Discoveries from Australia World Cinema

Under strict population control measures, Layla faces the reality of her unregistered pregnancy.

At the end of the world, only Indigenous people can survive the toxic landscape so the white fellas steal ‘mud children’ to experiment on in the hopes of finding a cure. One such mud child, Aiden now returns to his ancestral lands, where the mermaids were meant to protect him. But the mermaids are being targeted too.

A documentary of a young couple and their two children living in a squatter settlement in the Philippine capital, Manila. Rather than just a report on poverty, this is a universal story of people experiencing everyday events with a mixture of humor, irritation, weariness, and courage. Cora and Celso make a living selling cigarettes at night outside a downtown hotel in defiance of City regulations. The film follows their lives over a three-month period, beginning with Cora's attempt to find a new room for the family after they have been evicted from their previous home. Later, Celso and Cora face a crisis in their own relationship aggravated by the stresses of their daily life.

One of Curtis Levy’s finest documentaries, Sons of Namatjira, follows Keith and his wife, Isabel, and other relatives, in their interactions with the wider world including art galleries in town and bus-loads of middle-aged tourists from the big cities. The film highlights communication difficulties between black and white, and in Levy’s terms, becomes “a parable of black-white relations in Australia”.

Experience this groundbreaking family favourite like never before! Led by conductor Nicholas Buc, Queensland Symphony Orchestra performs the soundtrack of Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story (1995) live-to-screen in QPAC’s Concert Hall, bringing Woody, Buzz and all of your favourite characters to life. Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story in Concert features a complete screening of the film, accompanied live by full orchestra performing Oscar® and Grammy®-winning composer Randy Newman’s iconic score, including the hit song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”. Beloved by audiences of all ages, Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story has captivated generations with its unforgettable characters, extraordinary storytelling, stunning visuals and timeless music. Make the most of the April holidays with a big-screen family event that brings together cinema, live music and one of Disney and Pixar’s most-loved stories on the Concert Hall stage.

Milla Rovere Debut Feature. Details TBA.

Tom Cashman's second stand up special. Yes, he really did fall over just before the show. No, he doesn't want to talk about it. Toured in 2024 as 'Everything' and filmed at Stupid Old Studios in Melbourne on 12 October 2024.

Aftershocks is a 1998 Australian TV film based on the theatre production of the same name about the 1989 Newcastle earthquake, focusing on the Newcastle Workers Club.

This film showcases an idealised version of life in the Victorian regional city of Geelong — complete with stable jobs, family homes, bustling shops, and thriving sporting and cultural life.

A wannabe fashion designer stirs up angry spirits when he destroys an old funeral shroud to make his latest creation.

When two young women grappling with identity issues face demons from the past, they must rely on each other in order to survive the consequences of their actions.

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.

An animation of a man and eyes.

Puppets in a surreal location—a business where eating, drinking and card playing take place. Tate Modern’s 2022 ‘Surrealism Without Borders’ exhibition features the film.

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!

Two closeted actors en route to an awards show argue in a chauffeured limo about how important it is to appear straight.

A story dealing with civilization's effect and man's cruelty on the Australian outback.

Hand-drawn directly onto 16mm film, this animation is a 'diary' of daily drawing-on-film practice by Ivor Cantrill over a period of 18 months. Drawing style ranges from bold geometric patterns, to a delicate calligraphy.

Taxidermist Peter Murphy loves his mother, so when she dies he can't bear to live without her and does all that he can to keep her with him.

A girl from Canberra navigates the treacherous waters of first love with a boy from Sydney’s Northern beaches.

15-year-old Marnie, Handycam at her side, captures a day in the life of her housing project.

A man tries to catch a really big fish.

A man's search for a late-night treat spirals into the most defining decision he'll ever make.

In a rural neighbourhood, two naive, nine-year-old children meet over their shared fence... a talkative, ill-fated foster child, Daisy... and a dorky, delicate home schooler, Levi. The pair form an unlikely bond and together embark on a risky adventure to return Daisy home.

Chris Miller (Street Name: Dr. Block) is a devious black-market dealer who works in the streets of Melbourne. Two detectives in the Melbourne Drug Strategy Unit (MDSU) attempt to track Dr. Block down in order to cease the distribution of methamphetamines through the city.

When an unstable security guard seeks out a priest to help him confront his past, a fever dream of paranoia and violence rises to the surface... Revealing fatal consequences and shocking admissions.

Tim reunites the cast of the hit streaming series Unturnoffable with Tim Carlier for a Garnet Anniversary Holiday Reunion Special.

A young mute hitman lured to violence by his alter ego, ‘The Man in Red’, falls for a girl, but his tendency to violence puts everything at risk.

Harrison (David Kara) and Leo (Francis Ryan) are two mates studying together at university in Melbourne, Australia, who receive a unique assignment as part of their studies in criminal psychology... to explain how, hypothetically, they might commit a perfect murder. From writer/director James Cunningham, short film The Assignment is a slick thriller delivering a sexy modern twist on the slasher genre with heavy hints of Hitchcock, lashings of Carpenter and a pinch of Dexter... all on rooftop at sunset.

The lyrical and monstrous are interwoven in Gloomy Valentine, a stop motion, animated short film that tells the story of Gloomy, a woman struggling to overcome the sadness of a broken heart. Aesthetically influenced by gothic surrealism, Gloomy is haunted by memory and is ultimately consumed by nightmarish shadows.

This lyrical work adapted from a two-channel installation traces parallel histories of colonial power dynamics in Puerto Rico, the pillaging of the land and people in the 16th century, and a shift toward concerns about public health in the 19th century, all refracted through the lens of contemporary neurosis and erotic comedy.

