by it's youth - the notorious surf gang known as the Bra Boys.

A chorus of First Nations comedians regale us with Australia's greatest and most memorable Indigenous sporting moments, and placed directly in the middle of this twisted adulation are the sporting stars themselves. A young Tony Armstrong infiltrates his way onto Adam Gilchrist’s bar tab, Donnell Wallam stuns the netball world with a game winning layup and Shane Phillips leads the first all Indigenous crew to finish the Sydney to Hobart.

Story of trailblazing American rock singer-songwriter Suzi Quatro, who helped redefine the role of women in rock 'n' roll when she broke out in 1973.

Valerie Taylor is a shark fanatic and an Australian icon – a marine maverick who forged her way as a fearless diver, cinematographer and conservationist. She filmed the real sharks for Jaws and famously wore a chainmail suit, using herself as shark bait, changing our scientific understanding of sharks forever.

Passionate conservationist Neil Waters embarks on a decade-long search through Tasmania’s wilderness to prove the Tasmanian Tiger still exists. Once celebrated but now ridiculed, his quest becomes a moving story of belief, science, redemption, and the ethics of extinction.

With nutritionally-depleted foods, chemical additives and our tendency to rely upon pharmaceutical drugs to treat what's wrong with our malnourished bodies, it's no wonder that modern society is getting sicker. Food Matters sets about uncovering the trillion dollar worldwide sickness industry and gives people some scientifically verifiable solutions for curing disease naturally.

The former Destiny's Child member has gone on to win multiple Grammy Awards, star in blockbusters, and create her own media empire.

Tackling Peace is the inspirational story of Israeli and Palestinian youths who unite over the game of Australian football. Tackling Peace goes behind the scenes as young men from different sides of a bloody political war set aside a lifetime of prejudice and hostility to compete as a team in the Australian Football League's International Cup. Few of the aspirant players had ever heard of the game and none imagined befriending teammates from across the political divide.

Dr Jeni Haynes lives with Dissociative Identity Disorder, her memories held by 2,500 alternate selves. When she seeks justice for childhood abuse, a decade-long investigation asks whether fractured testimony can be believed, or whether her condition preserved the truth needed to make legal history, with police, psychiatry and the judiciary aligned together.

A film collaboration between Quenten Agius (Aboriginal storyteller) and Kim Mavromatis (mixed media producer). Filmed on Ngadjuri country, Mid North and Southern Flinders Ranges region of South Australia. The film incorporates 10 years of archival material, shot with 8 different cameras, including 3 drones and a mobile phone camera.

Avalanche is a film on the Moment of Birth. Although birth has been treated many ways on film it is imagined here from the point of view of the baby being born.

Provocateur, artist, performer: Peter Vanessa "Troy" Davies was a chameleon. Using layers of identity at will, Davies charmed his way through a lifetime of secrets and lies, prostitution, art, HIV, abuse, incest and gender subversion, leaving a legacy of unanswered questions, influential performances and reams of enigmatic home video. Ecco Homo is a psychological detective story and a testament to a social history rarely documented on film

Annihilation of the Aborigines of Tasmania.

In 1940, as ever more countries lined up on either side of burgeoning global conflict, Italian migrant families in Australia were forcibly separated. While the men were rounded up and imprisoned in internment camps, the women were left to carry on alone in isolated pockets of community in suburbs like Carlton. Having little more than one another for company and the generations of tradition they had brought with them, these trailblazers would go on to transform the country they made home. In the wave of immigration that followed the end of World War II, Italian women were once again at the forefront of rebuilding the lives of their families. In the process, they left a lasting influence on Australian culture, permeating the realms of fashion, business, community leadership and more.

'Alofa’ meaning ‘To Love’ in Samoan, explores the the trials and tribulations of Samoan ex pastor Andre Afamasaga, who fought to reconcile his faith, culture and sexual identity.

Australian musician Warren Ellis guides us through his musical career and his wildlife sanctuary in Sumatra, where rescued trafficked animals are nursed back to health by conservationists.

