Producer Greer Simpkin, one of the creative forces behind the upcoming film adaptation of Prima Facie, starring Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo, will chair the CinefestOZ Film Prize Jury, which will decide the winner of Australia’s richest $100,000 Film Prize at this year’s festival, running 28 August to 6 September in Western Australia’s South West. Simpkin will be joined on the jury by New Zealand actor and…
Thanks to our friends at Bounty Entertainment, we’re giving three lucky Cinema Australia readers the chance to win a DVD copy of Giles Chan’s debut feature film, Jellyfish. The film Henry (Aidan Rynne), a slacker floating through young adulthood earning a measly income from selling his body as a human punching bag. Meanwhile he wonders…
Over the last two decades, the Sydney Underground Film Festival has cemented itself as a force of creativity in Sydney’s arts and culture scene, with programs that continue to promote independent, experimental and provocative filmmaking. Drawn from the highest ever entries, with over 780 films submitted for consideration, this year’s diverse program features films, documentaries,…
Of the Australian sports feature documentaries released over the past decade, it’s no surprise that such a large number of them have focused on AFL, the biggest sport in the land. At least nine have centred on the sport, including two documentaries released in the same year about the same person: Adam Goodes (The Australian…
Tina Arena will join Mary Coustas on stage at special preview screenings and in conversation events in Sydney on Sunday 23 August, to celebrate the upcoming cinema release of the new documentary Tina Arena: Unravel Me. The highly anticipated film received its World Premiere last night at the Astor Theatre as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival,…
After defying expectations in the East, critically-acclaimed indie satire The Birthday Trip lands on the West Coast today, screening exclusively at Luna Leederville. Despite being snubbed by festivals and distributors, the film was self-released by the filmmakers, and has gone on to out-perform films in its weight class from established distributors, garnering substantial critical acclaim…
If you were around during the late ’90s and early 2000s, and you enjoyed driving around for hours with more people in the car than there were seatbelts, wagging school, partying until dawn every weekend, or taking part in any activity that involved bongs and buckets, dropping tabs, popping pills, or funnelling full bottles of…
Ahead of its full program launch on September 15, the Adelaide Film Festival has announced the Australian Premiere of the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund film Agata The Writer. Direct from its world premiere at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, Agata The Writer is the debut feature film from Polish-born visual artist and filmmaker Kuba Dorabialski. …
Mitchell Withers’ powerful documentary short For the Boys is an intimate portrayal of Australia’s first openly queer former AFL player, Mitch Brown – a trailblazer in Australian sporting culture. Bringing audiences into Mitch’s dedication to his sons, the complexity of his relationship with a game that shaped him, and the winding path to liberating himself,…
Davo Hardy has announced the commencement of production on Emily, in Particular , an evocative independent family drama, set against the vibrant backdrop of 1970s Australia. This heartfelt coming-of-age tale will explore the nuances of family bonds, personal growth, and the pursuit of big dreams, all anchored by the transformative historical era of social and…
Written, directed, shot and edited by Russell Wyatt Roberts, Room 8 follows a grief-stricken man in need of work. He soon takes on an mysterious assignment from an anonymous online benefactor, involving an eerie corner, inside Room 8 of a rundown motel. The short film is now available to watch below. by Russell Wyatt Roberts:…
Welcome to the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast. In this episode, I’m joined by Harvey Zielinski – writer and director of Sweet Milk Lake who also stars in the film as two twin brothers, Jake and Sam. I won’t repeat my adoration for Harvey and his career here, because you can hear a…
Umbrella will release Mockbuster in Australian cinemas on August 27. The wildly entertaining and revealing documentary explores the world of mockbuster filmmaking, with director Anthony Frith joining audiences for an opening week Q&A tour in select cities. Frustrated by a stalled film career and repetitive corporate video gigs, Mockbuster sees Frith brazenly pitches himself to…
I love a film that evokes the same symptoms as a fever dream, or if you’ve dabbled in acid in your past, an acid trip. That’s how I’d describe the feeling of watching Adam C. Briggs’ weird and wonderful new film, Phillip Philadelphia. It’s difficult to put into words exactly what the film is about,…
War doesn’t always end when soldiers come home. The powerful new Australian documentary Invisible Injuries explores the unseen wounds carried long after service and will celebrate its World Premiere at CinefestOZ on Saturday 5 September, before a national and international cinema season. Directed by Western Australian filmmaker Kelly Bergsma, Invisible Injuries follows Australian veteran Andy Fermo as he confronts the invisible wounds…
