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Thoughts on the Purpose of Friendship follows two friends and their effortless friendship. The subtle interplay and hidden expressions between them remind us, in our increasingly transaction-based society, of the true and simple foundations required to build a friendship.

In 2004, Nathan McLay quit his day job to start Future Classic, a Sydney record label he hoped would put Australia's burgeoning dance music scene on the world map. It quickly became an incubator of local talent and launched the careers of genre-bending artists like Nick Murphy (formerly known as Chet Faker), Flight Facilities and Flume. This documentary traces the label's growth from a small DIY collective to an unstoppable force in contemporary music.

'dust: the road to where?' is a documentary uncovering the recent success of the band dust, based in Newcastle, NSW. Viewing the ups and downs of the band and their outlook on the newly announced European tour.

Popular films navigate the dishonesties of the cinematic romance. Serial killers and their cohorts read segmented love letters from Orson Wells, James Joyce, and Johnny Cash. Pornography plays to a despondent song that breaks through the fantasy of these maladaptive rom coms. And the hoax that is compulsory heterosexuality is laid bare. The sale of traditional romance as a sleight of hand under male supremacy is unveiled to simply be the normalization of both a soft and hard form of violence.

Breanna is pursuing a career as a professional artist, which is a challenging path for anyone. She has recently started identifying as a neurodivergent individual. Her parents are her strongest supporters and advocates, wanting to protect her. However, sometimes we need to navigate the world on our own to truly find our way.

When Geraldine Kawanka’s husband died, she and her children left their house at Aurukun on Cape York Peninsula. In earlier times a bark house would have been burnt, but today a ‘house-opening’ ceremony — creatively mingling Aboriginal, Torres Strait and European elements — has evolved to deal with death in the midst of new living patterns. Although sometimes suggesting a party, its underlying purpose is serious. This film records the opening of the house and Geraldine’s feelings about it in her informative and personal commentary.

An autobiographical documentary written and directed by Michael Blakemore in 1981 in which he plays his own father. The film was made on 16mm and first screened in the UK at London's National Film Theatre.

At the request of a dying Tiwi man and his family on Melville Island, this film was made of the pukumani (bereavement) ceremony to follow his death. The film observes the family through the long period of preparation for the ceremony, following age-old traditions. Dancing and face-painting are rehearsed, to the family’s satisfaction, and because “things should be right for this film”. For the two days of ceremony, the community moves to Carslake Beach where a smoking ritual is held to protect the participants from spirits. The cemetery poles are erected, traditional dances are performed along with personal dances by family members. Facial and body decoration is elaborate and spectacular. After saying a final farewell to the old man, the community and the family leave the Beach and return to the village where routine life resumes.

During the 1980s, claims of satanic ritual abuse ran rife throughout the western world, uncovered by hypnotic therapists and perpetuated throughout the media, including high-rating television talk shows. In Demonic, filmmaker Pia Borg delves into this bizarre chapter of history, examining the elusive line between fact, fiction and the persuasive power of the media.

An urgent and powerful documentary, shot in a detention centre where asylum seekers trying to reach Australian shores are indefinitely detained. Secretly shot on a mobile phone by Iranian journalist Behrouz Boochani while detained on Manus, in Papua New Guinea, the film is a collaboration with Dutch-Iranian filmmaker Arash Kamali Sarvestani. Boochani recounts, via the testimonies of fellow inmates, the abuse and violence inflicted and the precarious state of limbo they find themselves in. Chauka, the name of the dreaded solitary confinement unit within the detention centre, was originally the name of a beautiful bird and symbol of the Manus Island. By interweaving dialogue with two Manusian men and shots of daily life on the island, the film gives a much-needed voice to Manus inhabitants, understandably distressed by the current situation. With marked restraint, the film exposes lives broken by shocking immigration policies.

The Born at Home documentary explores and uncovers the empowering journey of homebirth, shedding light on the often overlooked and misunderstood option that has transformed lives. Born at Home dives into real stories of women navigating birth trauma and examines how a shift in environment and informed choices can reshape the birthing experience. Wisdom is shared from homebirth families, interwoven with evidence-based information from midwives, medical professionals, doulas, researchers and maternity advocates.