Explore the fascinating relationship between author P. L. Travers and her much-loved character, Mary Poppins. This is the story of a complex woman who escaped her upbringing in rural Australia to pursue her dream of becoming a writer, reinventing herself and her past along the way.

A surfer travels the world on a quest to save dolphins.

In 2007 the Sydney Dance Company appointed 29-year-old choreographer Tanja Liedtke as their first new artistic director in 30 years. However before she could take up the position, she was struck and killed by a truck in the middle of the night. Admired internationally as a dancer and celebrated for her fresh choreographic voice, she was known as a dedicated artist, intelligent, dorky, funny and generous. 18 months after her death her collaborators embark on a world tour of her work, and in the process they must deal with their grief and explore the reasons for her death. Interspersed with intimate footage of her artistic process and previously unseen interviews, Life in Movement is a film about moving creatively through life and loss. Filmmakers Bryan Mason and Sophie Hyde give us a powerfully rendered take on art and artists, creativity and our own mortality.

After 32 years of heartache, bitterness and despair, it took just seconds for Guus Hiddink to exude a rare sense of calmness in the Socceroos dressing room. Four years prior to the now famous night on November 16, 2005, a fragile Australian team had been bullied off the park by Uruguay in its quest to finally break its World Cup drought. Intimidated from the moment they touched down in Montevideo in 2001, spat on by locals and then roared off the park by 60,000 manic fans in the Estadio Centenario, they had barely stood a chance. Now older, more mature and — with Hiddink in charge — more professional, things would be different four years on. That change in mentality flows through November 16, a gripping documentary from Richard Bayliss and Ben Coonan that depicts the Socceroos’ journey from West Germany in 1974 to the moment John Aloisi’s crisp spot kick struck the back of Fabian Carini’s net.

Following an extensive, two-year Seven News investigation spanning four continents and five countries, hidden bank vaults housing Michael’s prized treasures are unlocked; his diary is opened; his final lyrics, recorded but never released, can finally be played; and for the for the first time intensely private photographs and family videos, Michael’s haunting last message, hand-written in the hotel room where he died, and his secrets are finally revealed.

Like the Earth, the human body is a planet teeming with wild life in the midst of fascinating landscapes. For the first time, a microscopic film safari traces these different life forms in and on the human body. These organisms thrive and compete, feed and reproduce, develop and die. In the course of the journey, it becomes clear that some of these organisms are useful and even vital for humans, while others are harmful. Nevertheless, they are all part of a sophisticated ecosystem that has developed over the course of evolution. The number of bacteria that the human body harbors is greater than the number of cells that make it up. Every human being is therefore in constant interaction with countless microorganisms.

Auteur filmmaker Paul Cox contemplates his own mortality and his life's work as he wits for a life saving liver transplant.

A biography of Vincent van Gogh using only images and the letters he wrote to his brother Theo.

A Forever War is a powerful investigation into the war on Gaza, challenging Israel’s response to the Hamas-led attacks in October 2023. Global condemnation of Israel’s war on Gaza recently echoed around the United Nations, where many states continued to label it “genocide”. Yet Israel has largely ignored international opinion, even pressure from the United States. With a ceasefire now on the table just days before the second anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, this film examines what Australian journalist John Lyons calls “one of the most brutal wars of modern times”. Lyons confronts Israeli political, military and intelligence figures on their motives and asks whether there was no alternative to killing more than 66,000 Palestinians, including over 20,000 children. A current cabinet member, a former foreign minister, and ex-Prime Minister Ehud Barak argue Israel’s actions are self-defence.

A comedy movie covering the daily life's of Pattaya nightlife, massages, watch con artists and girls.

Filmed secretly in Sydney by Dutch documentarian Joris Ivens, this short records the solidarity of Indonesian seamen, Australian trade unionists, and local activists who refused to support Dutch efforts to restore colonial rule after World War II. More than a chronicle, it was an act of protest that aligned cinema with the Indonesian independence movement.

Over a year ago the greatest horror film of all time was released, and it took the world by storm. Now join the cast and crew as they discuss the film's development and history and what it truly means to prance.

