Discoveries from Australia World Cinema

Three witches look to make quick money to spend at an upcoming sabbath, so they prey upon three greedy villagers.

The doors are about to close on Ramsay Street after 37 years. This ABC News Special looks at how Neighbours became a global TV icon, launching the careers of some of our biggest names and one of Australia’s biggest exports

Lonely and isolated in Australia, Simon, a middle aged Australian man travels to Cambodia searching for love. Once there, Simon begins a fragile self exploration as he is confronted by his sexual desire against his need for love.

Set in the heart of Sydney Australia, this is a touching drama about the complex relationship between two misfits; Hyun, a lonely Korean man and Martina, a young orphaned girl. A strange and unique bond is forged against the stark contrast of their different lives and the back drop of the harsh realities of drugs, prostitution and gang life. Somehow these two find sanctuary in each other; Martina helps Hyun reconnect with the world around him and he helps this overly cynical young girl believe in dreams again. Intense, raw performances bring rare emotional veracity and intimacy to a delicate story. An impressive team of emerging talent create a moving, perceptual film.

After evading and attempting to conceal her separation from a long-term partner for two weeks, a young woman finally visits her Grandma who is grappling with age.

Getting thrown onto 3000 thumbtacks, elbowed in the face, or being on the receiving end of a “stone cold stunner” are not the obvious career goals for a kid growing up in rural Australia; but when James Lanham first laid eyes on the sweat and glory of WWE’s WrestleMania as a teenager, his heart was set on dedicating himself to professional wrestling.

Three friends drive down to Philip Island.

A Tahiti is a rugged, forest-clad South Pacific island, surrounded by coral reefs. Its traditional Polynesian way of life has been swamped over the years by foreign influences, particularly that of France. However, the long-awaited re-emergence of traditional culture is the focus of this documentary. We look at some of the people responsible for the cultural revival and their arts including the building of a double hulled canoe, the art of full body tattooing and the fierce dance competitions at the high point of celebration of Polynesian culture, the Tiurai Festival.

This film took shape over a period of three years using a combination of newsreel footage, wildlife and nature material, and some special effects.

Glenn is a woman on an unwholesome mission, but just how far will she go to conquer the clique – and social media at large?

An Australia propaganda war film documenting the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Nominated for the Academy Award.

Every month, an estimated 200,000 Australians deliberately hurt themselves. They cut, scratch, burn and sometimes even break bones. It's called self-harm, and it peaks in teenagers and young people. The Silent Epidemic explores this dark and often secret behaviour, asking why more and more people are turning to self-harm as a way to cope with life. Interweaving their personal stories with scientific enquiry, The Silent Epidemic casts a unique lens onto what is fast becoming a problem that can no longer remain hidden. In response to the growing numbers, a group of Melbourne scientists are hunting for a radical solution to self-harm with a world-first experiment. The Silent Epidemic charts their progress: it is both a wake-up call, and ultimately, a story of hope. Written by Mark Hamlyn

A notorious man sets a deal that goes wrong, he must stay on the run from the police to find a way to get easy cash and leave.

A twelve-year-old boy is forced to leave the female refuge where he lives with his mother. On his way to school he encounters a strange man and tries to find a connection

An anthology film documenting one night in a nightclub bathroom where an unorthodox web of coming-of-age narratives unfold and collide.

A contrast between two kinds of attitudes to gay liberation in Adelaide.

Kerri tries to make girlfriend Beth's dreams come true, but will putting on a school play together cost them their relationship?

Take a trip through the singular mind of Daxton Borchardt, potentially the most infamous of names in Melbourne's prodigious underground kazoo scene.

An online biology class devolves into chaos and shenanigans as the students adjust to online school.

In 2010, the iconic Tote Hotel – last bastion of Melbourne’s vibrant music counterculture – was forced to close by unfair laws. Filmed over 7 years, “Persecution Blues” depicts the struggle of more than 20,000 fans – and the bands who inspire them – to preserve their history and protect their future, and puts the audience on the front line of an epic-scale culture war.