With a career spanning well over a decade in the bloodiest, most violent subgenre of pro wrestling, David "Gweedo" Brown reflects on his time as a deathmatch wrestler.

Mike has a brain tumour. It's the sort of tumour that wont kill him, but it will rob him of his sight. With the current stagnation of Medicinal Cannabis prescription in Australia, Mike sets off on a road trip of discovery.

Artist Atong Atem shares her story of embracing her dark skin tone while growing up in Australia.

Narrated by a Bunuba Traditional Owner, Lifeblood showcases the Kimberley’s pristine Fitzroy River, its wildlife, and the cultural heritage of its critically endangered species.

A pioneer of indie music, Sarah Blasko walks the line between commercial success and artistic integrity with dignity. Narrated by Sarah herself, this film is an intimate portrait of the artist as she writes her new album.

For generations, vampires in cinema have fascinated us. Our intrigue never seems to die, and whether they enter our dreams, inspire our sense of style, or even fuel our fantasies and desires, make no mistake - vampires never go out of fashion. In this documentary, we speak to various women from the entertainment industry in Australia. We discuss their obsession with vampires and explore the world's beloved vampire genre. So grab your garlic, a crucifix, and have some holy water on standby as we embark on a journey to talk to the vampires down under!

Rhys Gilday, a man on the autism spectrum, and his love of AFL umpires, shine a spotlight on the game’s most misunderstood figures. No Prior Opportunity is a heartwarming, funny and powerful tribute to passion, exclusion and resilience on the fringes of fandom.

I Found Water is an autobiographical experimental film that employs textured images drowned in darkness, to examine deteriorating memories and the mysterious logic of their preservation.

'25' are two unknown, indie songwriters in a bare bones studio on a train in the industrial West of Melbourne - Australia’s music capital. They plan to write, record then release a fresh song every two weeks of the year. Cath loves pop; Nick loves garage rock. She wants jazz flute; he wants a dirty guitar. Is this ever going to work or are they totally deluded? Is it an impossible goal?

Murder in the Goldfields investigates three baffling murders that have defied homicide detectives despite a rising amount of evidence. Ray and Jennie Kehlet went prospecting with another man but never came back, Lisa Goven left a trail of evidence via CCTV cameras but disappeared, and Charlie Park vanished into thin air. It's time we asked just why the Kalgoorlie Goldfields have more than its fair share of unsolved murders.

Told he only had a short time to live, Joshua Belinfante sought out dedicated talents around the world striving their best at what they always wanted to do as kids; trying to find what he would do if given a second chance.

A documentary portrait of the Jie of northeastern Uganda, examining pastoral life during a dry season as government policies and economic pressures challenge traditional patterns of herding, movement, and subsistence.

The Jealous One unfolds along two plot lines that meet in a dramatic final encounter: the first, a story of an Indigenous man weaving through bureaucratic red tape to get to a mortuary service on his ancestral land; and the second, a fight between a husband consumed by jealousy and his wife’s brother, who excludes him from community ceremonies.

Journalist Sarah Dingle goes on a journey where she digs through hospital files, chases leads, and takes a DNA test to uncover the truth about who made her and how, but the discoveries are more disturbing the deeper she delves.

2006 was one of the deadliest Everest seasons on record. Experienced mountaineer Lincoln Hall was invited to join an expedition as a high altitude cameraman. It was his second attempt to summit the mountain, having turned back just short 22 years earlier. Shortly after reaching the summit, Hall began to behave irrationally, suffering from lack of oxygen. Aided by his loyal Sherpas for over 9 hours, he eventually collapsed and they declared him dead. His family were informed and the news hit headlines. But something happened that night that science cannot explain. The next morning Lincoln Hall was found alive by approaching climbers and his dramatic rescue began. Never before has a man been declared dead so high on Everest and survived. This is the remarkable true story of Lincoln Hall’s extraordinary journey back from beyond.

Hellfire rejected the conventional and developed a style that reflected the growing popularity of fetish culture, tattooing, body piercing and industrial and house music.

After getting into a heated argument with her dad Hossein, Zahra stumbles upon immigration documents of his journey to Australia as a refugee. By reading these files and uncovering her father’s truth, Zahra is able to travel back in time and make peace with Hossein - understanding the past to make sense of the future.

