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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…