A chaotic metal drummer screams heaps and gets into lots of fights.

Queens is an intergenerational documentary told entirely through the voices of drag performers. At its centre is legendary entertainer Doug Lucas, who reflects on the early days of drag as camp comedy, its marginalisation within the queer community and the pivotal role drag queens played during the AIDS crisis. Intercut with Doug’s memories and contemporaneous archival news footage are vibrant performances and candid reflections from a new generation of drag artists. In the present day, drag becomes a form of transformation, armour and freedom: a space to explore gender, authenticity and fantasy on one’s own terms. Juxtaposing past and present, Queens reveals drag as both resistance and celebration, as well as a living legacy of creativity and community.

Antonio must escape his mob boss without putting his wife in danger

Transhuman beings waking up at dusk, reappearing as something else to prepare for the night

When space is free and wifi is strong. Two women seek to capture the sound of the platypus. In a riverside caravan, next to carp filled waters of companionship, they are watched closely by the resident DJ and the valley's other inhabitants.

A struggling writer and ride-share driver tries to examine his life from within the confines of his car.

A woman with chronic pain is stuck in a rehab hospital, unable to leave until she can find a way out of her fears and pain with the help of a new friend.

Rugby league clash between Sydney Firsts and the American All Stars, who toured Australia and New Zealand between May and August 1953.

When the girlfriend of an oppressive boyfriend is invited out by some new friends, he becomes more and more incensed by her absences until he is led to stalk her down a bewitching and sinister path.

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.

A Detective loses his mind following a complicated case.

A family drama short about a transgender man's relationship with his grandfather as he succumbs to dementia.

From the age of 10, Michael Isaachsen has had a love of all things printing. At 85, he looks back on his story – the story of a life spent focused on his extraordinary goal: to create Melbourne’s (and maybe the world’s) largest Museum of Print. Meanwhile, as Michael’s son sifts through what is left of his father’s once-vast collection and a director stages a museum displaying the objects from Michael’s life, questions of perspective, sacrifice, failure and the marks we leave behind are explored.

A compelling short documentary on the life of Farmer Dave Graham, whose experiences with bullying and violence and coming out on reality television, aided him in discovering his life's purpose back on the farm.

When a young and innocent teen discovers an empty packet of old playing cards, he must navigate the world of magic in an attempt to get a response out of his bed-ridden, Alzheimer-diagnosed grandfather.

Kiki visits her estranged brother Jack in the Lofty Mountains. As her motivations become clear she is forced to decide. Can she sacrifice her #FoodFam for her real family?

Playing with the idea of self – and selfishness – acclaimed visual artist Joan Ross’ latest interactive experience is knowingly superficial, exploring what VR can achieve when put to untoward ends. Deploying humor and bending space, this is a multilayered critique of colonial history, globalization, and capitalism, taking a cynical and incisive look at their effect on our environment. The viewer becomes an active participant, and therefore complicit. Recognition that our actions have consequences, we are prompted to think more deeply about the repercussions of our actions and our lack of communion with nature: ‘Did you ask the river?’

Ten-year-old Emi and her pregnant older sister Vesna go for a drive down the coast to try to reconnect following the recent death of their mother.

A visual odyssey of sixteen men with their own unique features and diversity who are transformed in the most extraordinary ways!

"The devil has no power over the will and very little over the mind, but an unlimited power over the imagination." Joris-Karl Huysmans, 1903.

A short bathroom sink documentary about hair and why trans and gender diverse people must ask themselves the question, to shave or not to shave?

When a man's mother fails to pick him up from the supermarket, he decides to walk home. What should have been a brief stroll, soon becomes a nightmarish battle with a faulty trolley. Our man becomes lost and embarks upon a journey of grand proportions.

A short silent film influenced by the classical German Expressionist cinema of the 1920s. Two musicians struggle with passion and sanity, delving further into desperation, paranoia and death as they search for the souls of their creativity.

Soundtrack to War showcases spontaneous music performances by a striking cast of battle weary. Performances made without rehearsal, under the blaring Iraqi sun, with a destroyed city, the distraction of gunfire and bursting mortar shells forming a frightening backdrop. American culture came into Iraq, wired into its tanks and helicopters - a live soundtrack to war, with lyrics such as Let The Bodies Hit The Floor, Round Out, The Tank and Bombs over Baghdad, being memorised by every soldier and forever linked to the violent events they accompanied. As the war extended into a second year, many started writing and performing their own songs. It was rock, rap & roll.

Explores behind the big screen to meet the filmmakers, distributors and exhibitors who bring Australian films to us, the audience. Closures of many independent art-house cinemas like Electric Shadows in Canberra in 2006 have made fair and equitable screening of Australian films increasingly difficult. Exhibitors debate the efficacy of the industry's Code of Conduct and unfair trade practices, while a growing number of Australian films go unreleased.

While transforming a lakeside property into an orphanage, a grieving woman named Dewi encounters two dead children.

In the limelight, there stands a young boy appearing in the surroundings of a legendary Muaythai Gym. He gets challenged to spar with an unknown opponent resulting in an astonishing athletic elite fighter knowhow.

Known for his lanky frame, dirty jokes and pre-pubescent moustache, Frenchy only promises one thing from his show - laughs. This aint a TED talk, this is an odd looking humanoid telling a bunch of dark jokes you shouldn't laugh at, but do. A brilliant, off-the-cuff improviser, his 'crowd work' is some of the best in the world and always keeps the show feeling spontaneous. Edgy, Dirty and Absurd, this epic live show will have you wondering if he is some sort of bogan genius, or simply an overgrown stick-insect who's sniffed too much paint.