Discoveries from Australia World Cinema

A surrealist tale of love, masculinity, and the pursuit of happiness, which follows the journey of a young man who tries to fix his life in all the ways that don’t work.

The complex dynamics of a contentious yet co-dependent mother–daughter relationship are explored in this day-in-the-life drama set among Melbourne’s Turkish community.

‘TAKBO’ is a short experimental film that studies the realities by which young Filipino women live.

"We are powerfully imprisoned by the terms in which we have been conducted to think.” - R. Buckminster Fuller

Teen Josie tries to make sense of a frightening world in which a sleep condition blurs her dreams into waking life, and comes under the sway of her sister Samantha, whose dark web of secrets she must unravel.

A child, abandoned with only a violin, grows up to become an accomplished musician and brings about the reunion of her parents, a hunchbacked conductor and a singer who used to be blind.

Soo is a short documentary that traces the life of 100-year-old grandfather Colin Soo as he revisits the places in Sydney that shaped his identity. This intimate portrait is a reflection on heritage, generational bonds, and the Cantonese Australian diaspora.

The second of John Pilger’s three 1976 documentaries made in the United States. In Pyramid Lake Is Dying, he reports on the demise in the culture of native Americans and the stealing of their resources. Pyramid Lake, in Nevada, home to the Paiute peoples and once described as “one of the few remaining unspoiled natural wonders in the American West”, is drying up and its fisheries and wildlife disappearing due to changes to the local ecology made by white settlers. In addition to their natural resources, the Paiute peoples' culture and lifestyle are also under threat.

A Japanese tourist enjoying a relaxed car journey through the beauty and tranquility of the Australian desert collides with a violent moment in time. The bloodthirsty battle is over as quickly as it begins, vanishing eternally into the desert landscape.

Produced for the Adults Learning series, this short film uses a conversation between a potential university dropout, a friend, and an observer to examine adult learning in the context of management–staff relations.

A student film. A high-ranking detective within the South Australian Police Force of the late 70s faces challenges in his personal and professional life, which have both reached boiling points with life-altering repercussions. A Proof of Concept for the Feature-Film Screenplay 'The Man with the Blue Beret'.

Get ready to light up the stage Down Under! DreamHack Melbourne 2024 will feature the first-ever hololive 3D concert in the southern-hemisphere, with performances from Houshou Marine, Tokoyami Towa, Kureiji Ollie, Pavolia Reine, Mori Calliope, and Hakos Baelz Event Website: https://dreamhack.com/melbourne/hololive

New documentary short examining the Neil Hamburger phenomenon Down Under, with rare archival footage of Neil in triumph... and defeat.

SUGAR PINE FALLS is about growing up fast. Monty and his little sister are being driven halfway across the country by their mum (Hannah), in another attempted escape of Monty’s alcoholic father. Monty is 16 and can’t yet shake the responsibility of looking after his emotionally erratic mum. When they arrive at the Sugar Pine Caravan Park, Monty forms an unexpected friendship with James; an intriguing and artistic older boy. James has a heaviness weighing on him and takes to the Monty’s awkwardly insightful presence as a much needed distraction. But, SUGAR PINE is a dark place where everyone has something to hide and happiness is fleeting. A body lays limp beneath a waterfall and as the film unravels the awful truth will be revealed.

Eight filmmakers with intellectual disability interview their parents about what it was like when doctors delivered the news of their diagnosis.

A film about the Australian government's practice of removing Aboriginal children from their families.

Documents the modern history of performers, personalities, and locations helping to foster the Meanjin drag scene.

Nick Meyers dances across the USA.

Hidden Forecourts follows Sarah who returns to her hometown to attend a funeral. She is reunited with her childhood friend Marcus, who warns her that someone from her past is also returning to town. Sarah’s homecoming attracts the unwanted attention of old foxes and vengeful spirits who demand she return something she stole many years ago…

A young boy struggles to prove himself to his mother as they hunt fantastical creatures in the wilderness.

A documentary film about a special kind of friendship - the age-old relationship between gay men and straight women, as told by Monica Davidson, a self-declared “fag hag”.

On a lonely alien planet shrouded in mystery, an ominous beast guards a powerful treasure. One day he receives an unexpected guest - A seemingly innocent girl crash lands on his world. The two will forge an unusual friendship, and teach one another that looks can indeed be deceiving!

