Discoveries from Australia World Cinema

After so many years together, Joe faces life without Jana. Saying goodbye to yourself is never easy.

After a long drive from a writers meeting, John Dykstra needs a bathroom break. He stops by a highway Rest stop and overhears in the ladies room domestic abuse. He must make the decision if he should intervene or not.

In drought stricken outback Australia a woman fights to save the farm and her marriage.

The Wood Royal Commission unleashed an extraordinary investigation that swept through the NSW Police Force like a tsunami. For many, the stakes were life or death. Not everyone survived.

Two friends search the darker side of the internet which causes a horrific turn of events.

Two young sisters travel alone for a beauty pageant where their fraught relationship is tested. An intimate and tender portrait of sisterhood.

When Max, a down on his luck strip club owner, has his life and livelihood threatened by local gangsters, he turns to his wife's connections for help and hires a hitman to solve the problem once and for all. But before long, Max is blinded by his newfound power and his family finds him spinning off the rails as the body count piles up.

When an ambitious young woman decides to leave the retail job she shares with her socially inept father, she chooses to keep her decision a secret from him. Her clumsy efforts to maintain this charade clash with his own absurd efforts to keep her by his side as the two take a short break together.

A pair of sparkly heels, a bag of mushrooms, a broken tent, and no wifi– what could possibly go wrong? Four unlikely friends embark on an ill-prepared camping trip deep in the Australian outback. One last hurrah before going their separate ways. Reality blurs when one surprise after another sends the group on a downward spiral into the utter ludicracy of their own minds. To escape the night, they must put their differences aside and learn to touch grass without Google. Who knew finding a bathroom could be so hard?

Nothing and no one is safe in this biting satire of the trials and tribulations of young marrieds buying their first home. "Emoh Ruo" takes direct aim at the financial institutions, builders, furniture salesmen, television commercials and almost any other of the many sharks in our society who lie in waiting, ready to help eager young couples commit economic suicide for their little piece of Australia. "Emoh Ruo" is the story of the Tunkley family. Terry cleans houses for a living - but what she'd really like is a house of her own. Her husband Des is quite content to go on living in a caravan. Terry spots an advertisement for 'The Buckingham', a low-budget project home. For Terri it's love at first sight but it isn't till she reveals the depth of her desperation that Des relents and sells his boat so they'll have enough for the deposit. Excitedly they move to the outskirts of Sydney to begin their new life but they soon discover the dream can turn into a nightmare.

Desperate to make the film that will crown him the next Tarantino, debut filmmaker Kurt Michael travels 8000 miles to the outback of Tasmania.

Inspired by films including "Rattle and Hum" and "Endless Summer," Fading West follows Grammy-winning alternative-rock band Switchfoot as they travel the globe in search of new musical inspiration and perfect waves. Filmed during Switchfoot's 2012 World Tour, Fading West charts the creation of the fivesome's upcoming album in its earliest and most unpredictable stages. As the band visits legendary surf breaks in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and Bali, brothers Jon and Tim Foreman breathe fresh life into their songs by harnessing the spirit of their surroundings and mining new emotional depths. Part rock documentary, surf film, and travelogue, Fading West offers rare glimpses of the longtime surfers on their boards, captures the frenetic energy of their live shows, and portrays a journey both epic and intimate.

In a final bid to save her career, a desperate researcher ventures to a secluded house during a raging thunderstorm, where she stumbles upon an ancient man whose obsession with a mysterious book unleashes mind-bending horrors.

Five friends set off on an adventure in a small boat. They discover a mysterious island, where, one by one, they die a terrible death.

Advertising executive Dale Hunter (Michael Muheny) works at the agency Arora. But after a car accident, his life changed abruptly. He has nightmares at night and by day he suffers from hallucinations. The world looks like from a computer. Numbers and names adhere to the objects. A doctor can not help him and the hallucinations are getting worse. Librarian Wendy seems to be the only person he can trust. Together they try to find out the truth.

After the start of WW2, a mother takes her children from Sydney to the countryside.

