Thanks to Badlands, Cinema Australia is giving readers the chance to win one of 10 double passes to see The Birthday Trip, the acclaimed feature film written and directed by James Robert Woods. The Birthday Trip is an unflinchingly funny drama following three millennial couples whose relationships are thrown into disarray when they descend on…
Cinema Australia is thrilled to share an exclusive first look at new feature documentary, Hard As Puck. Watch it now below. Behind every local sporting club are volunteers giving up their time, solving problems and doing whatever it takes to keep the doors open. It’s a story that will be familiar to sporting communities across…
Principal photography has begun in Melbourne on the feature film Written in the Stars. Based on Su Dharmapala’s popular novel The Wedding Season and adapted for the screen by Melbourne’s own Menik Gooneratne, Written in the Stars is a heartwarming rom-com set in Melbourne’s vibrant Sri Lankan community. Directed by Fawzia Mirza (The Queen of…
What happens when Melbourne’s biggest commitment-phobe meets it’s most emotionally unavailable bachelor, who also happens to be a literal demon? I Fell in Love with My Sleep Paralysis Demon follows Sarah, a woman who is so scared of commitment that she decides to pursue the most emotionally unavailable guy she can find – her sleep…
Australian filmmaker Serhat Caradee (Cedar Boys, A Lion Returns) has wrapped production on his third feature film, Valley Dogs, following a location shoot in regional NSW. After the staggering cinematic one-two punch of the gritty crime thriller Cedar Boys and the powerful family-themed drama A Lion Returns, Australian writer/director Serhat Caradee is back with the…
Following its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, a European premiere in the Berlinale Special Section, and sold-out shows at the recent 2026 Sydney Film Festival, Saccharine opens nationally in cinemas from 9 July 2026. The stunning new psychological horror comes from writer and director Natalie Erika James, a distinctive new voice in genre…
Welcome to the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast. Australia really does punch above its weight when it comes to documentary filmmaking. Over the past 18 months alone, this country has produced a number of inspiring, world-class documentaries that sit comfortably on the world stage. Documentaries like Floodland, Yurlu | Country, In the Trenches,…
The WA Made Film Festival has officially announced the return of its Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best smartphone filmmaking competition, along with the official theme for 2027. Get Smart! Presented by Buy West Eat Best invites established filmmakers, independent filmmakers, students, and the general public to submit a smartphone masterpiece to be…
Tim Nathan’s BIFA and Bafta qualifying short film Thoughts & Prayers is now available to stream via Directors Notes. You can also watch it below. The digital premiere follows a successful film festival run, premiering at SXSW London, and Official Selection at Bolton International Film Festival, St Kilda Film Festival, CinefestOZ and Short Com Comedy…
The Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival has announced the official selection of short films screening throughout the festival in 2026. The Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival Short Film Competition is geared to independent filmmakers from around Australia. This exceptional showcase we will see two programs: The best short films from around Australia, and new films by…
Australian filmmaker Dean Francis has never been interested in playing it safe. His latest feature, Body Blow, is a bold and unapologetic neo-noir thriller that draws inspiration from the provocative erotic thrillers of the 1990s while carving out a distinctive identity of its own. Set against the neon-lit backdrop of Sydney’s gay nightlife scene, the…
Australian production company Far From Everything Films has officially greenlit its next feature film, Napoleonic, a large-scale, high-concept found footage horror feature that will see twin sisters Jennifer van Gessel and Janine van Gessel direct together for the first time. Currently in pre-production, casting is underway ahead of filming in Sydney, Australia. Backed by international…
A new Australian documentary is set to take audiences on a journey from the remote landscapes of Australia to the edge of space, exploring one of humanity’s biggest challenges: can we overcome the limits of our bodies to become a spacefaring species? Outback to Orbit follows astronaut-in-training Celene Shimmen as she undertakes groundbreaking research into…
Brayden Lewtas’ new short film Flathead has been released via the social media star’s Cinema Council YouTube channel. Directed by Lewtas and written by Jesse Bouma, the filmmakers have opted for a direct-to-audience model that is increasingly reshaping independent filmmaking, sharing the film with Cinema Council’s loyal online community which has amassed over 200,000 followers…
Perth writer-director-producer Annabel Maclean and producer Naz Mantoo have announced the crowdfunding launch of darkly comedic horror short, Mr. Big Hands, marking Maclean’s debut in the director’s chair. The campaign earned $10,000 in its first week with pledges open until June 26, 2026, at 12:15am AWST. Mr. Big Hands is a supernatural horror about a…