The Alexander Ball is an observational documentary extravaganza celebrating Samoan-Māori-Australian trans woman of colour, Ella Ganza, and the Meanjin (Brisbane) ballroom scene, as she and her ballroom family prepare for one of the biggest pride events of the year: The Alexander Ball.

Forza Jannik pulls the curtains back on the tennis renaissance taking place in Italy. This isn't just a story about tennis; it's a tale of national pride, of young athletes against the odds, and of a country's relentless quest to dominate the sport.

Satirist and provocateur John Safran explores how Australia deals with speech, ideas and behaviour it deems offensive.

Zara's World is a complex story with a simple heart about the people who shape the world of eighteen month old baby Zara. Her two high profile mothers are sporting legend Zoe Goss and dance performer Claudia Alessi, who live in Perth. Her biological father is Kirk Page, also a high profile performer who lives in Sydney but has an active role as Zara's father. When they are not able to all be together, Kirk connects via Skype to stay in touch. As they juggle their busy careers and navigate traditional expectations of what it means to be a family, the joys and challenges of being one of three parents to a curious and delightful child are revealed in this uniquely compelling documentary.

The Ister is a 3000km journey to the heart of Europe, from the mouth of the Danube river on the Black Sea, to its source in the German Black Forest. Hailed by Scott Foundas of Variety as "a philosophical feast—at which it is possible to gorge oneself yet leave feeling elated,” the film is based on the work of one of the most influential and controversial philosophers of the 20th century, Martin Heidegger, who in 1933 swore allegiance to the National Socialists. By joining a vast philosophical narrative with an epic voyage along Europe’s greatest waterway, The Ister invites you to unravel the extraordinary past and future of ‘the West.’

A short documentary about PLACES, a groundbreaking new program being operated by Bus Stop Films, aimed at people who have undertaken previous filmmaking courses or have measurable on the job experience in filmmaking and live with a disability. This documentary follows participants through the process of creating a short film, as the pilot program is operated for the first time.

"Whaledreamers" - the title alone evokes hypnotic visions of these most magnificent and ancient creatures. This visually stunning film offers an incredible glimpse into a rarely seen and scarcely understood tribal culture whose entire story of creation revolves around whales and has endured for centuries. The film passionately explores the connection between the subtle elegance of these “mothers of the sea” and ancient civilizations around the world whose culture and very existence is based on whales. Intertwining incredible underwater footage with ancient legend, whaledreamers examines the complex past and the possibly dire future of human civilization. Told with moving optimism and spiritual strength, it is a clarion call encouraging humanity’s reconnection to the profound beauty of the natural world and is an appeal to embrace all living beings thereby creating the unity and peace which the Earth itself can bring.

An eye-opening investigation led by 12-time Walkley Award-winning 60 Minutes, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald reporter Nick McKenzie, Revealed: Amongst Us – Neo Nazi Australia explores the terrifying rise of neo Nazi activity in Australia.

From myth to legend Rowland Howard appeared on the early Melbourne punk scene like a phantom out of Kafkaesque Prague or Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A beautifully gaunt and gothic aristocrat, the unique distinctive fury of his guitar style shot him directly into the imagination of a generation. He was impeccable, the austerity of his artistry embodied in his finely wrought form, his obscure tastes and his intelligently wry wit. He radiated a searing personal integrity that never seemed to tarnish. Despite the trials and tribulations of his career, in an age of makeover and reinvention, Rowland Howard never ‘sold out’. With recent and moving interviews, archival interviews and other fascinating and original footage, AUTOLUMINESCENT traces the life of Rowland S Howard. Capturing moments with the man himself and intimate missives from those who knew him behind closed doors; words and images etch light into what has always been the mysterious dark.

Diseases that were largely eradicated forty years ago are returning. Across the world children are dying from preventable conditions, because nervous parents are skipping their children's vaccinations. Yet the stories of vaccine injury are frightening, with rare cases of people being seriously hurt by vaccines. This documentary looks at the growing trend of vaccine hesitancy around the world, exploring the reasons for complacency and concerns, and highlighting the impact of delaying or refusing immunisation.