It's just like every other day for Mr simple Tim, that is until a woman finally takes notice. Not having much time to get ready - Tim wastes none of it. It's his front door however that takes all the time in the world..

Imagine a world where everyone is smiling and laughing. It's a wonderful, wacky and whimsical world. It's a Wiggly, Wiggly World! Join Greg, Murray, Anthony and Jeff as they welcome many friends from around the world who've come to share their own special styles of music. Aussie country music legend Slim Dusty will be there. So will Tim Finn from Crowded House and Split Enz with some fun-filled songs for children. And thanks to Dorothy the Dinosaur and Captain Feathersword, there will be plenty of Wiggling. Welcome to the Wiggly, Wiggly World! of The Wiggles.

A famous comedian makes a confession to a closeted stranger, two bickering parents come home to a surprising discovery, and an art gallery attendant gets a short glimpse into the life of a young woman she once briefly knew. Enter a new world with six enlightening tales of private revelations, lingering secrets and those fleeting moments where the burdens of everyday life are temporarily lifted.

Collaborating with Australian circus company Gravity & Other Myths, 2020 BAFTA Newcomer and Berlinale Talent Campus alumna Alies Sluiter crafts a disquieting, quasi-surrealist tale of bravery and grief.

Collaborating with Australian circus company Gravity & Other Myths, 2020 BAFTA Newcomer and Berlinale Talent Campus alumna Alies Sluiter crafts a disquieting, quasi-surrealist tale of bravery and grief.

Tormented by the news that they bear, two men from town watch over a family whose lives are about to change forever.

While in prison, Jack had two momentous experiences: he got religion, and met the woman who would become his wife. He and Alison are devoted to the idea of staying in God's good graces, so they have moved to a remote power station in central Australia, far from anything. Into this possibly idyllic arrangement comes a rootless young man who the power company has hired on to be the station's handyman. Tensions escalate between the men as their conflicting values rub up against one another.

Welcome to the world of stamps with Tommy Tricker and friends as they learn the magic of travelling through time and space for the mere price of the postage. Though of course, nothing is as easy as it seems as they soon learn when they try to rescue Charles Merriweather, a stamp traveller frozen in time since his last attempt at stamp- travelling, 65 years ago. But Charles turns out to be a girl, his sister Molly! And she is rapidly turning into an old woman. To find a cure, Tommy takes off in a race against the time that leads him and Molly to the exotic and magical South Pacific islands.

Cindy is a baton twirler with the Southern Twirlettes. Make-up, hair, letards, sequins and stockings...she looks like she fits in. She's just beginning to feel like she doesn't.

Food shortages during a pandemic force recently widowed George to stray far from home to survive. A simple purchase of rations derails when George stumbles upon a Shopkeeper's secret, placing them in mortal jeopardy.

An eccentric cross-section of inner-city Sydney types - a widow, a reality TV star, a teenager, a criminal and a cult leader - collide in wildly original melodrama.

This movie revolves around Simon Erricson, a Grand Prix driver now turned car dealer, his wife Leonora, and the director of Simon's new television ad, Mark. Basically, Mark and Leonora have met in a previous life and are destined to be together, no matter what.

Madaline is troubled by the recurring visions of her past. The comfort of her envious life and social position are not enough to shake the haunting memories of her brother’s accidental death that Madaline blames on herself. Nightmares haunt her with images of her brother and also begin to blur with reality. Madaline’s frail state of mind has her believing that her brother has returned to kill her. Her husband disappears and a stranger from Madaline’s past threatens her life. Suspense builds and the truth is revealed in the chilling climax – Madaline’s life will never be the same again. Returning to the home where she was raised, Madaline fights to come to grips with why she was blamed for her family's death.

For 20-year-old Madison Stewart, nothing feels safer or more natural than diving straight into shark-infested waters. Since childhood, growing up by the Great Barrier Reef, she's treated these predators as family. But they're vanishing from existence, and because of their bad reputation, few people seem to care. Follow Madison on her mission to protect our sharks, a battle that began when she put her studies on hold, grabbed a camera, and set out to save these incredible, misunderstood creatures.