A poignant short documentary featuring three children as they reflect on a life-changing family tragedy: their father’s diagnosis with brain cancer. Told through their eyes, the film explores love, resilience, and the ways young people process illness and uncertainty within a family.

Getting drafted is an exciting, nerve-racking, anxious, long, fun and tension-inducing experience for teenagers around the country every year. Sharing the journey with some of your closest friends, however, makes it a whole lot more enjoyable.

Told in five parts, Ochres was inspired by the special role ochre plays in Aboriginal ceremony. The performance, by Australia's Bangarra Dance Theatre is a fusion of indigenous and contemporary dance. Recorded at the Sunken Garden Amphitheater at the University of Western Australia during the 1996 Festival of Perth.

An insight into how one feels upon a late night return home.

Street performer Paul Cooper has an unlikely ally in his ongoing battle with anxiety and depression - his robot, Tubby.

Grace lives a comfortable life in a nice house. It’s a far cry from the mission which she fled years ago. When she returns for a funeral, she’s faced with unfamiliar family and a forgotten past.

Lost in memories of her own

Gay life in 1960 Australia (or camp as it was then known) was underground but growing in confidence. The side and back bars that made up much of the discreet public gay scene at the time had been active since the early 20th century, along with a mix of beats, cafes, theatre foyers and more, but many wanted more. Interest in socialising away from the bars and outside of private homes lead to the development of new gay social groups in the early 1960s, in Sydney these included The Chameleons, The Pollynesians, The Karingals, The Tiffanys, and The Boomerangs.

Two roommates test the limits of friendship, trust, and morality, where in a world of sheep, the true danger may not be outside the fence, but inside.

James Carpenter, a recovering gambling addict, is brought onto a talk show to discuss his addiction. When the show is interrupted by gambling ads, James must escape the cycle these ads have him in.

Sydney's Chinatown was once a thriving hub for Cantonese Australians

Bluebottle Kiss were formed in Sydney in 1993, a turbulent time in the Australian independent music scene.  They sound only like themselves: A strikingly volatile unit bringing forth sweetness and ferocity, conjuring tales of personal vulnerability and a kind of warped Australiana. After releasing multiple albums and EPs, they parted ways in 2007. In 2022, the ‘Revenge is Slow’ (2002) line-up of Bluebottle Kiss announced a run of 5 reunion shows across Australia.  These were astonishing performances, transcending the entire concept of reformation. Film maker Ben deHoedt shot the band’s hometown gig in Sydney, resulting in the film (and accompanying live album) Bluebottle Kiss: Never Leave Town – Live in Sydney. Made on the fly with minimal equipment, this unadorned yet cinematic live document captures the rich hues, rough edges, vulnerability and vitality of Bluebottle Kiss as they perform some of their most accomplished material to a packed house over a 90 minute set.

The Searchers' classic hit "Needles and Pins" accompanies images of couples gazing lovingly into each others' eyes. Love, naturally, is transcendent.

Tea With Madame Clos is about an extraordinary woman in her extreme old age living in a small medieval village in South West France. Couched in the framework of a train journey, the filmmaker remembers her many encounters over four years with Madame Clos.

When a student protest erupts into violence, Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser seeks refuge in the bowels of a lecture theatre while his minders desperately hatch an escape plan.

Two corporate middle managers wage war over their shared desk space using office stationary. As their battle escalates to the breaking point, they find themselves drawn into an unexpected, unusual relationship.

When Park Ranger Anthony discovers critical levels of toxic air pollution in his national park, he must rally public attention and challenge a powerful industry to protect the environment and public health.

As a young couple struggle with the demands of life with a new baby, they plow forward on production for their latest self-funded independent feature film.

When shy, dorky Linda finds herself alone with her sister's hunky boyfriend Matt, she decides to make the most of situation and convinces him to take his clothes off for money. Little does Matt know that Linda is not as stupid as she looks.

A train pulls into the station, and the crowd of travelers invades the dock.

SexStar follows Nathan Hill, a Casanova whose chief occupation is the 'rounding' of women. He juggles five different girls over a series of hilarious dates, all while trying to maintain his reputation by nailing the hottest girl in the city. Equal parts entertaining, informative and controversial, SexStar finally reveals the truth about the games men play to pick up women.