The introduction of electricity into the village of Bigga in New South Wales.

Paul "Gator Boy" Bedard and croc hunter "Crocodile Mick Pittman" journey through the Northern Territory to explore the invasion of crocodiles.

A documentary about a small toy dealer who lives in his shop in NSW.

The most isolated metal band in the world, Southeast Desert Metal, and their Aunty Kathleen, share ancient Arrernte culture with the world through song and painting.

A woman, Zsuzsi Weinstock, survived the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp as a child. The film documents her story while providing a collage of images, most not directly linked to the story.

The “gay male nuns” of Sydney’s Order of Perpetual Indulgence have been shocking, delighting and confounding audiences with their satirical activism for over four decades, but does this bold brand of activism still hold relevance today?

Guy Bourdin revolutionized fashion photography. With his surreal images, he went from being an enfant terrible in the mid-1950s to one of the most important photographers for French Vogue. In Bourdin's work, models posed in front of animal carcasses, swung in brightly colored dresses in the middle of a huge birdcage, and rode on the back of an orca. Whether doll-like women or femmes fatales, the image of women conveyed in his representations is the subject of heated debate.

The film follows an abandoned son's search for the mother who left him. Like the final scene of Im Kwon-taek’s Gilsotteum (1986), which evokes the primal power of Korean kinship, this journey is filled with lingering images and sounds. Chronicling his travels through Japan, Portugal, and Spain, the film traces the unbreakable—if unseen—thread of blood that connects a mother and son, and extends through a scattered people.

Blending poetic and expository modes of documentary storytelling. ‘Colour Through the Grey’ explores the psychotherapeutic method of art therapy, questioning whether creative expression can be used as a therapeutic tool in navigating bereavement, or if the dissonance between dejection and therapeutic intervention proves to be too strong to overcome.

5 years in the making, Abu Hanfia Institute presents a documentary about the rich history of Muslims in Australia. This captivating documentary reveals the profound connection between Makassan Muslims and Aboriginal Australians.

A notorious small town ex-con reflects on past mistakes and his time on the run within the backdrop of sleepy Bridgetown, Western Australia.

A documentary about the "Australian Taliban", David Hicks. The film follows the struggles of David's father, Terry Hicks, as he tries to free his son from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay. Terry Hicks travels the world, locking himself in a cage on street corners in major cities as a demonstration of the harsh conditions his son is unjustly suffering under. At the same time, the movie traces David Hicks' path through Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he eventually joined the Taliban.

Somewhere in England brave souls line up to take on this year's fiery chilli crop.

Just before Easter 2001, a semi-trailer loaded with 40,000 bottles of beer crashed into the Tweed River on the out skirts of the northern New South Wales town of Murwillumbah (known as "Murbah" to the locals). With salvage crews ordered to clear the crash zone for the busy Easter traffic, the locals undertook their own salvage operation, making it their best Easter ever. Murbah Swamp Beer is a documentary about an event that could only happen in Australia. It captures the spirit of a small, country town as its citizens discover that beer definitely tastes better when it's free.

Night after night, two travellers cross paths at a university library. The library's symmetry, rhythms and recurrences form a fantastic geography for their stories and adventures.

A biopic of the Melbourne street art scene from 30 years ago to now, from railways junctions at night to festivals, abandoned factories, rooftops drains and galleries. Interview with over 15 artists, as well as criminologists, anti-graffiti activists, politicians, architects & more, coupled with a soundtrack ft. Promoe, RJD2, Bias B, Portico Quartet, Vivaldi & many more. It's a story that's been here since the beginning of time. You've seen on the walls of your homes, the sides of your trains, as you drive through streets by rooftops, billboards and drains. It's the biggest art movement of our time. The streets have become a gallery since the cave painting is now collective.

36 years after the world lost the incomparable icon, Bruce Lee, his early friend and martial arts training partner, William Cheung, recorded his thoughts and fond reflections on the man he knew as 'Little Dragon'. Born in the same year as Bruce, by 1958 Grandmaster Cheung was spending his weekends training with and coaching Bruce Lee in preparation for his upcoming bouts in Western boxing. Today, Grandmaster Cheung teaches thousands of kung fu students in the same art that Bruce Lee began. This is his story of Bruce Lee.