An examination of the connection between relentless government intervention since colonisation to the trauma and disadvantage experiences by Indigenous Australians - the two key drivers of incarceration.

From the remote Australian desert to the opulence of Buckingham Palace - Namatjira Project is the iconic story of the Namatjira family, tracing their quest for justice.

THE DEPARTMENT is a feature documentary which takes us inside the never-before-seen child protection system at work in NSW. Filmed in an observational style, it follows caseworkers across the state as they navigate the complexities of keeping children safe in families experiencing domestic violence, addiction, poverty, mental health issues and intergenerational trauma.

Produced and directed by Walt Missingham who, in 1983, became the first non-Chinese to practice Kung Fu at the Shaolin Temple, this authoritative and informative programme uses rarely seen archive footage to trace both the history of martial arts and the phenomenal impact Bruce Lee had on this culture. Narrated by Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee Keasler.

In the early nineties, before the massive gentrification of many of New York's then slums, several young people from very disparate backgrounds left their broken homes and ventured onto the brutal streets of the city. United by their love of skateboarding, they formed a family and built a unique lifestyle that eventually inspired Kids, a groundbreaking and outrageous film directed by photographer Larry Clark and released in 1995.

Survivors of the Mumbai terrorist attacks tell the inside story of the actions and decisions that helped save their lives.

Waste Not is a film about where your garbage goes, who sorts it for you, and what it is worth if it isn't just tossed into landfill. It's easier and cheaper to retrieve gold from old computers for instance, than to dig it up. Organics can be used to create fertiliser and green electricity and yet each Australian sends half a tonne of food waste to landfill each year where it is contaminated with chemicals and e-waste. We recycle only 50% of all our waste. There is an alternative to environmental apocalypse and we don't have to wait for the politicians to make it happen. All we really need to do is be creative and use our imaginations to turn this waste into wealth again. Waste Not talks to scientists, workers at waste depots, environment campaigners, gardeners and even a famous chef about how easy it is to save the planet by simply recycling properly.

Six young Australian bull-riders travel to North West Queensland to compete for a spot in the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo; the largest and richest rodeo in the southern hemisphere.

Comedian Paul Hogan opens the door into his private and public life. It’s been 40 years since he first stepped into the comedy limelight, and now at 73, he is ready to share - warts-and-all – his story with fellow comedian Shane Jacobson (Kenny, The Time of our Lives). This relaxed, candid and hilarious program charts his journey from raising a family in a housing commission home, to the highs of Crocodile Dundee, the Golden Globe Awards and performing stand-up at the Oscars. It also delves into the lows of Hogan’s battle with the Australian Tax Office. And right now Paul Hogan is once again set to do what he does best - entertain.

"Wolfe" is an intimate confessional from Nick, who learned through puberty that the imaginary friend in his head was real, and violent.

A portrait of environmental folk hero & gay icon Bob Brown, who took green politics to the center of power. His story is interwoven with the life cycle of the ancient trees he's fighting for.

A Night With the Stars sees Kyle and Jackie doing what they do best – memorable and outrageous celebrity interviews. On their weekday Southern Cross Austereo radio show, Kyle and Jackie chat to the biggest names from the world of entertainment – and A Night With the Stars will continue that tradition. Guests will share their intimate, humorous and often different points of view with Kyle and Jackie.

A short documentary about the making of Jennifer Kent's 'The Babadook'.

In this one-off documentary, Space Dive tells the behind-the-scenes story of Felix Baumgartner's historic, record-breaking freefall from the edge of space to Earth. The world watched with bated breath when Felix became the first person to freefall through the sound barrier on 15 October 2012, after jumping from 128,100ft (24 miles) from the edge of space.

Aussie boys of Asian descent candidly discuss their status as a "minority within a minority".

After four decades of food, culture and support, Dr Nouria Salehi reflects on the closing of the Afghan Gallery Restaurant and the community it will leave behind.