From punchline to pilot: VicScreen and Melbourne International Comedy Festival join forces to find Victoria’s next on-screen comedy hit

VicScreen and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival have joined forces to bring Victoria’s next wave of comedy talent from stage to screen. Following the establishment of the VicScreen Greenlight Award in April, VicScreen and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival have partnered again and are calling on Victorian comedy writers and stand-ups to pitch new narrative…

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What's On

Natalie Erika James’ body horror Saccharine set for streaming release

Filmed in Melbourne, the Stan Original Saccharine with Midori Francis (Grey’s Anatomy) and Australian actors Danielle Macdonald (The Tourist) and Madeleine Madden (The Wheel of Time) will premiere August 13 on Stan. Saccharine follows Hana (Francis), a lovelorn medical student who becomes terrorised by a hungry ghost after taking part in an obscure weight-loss craze: eating human ashes. Following the global success of Apartment 7A (a prequel to Rosemary’s…

Trailers

New trailer! Tina Arena: Unravel Me

Maslow Entertainment has launched the trailer for Tina Arena: Unravel Me, ahead of its world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival on 12 August and a nationwide cinema release on 27 August 2026. Marking 50 years in the spotlight, Tina Arena: Unravel Me  is an intimate and cinematic portrait of one of Australia’s most…

Interviews / News

Interview: Sean O’Reilly and Juli Coffin

Horses are among the most majestic of creatures. While their immense strength and power have long been exploited throughout Australia’s history, particularly within the racing industry, which carries many negative associations, Professor Juli Coffin has found perhaps the most meaningful use for them: as a therapeutic tool. Through life-changing bonds with wild horses, she helps…

News / What's On

The Birthday Trip crashes cinemas this week! Here’s where you can see it

Not since Heath Davis’ 2023 comedy drama Christmess has an Australian film received as much buzz as James Robert Woods’ The Birthday Trip. From glowing reviews in both independent and commercial media, in print and online, to a slot on Sunrise itself, the buzz for this wild new film is as genuine as it gets. Written and…

Exclusive! Trailer revealed for Robbie Studsor’s The Retained

Robbie Studsor’s latest short film The Retained has released an official trailer after recently signing with acclaimed international sales agent Radiator IP Sales. The Retained is described as a tense psychological drama that explores the complexities of family, power dynamics and guilt within an idyllic Australian setting. The plot concerns the youngest daughter of a…

▶️ Now Streaming! Aron Attiwell’s In the Doghouse

Aron Attiwell’s latest short film, In the Doghouse, is now available to stream below. The film follows an incarcerated father (Tristan Balz) who discovers hope and renewal through an assistance dog rehabilitation program, forming a bond with a puppy, and rediscovering what it means to be a parent. In the Doghouse is written and directed…

Actor Isabel Dickson is doing it on her own terms

Melbourne actor, Isabel Dickson is challenging the film industry’s traditional path by making 12 films in 12 months, completely solo. Her self-initiated solo-filmmaking project, IZAFILM, sees the actor-turned-filmmaker writing, directing, performing, producing, shooting and editing 12 original short films, released monthly on YouTube. What has made this project unique and challenging is that Isabel is…

Skeeta Newman takes on new action thriller Ghost in the Gears: Beyond the Law

Following a decorated 27-year career as a Navy and emergency services paramedic, Western Australian author, actor and producer Skeeta Newman has announced that his 2025 debut novel, Ghost in the Gears: Beyond the Law, is officially being adapted into a feature film. Produced by Grey Mandate Productions in association with Catalyst Films, Ghost in the…

Kuba Dorabialski’s Agata the Writer starring Mia Wasikowska to premiere at Venice Film Festival

The debut feature film from Polish-born Australian visual artist and filmmaker Kuba Dorabialski, Agata the Writer, and Australian producer Alex White (Babyteeth) will have its World Premiere in Giornate degli Autori at the 2026 Venice Film Festival. Mia Wasikowska (Leviticus, Club Zero) stars as a Polish-Australian satirical novelist who travels from Sydney to Sarajevo to write a war novel…

Cinema Australia Podcast #136 | Mia’Kate Russell

Welcome to the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast. On this episode, I’m joined by writer and director Mia’Kate Russell to discuss her very excellent, highly entertaining, violent and bloody cat-and-mouse horror, Penny Lane is Dead. Set in 1986, during a scorching Aussie summer, Penny Lane is Dead follows three best friends who’s celebration…

Special charity screening announced for Christopher Mark Peters’ Wreckage

Western Australian feature film Wreckage will return to the big screen on 30 July for a special charity screening in partnership with Phoenix Support and Advocacy Service, bringing together community leaders, advocates and audiences to raise awareness of domestic and family violence while supporting those affected by it. Following a sold-out screening at the WA…

Shine 30th anniversary screening announced for the 2026 Adelaide Film Festival

The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) has announced a 30th anniversary celebration screening of Scott Hick’s Oscar®-winning Shine as part of an early look at this year’s program. Premiering a brand new 4K digital restoration of the acclaimed film, the story stands the test of time, featuring the stand-out performance from Geoffrey Rush that catapulted him…

Interview: Maddelin McKenna

Not that long ago, all you’d have to do to avoid being scammed was to trash an email from a Nigerian prince offering a family inheritance. Nowadays, we’re facing increasingly sophisticated and much more convincing scams, like the one at the heart of Maddelin McKenna’s debut feature film, Mad Rush, which is set to premiere…

Announcing the winners of the 2026 WA Screen Culture Awards

The 2026 WA Screen Culture Awards were held in Perth last night, paying vibrant tribute to the remarkable talents and accomplishments shaping the captivating world of screen culture in Western Australia. Held at Luna Cinemas Leederville, and hosted by enigmatic WA performance artist and producer, Rose Kingdom-Barron, the WASCAs once again highlighted the amazing achievements…