“Mystery Incorporated” is a fan film created by fans, for fans. It follows the beloved gang as they take on a strange new case where reality itself isn’t what it seems. As the mystery unravels, the line between the familiar and the unknown begins to blur, leading them into darker and more unexpected territory than ever before.

Two car thieves/roommates think they are taking part in the usual job: Steal a rich guys car and sell it for profit. However, what should be normal routine turns to chaos when they discover that the car they have been sent to steal is worth hardly anything and has been ordered to be taken as part of a ridiculous personal vendetta regarding a parking space. If that wasn't bad enough, the psychotic owner is not at work as they had been told.

Neo must fight the agents and return back successfully to the real world. A parody of The Matrix.

March 2020, a worldwide catastrophic event unfolds, as an ensemble of young migrants' lives fall apart. Libra stares down the drop of a tall building, Razor deals drugs for flights back to the Philippines, Amanda is the survivor of an assault, Ying arrives from China, and Lit Phil is on the run. Meanwhile a young man with dark desires roams the streets. Through the chaos these lives will cross paths and a pencil will be taken to the jugular.

A feature documentary following Antonio de Benedetto, an Italian chef on a quest to change the world with food. His apprentices are aspiring chefs with Down syndrome, who travel from across Italy to train and work in hospitality and take their place at the table of life and find their pathway to freedom and independence.

After unknowingly cheating death, a teenager meets the grim reaper, who gives him 52 hours to live.

A comprehensive account of the experiences of a community of Aboriginal people from pre-colonial times to the 1990s. This film makes the connection between Aboriginals in chains in the 19th century and Aboriginal people in prisons today, so providing a deeper understanding of how the violence and denials of the past inform the present. It argues that the relentless removal of the Yindjibarndi/Ngarluma people into coastal ghettos has led to the community's current problems. Yet it never allows the viewer to forget the significance and influence of spiritual homelands, the bedrock upon which Yindjibarndi/Ngarluma tribal law is based. Above all, Exile and the Kingdom is a beautifully logical and persuasive argument for land rights.

Shakespeare's rival - a female poet hidden in history - hers is an extraordinary story. The Bard borrowed her life, her love, and even her words.

Keegan’s plans to ask out his work-crush are disrupted by the murderous-rampage of a fluffy little yellow monster.

Desperate for independence, mother, Helena secretly applies to university, uncertain of the response she will get from her conservative family. Her goal is sidetracked when she learns that her son is hiding a terrible secret.

After catastrophic flood waters destroy her home, a mother struggles against adversity to rebuild her life and raise her children.

Max can see the angels that are meant to protect us, but, only in the bathroom.

Broadway star Bernadette Peters headlines the 2009 Adelaide Cabaret Festival and has the crowd on their feet for three standing ovations. From her opening number, "Let Me Entertain You," Peters brings wit, emotion, and her inimitable style to a range of musical numbers and pop classics. Highlights include a playfully sexy rendition of "Fever" from atop a grand piano, a heart-rending "Rose's Turn" (from "Gypsy") and a performance of her self-penned charity single "Kramer's Song." Featuring classics from Rodgers & Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim, Bernadette Peters charms with her bubbly personality and hilarious banter, which are overshadowed only by the rich textures of her magnificent voice.

1988 Australian Short Film

Tegan is 12, in love with the coolest boy in class and just found out where meat comes from. Tegan faces intolerance and peer pressure as she struggles to she find the strength to follow her heart.

In 1918 Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, his wife, son and four daughters were summarily assassinated. In 1992 the bodies were unearthed only to discover that the remains of two family members were missing - Alexei and Anastasia. Persistent rumors of Anastasia's escape have circulated after her death. This documentary examines the possibility that Anastasia may have survived the brutal assassination.

The Life Story of John Lee, or the Man They Could Not Hang is a 1921 Australian silent film (which is now considered lost) based on the true life story of John Babbacombe Lee. It is a remake of a 1912 film with some extra scenes of Lee's childhood.

A tiny robot is given the gift of life with only one limitation, the length of his power cable.

Three ethnic school kids from Sydney's western suburbs form a punk band in the 80s. The Hard-Ons fight racism, the music industry and the rise of grunge with their pop punk noise, irreverent humour and absolute commitment to just being themselves.