Il Dago captures the hilarious stand up routines of some of Australia's best and most loved comedians. Never before have so many stars of Australian ethnic comedy been on the one stage at the one time. Along with rising star, Sri Lankan Australian comic Nish, are three of the most influential and prominent comedians Australia has produced. This recording features the hilarious stand up of George Kapiniaris, star of stage and screen best remembered most for his lovable character Memo on Acropolis Now. It also features another star of Acropolis Now, Simon Palomares, Ricky who, as one of the creators of the hit sage show Wogs out of Work, changed the fabric of Australian comedy forever. Hosting this historic event is Joe Avati, not only one of the biggest draw cards in Australian comedy who went on to become one of Australia's biggest comedy exports, taking ethnic comedy to Europe and North America where his comedy albums have become chart toppers.

Wonders of Yesterday (2021), explores the significance of underwater landscape archaeology in relation to the effects of climate change on global sea rise, while examining the impact on coastal communities, past and present, and future. The film follows maritime archaeologist, Chelsea Wiseman, as she discusses areas of importance, including ancient coastal communities in Denmark, Israel, and Australia.

Around the Boree Log is a 1925 Australian silent film by Phil K. Walsh adapted from the poems of "John O'Brien" (Patrick Joseph Hartigan). It tells stories of a priest's life around the 1870s in the Goulburn area.

A retrospective documentary including interviews with band members past and present, producers, fellow musicians and fans as well as behind the scenes footage taken around the world.

Dave Hughes Live is a rare chance to glimpse Dave Hughes in his natural environment – on stage with a mic in his hand. In his comedy DVD debut Hughesy kills, slaughters and slays the 2000 seat Thebarton Theatre in Adelaide.

15-year-old Kaia wishes to celebrate her birthday with her father, Ian, but when he forgets about their plans and leaves her at their house, she finally decides to run away from home. Before she can leave, Ian unexpectedly returns home, and Kaia catches him in a very uncomfortable and compromising position.

Moral-abiding feminist comedian, Rach, receives a massive blow after a show when she is rejected by the agent she was so hungry for. Rach’s brother Benny takes her out to his work Christmas drinks as a means to cheer her up. But in his world of sales bro’s Rach is pushed to see if she’s got the “tenacity” to survive in their world. Will she flip on her morals and throw her integrity to the wind to step up to their plate?

When faced with the chance to be taken away from your lugubrious state towards an alluring otherworld of opportunity and community, you can't help but run towards that dream. However, when that dream transforms into disturbing distrust, a nobler future entails the pursuit of self-determination.

Tash Sultana takes centre stage as the critically acclaimed MTV Unplugged Melbourne concert series returns.

Guts and glory are at stake in the Saturday recreational soccer league. This hilarious animation perfectly captures the highs and lows of coaxing together a motley crew to show up on time and game ready every week, but at the end of the day it's all worth it for the beautiful game.

"Bodyline", the word coined to describe a method of attack that involved bowling fast rising deliveries aimed at the batsman's head and body with a ring of close in fieldsmen on the leg side poised for a catch. Used in the 1932-33 Ashes Test Series, that pitted Bradman against Jardine and soured Anglo-Australian relations for years.

Tommy Little is the reigning rock star of Australian comedy. Now the country's favourite dickhead has done something that nobody thought was a good idea, he became a pilot. While most of us were busy giving up on baking in the lockdowns, Tommy aimed for the heavens, taking flying lessons and nailing his first solo flight (well, sort of). You'll hear about this, and other adventures in Pretty Fly For A Dickhead. On stage, Tommy is a perpetual motion machine, constantly working the crowd and landing line after line.

Experience Ruel’s biggest hits like never before, reimagined with Ensemble Apex, a collective of Australia’s most prestigious players, known for redefining the orchestral experience for a new generation.

Lewis Garnham's second full length stand up special. This show was developed and toured throughout 2023/2024. The taping took place at Max Watts, Melbourne, in October of 2024.

During a storm in a remote Nepalese village, a mysterious man finds refuge in the house of a family haunted by their father's disappearance years before. Strangely unwilling to leave, he slowly reawakens lost memories of the missing father.

Desperation drives a recovering addict to seek out his estranged brother at their secluded family home.