John Ainsworth helps win a rowing race for Sydney University against Melbourne University. While celebrating at a nightclub, he demonstrates his skill with the violin with one of his original compositions. He also flirts with a young woman, Ann Brady, to the displeasure of a crook, Webster. A brawl results and John is expelled from university. John's sheep farmer father – who is disdainful of culture and wants John to marry a rich girl – is furious and disowns his son.

In a time of gods and kings there was naught but chaos and war. A crazed 8Bit epic going where only animation can.

Cindy’s first drag performance isn’t exactly a success; when a filmed wardrobe malfunction unexpectedly goes viral she is forced to face the reactions of her families; the one she’s born into, and the one she’s chosen.

Deja-vu, as an ex-detective turned best selling true crime author is confronted by the copycat unsolved serial killings he investigated as a cop ten years ago. And now, all fingers are pointed in his direction. This, compounded by Todd's severe, mysterious headaches and his untimely discovery that he's been adopted, turn his life into his own worst nightmare.

In the 1980s and 1990s a wave of murders bloodied the idyllic coastline of Sydney’s eastern suburbs. The victims: young gay men. Disturbing gang assaults were being carried out on coastal cliffs around Sydney, and mysterious deaths officially recorded as "suicide", "disappearance" and "misadventure". Individual stories are woven together by first person interviews and detailed re-enactments, piecing together the facts of these unsolved cases, decades later.

Ring-a-ding-a-ding-dong! The bells are ringing for Christmas Day, and The Wiggles are joined by the "Great Big Man in Red," Santa Claus! Santa's going "All Over the World" to rock and roll with his very special guest, John Fogerty! Wahoo! Wags can't stop barking with excitement as Barry Williams adds a very Brady touch to the dancing! Henry the Octopus is the champion Christmas wrapper, and Dorothy the Dinosaur loves her Christmas roses. Then, celebrate the birth of the Christ Child with special guest, King Mondo. Fernando and Julio sing "Noche De Paz" in Spanish, and the children make their own nativity scene in "O Come All Ye Faithful."

A multiracial bisexual married couple and their teenage children find themselves beset from all sides as they navigate work, school, sex, friendships, romances, and their colorful neighbors in the outer suburbs of Sydney.

Amidst a volatile underworld, a member of an Asian crime family is brutally murdered in cold blood. To prevent a gang war, recently promoted detective, James Jewel is teamed with rogue undercover cop Mike Calis. Against the clock, the officers must unravel the truth behind the killing. The deeper they delve, the greater the web of deceit grows. A place where the line between cop and criminal is constantly blurred.

A quick, witty, satirical look at the absurdity of life, covering everything from a golf club wielding midget to a coffee cup with an attitude.

A headstrong trans teenager is propelled into their hangover when a reckless decision to have sex without a condom triggers an urgent need for the ‘morning after’ pill.

An idealistic film student is drawn into a shadowy and intoxicating world when she befriends an enigmatic performance artist.

Life inside a late 1960s Carlton student share house plays out across six alternately comedic and melancholy real-time vignettes. When his friend takes a trip, cinephile Al is left alone for the weekend with three female housemates, a situation that only serves to exacerbate his social awkwardness. One of the most distinctive works to emerge from the ‘Carlton ripple’, David Minter’s 1969 slice-of-life comedy carries echoes of Éric Rohmer’s moral tales.

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

This documentary focuses on the sacred sites in and around Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in central Australia, and the struggle of the Arrernte people to identify, document and preserve these sites in the face of rapid urban expansion and property development.

Cody's childhood friend Mack provides a tip about a burglary in progress. Mack later turns up dead and Cody investigates another friend Jimmy Catter.

Private detective Dirk Trent, a collector of cigarette butts, a "smooth" ladies man, a wearer of bad suits, and he's convinced there's more to an incident he caught on tape, where a man seemed about to murder his mistress with an axe. Delving deeper, the film enters some seldom-trodden territory as it slips easily into horror and sci-fi, while still maintaining the hilarious dialogue

Sim, now a member of the Winter Circus in Paris, befriends Eve, another young clown. Drawn to an experimental style of clowning used by Circus Oz and Cirque du Soleil, the techniques get them both fired, but when Sim returns home to Australia, he finds that he is now the inheritor of a share in the Rathnow Circus.