A self documented documentary following the journey of transgender man and filmmaker Phoenix Bercini as he takes the steps from self acceptance, to socially, legally and medically transitioning into his true self. The film presents a raw and thought-provoking perspective of the hardships faced by transgender individuals and the importance of transitioning. It also explores the journeys of friends and family members with little knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community and their experiences adapting to the unfamiliar while remaining supportive. From emerging filmmaker Phoenix Bercini, this film aims to educate those with little experience with transgender people and celebrate individuality.

Work is becoming more service oriented and more and more services rely upon us doing harm to each other. In most people's lives, work operates as a degrading and debilitating force. It disables people's critical and perception capacities. Unless workers assume responsibility for evaluating the meaning and implications of the work they do, there will never be the capacity to redirect the modern work institutions from their courses of violence and exploitation. Built in seven parts which correspond to each day of the week, this film studies the relationship between work being done and the nature of the people that are doing it.

Two estranged friends stumble upon each other and reconnect over a shared loss.

When a woman starts to suspect her boyfriend’s ex is faking cancer to win him back, she tries desperately to hold onto the relationship.

Dan is desperate for a fresh start, but when his former housemate, Scott, moves into his new unit uninvited and befriends a dead salmon he dubs ‘Craig’, solitude seems like an impossible dream. While Scott and Craig’s friendship flourishes, the salmon destroys Dan’s way of life, and he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

Doesn't need a title. Doesn't need awards. Three-times Helpmann Award nominee. "Tom Gleeson really doesn’t need a good review." Herald Sun

An animated version of Dickens' novel

Recorded on Saturday April 19, 2003 when Silverchair brought the Across The Night tour to their hometown of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The concert was staged in the ornate and venerable Newcastle Civic Theatre - within walking distance of the band's birthplace. Surrounded by friends and family the group finally got to perform songs from their landmark albums.

As David's mundane life takes the best of him, he finds himself standing at the end of the line.

The devastating Chilean earthquake of 2010 damaged over 370,000 homes. The city of Talca was near its epicentre, leaving many historic neighbourhoods in ruins. CASA ANTÚNEZ is an intimate portrait of one beloved home in Talca, and how its destruction reveals a divided family. When the mother sells the adobe ruins to her architect son José Luis, his brothers and cousins are sceptical about his intentions. Over three years, we witness their psychological process of losing a childhood home as they confront the future of its land. CASA ANTÚNEZ is a poetic homage to the very notion of ‘home’ after a disaster.

A soap/sex comedy.

A production of 'The Merry Widow', recorded live in June 1993. The story follows Hanna Glawari who has been recently widowed and is seeking a new husband. She is one of the wealthiest women in Pontevedro and if she marries a foreigner Pontevedro will be left bankrupt...so the bureaucrats plot to ensure that Hanna marries a siutable national.

I Grew Here is a stand-up comedy show about growing up Korean in Wollongong, NSW. I chat about having 3 names, Asian parents, race and relationships, and a bit of Korean culture.

Cars, buildings, trees. A film about independence and life's ultimate redemption.

Radio is one of the most important communication technologies ever invented and has been a vital tool in helping Australians overcome the tyranny of distance both nationally and internationally.

Vince attempts to clean up a dead body for the mob, but when he enlists the help of his dim-witted brother-in-law Ted, things don't go to plan.

Dr Jamie Seymour uses a new system to understand the threats posed by venomous creatures and to track down the world's worst venom.

DROP is a brief journey through a droplet of water, hanging precariously from a downpipe, into a world of giant sea creatures and intelligent seahorses.

From the brain that brought you millionaire cats eating Viennetta, gypsy cuddles and nanna wanks, comes a brand spanking new hour of mind blending internal self-hatred, paranoia and comedy, because you have to put comedy in it.

Axed is an Australian 'backyard' zombie epic that throws back to the grit of the late 1970's. Alone with his Axe, Bruce must slip and slide through the blood, the guts, the infected and a rag tag army militia that are hell bent on cleansing the town of all life. Then the dead start coming back to life.