“What started as a kid messing around with a camcorder in the backyard has become my way of sharing meaningful stories on screen.” by Emilie Lowe I have been making films since I was seven years old. Now, at that young age they might not have been particularly good films, but I was still very…
Features / Interviews / News
“What I saw through cinema was magic, and to think I could one day do that myself planted the seed for everything I’ve pursued since.” by Matthew Eeles Benn Wintle’s filmmaking journey began the way it did for most aspiring filmmakers growing up in the early 2000s: by stumbling across the iconic Apple app,…
The 73rd Sydney Film Festival (3–14 June) today revealed a sneak peek of 13 daring new films set to screen this June, offering a taste of the 200+ strong 2026 program ahead of the full Festival announcement on Wednesday 6 May. “Prize winners from Berlinale and Sundance, an immersive World Premiere from Australia, Isabelle Huppert…
Filmmakers Nick Waterman and Meg Washington (How to Make Gravy) have revealed their next project, the feature film Rosaleen – a gripping, romantic musical inspired by the untold, scandalous affair behind the birth of the Sydney Opera House. The project is being developed through their production company, Speech&Drama Pictures. Set in 1950s Sydney, Rosaleen uncovers…
Screen Australia has today announced $20.4 million of production and development funding across 91 narrative projects, including the first projects through its new Short Film Production Funding Program. Among the titles is a new season of the award-winning children’s series Little J & Big Cuz, an untitled Official Australian/Canadian Co-production feature film marking Cody Fern’s directorial…
The Australian filmmakers of the award-winning, mystery-drama Anno 2020 are celebrating after having inked a worldwide distribution deal with US-based streamer Fawesome TV. Shot for a total budget of only US$6,000 (approx. AU$9,000), this controversial feature film fits into the somewhat romantic-sounding but in-reality-brutal “no budget” category. The streaming milestone follows sold-out red carpet cinema…
The Gold Coast Film Festival is proud to announce acclaimed Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton as the 2026 recipient of the prestigious Chauvel Award presented at the Gold Coast Film Festival Awards Gala at Warner Bros. Movie World, Thursday April 23, 2026. A visionary director, screenwriter and cinematographer, Warwick has built an extraordinary body of work…
Directed by Serge Ou (Ride, Runn, Ford vs Holden, Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks), Under a Bamboo Sky is a previously untold tale of human connection, hope and resilience in the face of great tragedy. Using new technology, it brings to life the unbelievable true story of Australian soldiers held prisoner by the Japanese in…
The official trailer for Warwick Thornton’s highly anticipated new film Wolfram, set to be released in Australia on April 30, has been released alongside the announcement of a national Q&A screening tour. Set on the colonial frontier of the 1930s, in the same universe as Thornton’s multi-award-winning Sweet Country, Wolfram follows two swaggering outlaws who roll…
Thanks to Rialto Distribution, we’re giving away ten double passes to see The Deb, in cinemas April 9. Set in the drought-stricken town of Dunburn, The Deb follows lovable farm girl and resident underdog Taylah Simpkins, whose dream of reinventing herself at the annual Debutante Ball is thrown into chaos by the arrival of her sharp-witted city…
An unexpected friendship, sparked by a vintage ’90s leopard print shirt, has led to the emergence of one of Australia’s most exciting new filmmaking duos. “It was my mum’s shirt,” Lily Lunder tells Cinema Australia. “Koko [Crozier] and I were both studying Film and Television at the Victorian College of the Arts, and I vividly…
The Pacific nation of Nauru will make cinematic history in May 2026 with the premiere of its first ever film Far End of the Sea, a short feature produced by Nauru-based production company Pleasant Island Productions as part of a landmark cultural initiative developed in collaboration with the Nauru Government. Home to just over 10,000…
Welcome to the latest episode of the Cinema Australia Podcast. Proclivitas writer and director Miley Tennecliffe is my guest on this episode, which was recorded with a live audience as part of the WA Made Film Festival, where Proclivitas recently celebrated its WA premiere. This was a really fun episode to record, and I’d like…
The trailer for the edge-of-your-seat action-thriller Seven Snipers has debuted today, with the film releasing widely in Australian cinemas on April 30, 2026. Directed by Sandra Sciberras (The Dustwalker), the action-packed Australian thriller places a formidable female sniper at the centre of a relentless battle for survival. The film stars Radha Mitchell (Olympus Has Fallen,…
Robbie Studsor’s latest short film The Retained has acquired international sales representation with Belgium based Radiator IP Sales and will be having its festival run in 2026. The plot concerns the youngest daughter in a wealthy family that must choose between loyalty and morality when she is forced to conceal her father’s dark secret. Founded…
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