Dr. Helen Caldicott, firebrand anti-nuclear campaigner, celebrated author, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, is too alarmed to retire. Certain that the White House's War on Terror is escalating the global nuclear arms race, she embarks on an explosive crusade across post 9/11 USA, armed with her fifth book, 'The New Nuclear Danger', and a furious determination to rally the American people against Star Wars and the new nuclear weapons labs before it is too late.

the legendary live action movie where people cry and dragons die....

Public Information Film aimed at teaching young children the basics of reporting unsafe situations.

Renowned Canadian cave-diver Jill Heinerth, fueled by an insatiable curiosity about Earth's hidden depths, embarks on legendary expeditions - from Mexico's extensive caves to Antarctica's iceberg realms. Amidst hair-raising dive footage, intimate interviews, and animated flashbacks Jill's motivations are unveiled. Despite over 100 personal losses in the deep, each odyssey brings her closer to the woman she aspired to be as a child. This film is a captivating narrative of exploration and self-discovery.

A journey into the emotional landscape of family, love and loss of two close friends, both Aboriginal, who were adopted by white families and have connected back with their bloodline families.

Bring'Em Back is a political and emotional plea for the return of Melbourne's beloved 'connies' -- or conductors, for those of you of a younger vintage. Director Phillip Donnellon's documentary, full of humour and passion, harks back to a time before the government sell off of public assets, to a debate that brought this city to a standstill and caused deep divisions within the Victorian Labor party. With an election due in November could it be more timely?

Katia Schwartz is a Deaf and Queer professional Aerial performer, and the owner/founder of Sky Sirens dance studio in Sydney, Australia. After an unexpected diagnosis with a profound hearing loss not once but twice, she is compelled to reflect on her identity, life and career. Katia's story is a unique journey through passion, loss and love from a perspective rarely represented on-screen.

The incel community is a world that’s usually closed off to the outside - especially to women. Incels, short for 'involuntary celibates', are mostly lonely young men who can’t find a sexual or romantic partner – and resent women for it. In this two-part investigation, two female producers meet with current and former incels from around Australia to learn what it means to be an incel.

Set over three days, Goody Goody Gumdrops is an absurd, comic observational musical documentary cum live album launch for Tropical Fuck Storm’s new album Deep States. Situated deep in Central Victoria on the banks of the Goulburn River at TFS HQ, we follow the band as they prepare for a rock show in their barn. Referencing the feel of the Australian Western and Australian Gothic (see Wake in Fright, The Cars That Ate Paris and Picnic at Hanging Rock) we travel with the band through their abject, weird and beautiful space. The weekend starts as the band welcomes you into their studio/cocktail lounge and teach you how to make their signature drink, The Tropical Fuck Fizz, then entertain you, Rat Pack style.

Thanks to sophisticated equipment, marine biologists have managed to capture unprecedented scenes of the intimate life of humpback whales off the Australian coast. A spectacular immersion in the intimate life of this mysterious species. Off the coast of the Kimberley in northwestern Australia is a major breeding ground for humpback whales. Thanks to sophisticated equipment, such as aerial cameras on board quadrotors or innovative night vision technologies, Curt and Micheline Jenner, whale researchers, capture unprecedented scenes revealing the behavior of cetaceans.

Adorned in pink sequins, little girls from all over a divided, war-torn Ukraine audition to play the role of a national hero whose tears of joy once united their troubled country, the gold-winning figure skater Oksana Baiul.

The story of Jean-Pierre and the rise of Western Sydney’s street football community.

A captivating step back in time, Pozieres explores the small village in Northern France which, during the Great War in 1916, was the setting of one of the bloodiest battles in history, a twentieth century tragedy. The village was stormed and captured by Australians and became key to the success of the Battle for the Somme. But in less than seven weeks they suffered 23,000 casualties.

Amy Winehouse’s tremendous soulful vocal talent and songwriting ability established her as one of the most innovative artists of our time. She used the sound of her idols, Etta James & Billie Holiday, to reinvent jazz and blues for a new generation in her album Back To Black, which sold millions of copies worldwide and garnered her countless accolades, including 5 Grammy Awards. This is the story of how in just 27 short years, Amy Winehouse managed to influence the music community, fashion world and a legion of fans that understood her best through her musical genius.