Through the lens of sport, AFL legend Michael O'Loughlin shines a light on the history and experience of the Indigenous Australian people. Current AFL players, Michael Walters and Tarryn Thomas, join O'Loughlin to unpack racism, discrimination and the unbreakable bond they each share with their indigenous communities.

Steven Ray was never quite normal. But when tragedy strikes in the form of a deadly hit-and-run incident at a city cross walk, his violent and bizarre behavior becomes uncontrollable. One night, as Steven plots his next murder, he meets Percival, whose unsuccessful attempt at suicide not only interferes with Stevens plans, but the chance encounter also introduces the two into each others sad and lonely lives. Percival believes hes cursed after miraculously surviving each suicide attempt and concludes fate brought he and Steven together. So he hires Steven to assist him in suicide. Steven does not believe in fate and thinks Percival is desperate and delusional. But he accepts the offer. Easy money. After Percival continues to miraculously survive each attempt on his life, Steven starts to believe. He tries to help Percival figure out ways to break the curse. And in the process, they form an unlikely friendship through the common bond of tragedy.

Two interwoven stories of love and heartbreak play out in a small beachside town over the course of one weekend, bringing chaos and absurdity in this hilarious look at love as a young adult.

Jonah is a hitman by trade and a man on a mission of revenge. But things go horribly wrong whilst trying to escape the police.

A blind man tormented by the mysterious disappearance of his dog, is one day visited by a sadistic childhood friend, igniting a disturbing journey of self discovery.

Two hundred years after Charles Darwin set foot on the shores of the Galápagos Islands, David Attenborough travels to this wild and mysterious archipelago. Amongst the flora and fauna of these enchanted volcanic islands, Darwin formulated his groundbreaking theories on evolution. Journey with Attenborough to explore how life on the islands has continued to evolve in biological isolation, and how the ever-changing volcanic landscape has given birth to species and sub-species that exist nowhere else in the world. Encompassing treacherous journeys, life-forms that forge unlikely companionships, and survival against all odds, Galápagos tells the story of an evolutionary melting pot in which anything and everything is possible.

An Australian Mockumentary following three hunters as they each try to catch the Jolly Man himself, Santa Claus.

At an exclusive Catholic boys school in Melbourne 1976, Tim Conigrave and John Caleo fell madly in love. Their passionate, tempestuous, operatic romance lasted for 16 years, facing disapproval, temptation, separation, and the looming shadow of the Grim Reaper. Their relationship has been immortalised in Conigrave's posthumous autobiography Holding the Man (now a major Australian film directed by Neil Armfield). This is the true story of how Romeo met Romeo and how first love can not only last but endure.

In 1928 Arthur Upfield, Australia’s premier crime writer, plotted the perfect murder for his novel The Sands of Windee. Meanwhile, one of his friends, stockman Snowy Rowles, put the scheme into deadly effect, even before the book was published. This true story resulted in one of Australia’s most sensational murder trials of the 1930’s and catapulted Upfield’s name onto the world stage.

Frank is addicted to picking his pimples, no matter how much they hurt. He can't stop himself; that is until he finds a website with a possible solution to his problem

When Sammy Dean and her older brother Andy are suddenly orphaned, they fear that they will be separated and placed in foster homes. So they set off along on foot, hoping to reach a ship that will take them to England and their only surviving relatives. The two young runaways must make their dangerous journey through some of the world’s harshest terrain-the wilds of the Australian outback.

In a world obsessed with happiness, so many of us are feeling more lost than ever. After a life-altering accident, Tim travels across four countries to explore how we define happiness — and whether we’re even asking the right questions. What he discovers could change the way we live, and what we value, forever.

Two young schoolboys are walking home from school and become witnesses to a shooting.