Corin Corcoran and James Williams in Southerly.

Independent Australian feature film Southerly will premiere on Netflix Australia on 5 June 2026.

Written and directed by Gregory McCann, Southerly marks the filmmaker’s feature debut. McCann, founder of Good Grief Pictures and co-founder of Blakground Productions, has spent years developing independent screen projects with a focus on authentic Australian voices, regional communities and character-driven storytelling.

Southerly follows Ada, a young woman battling addiction and an uncertain future during Melbourne’s 2020 lockdown. Seeking a fresh start, she leaves the city for a remote coastal town in regional New South Wales, where she forms an unlikely connection with Josh, a reclusive musician living in isolation. As the two spend time together, their relationship challenges them to confront the circumstances that have brought them to this point and the possibility of a different future.

ADVERTISEMENT Click for details

Produced independently on a micro-budget and filmed across Victoria and New South Wales, Southerly was developed and completed by an emerging Australian cast and crew. Every cast member was undertaking their first feature film role, while the production provided significant opportunities for emerging filmmakers to gain experience across a feature-length project.

Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Southerly explores themes of addiction, loneliness, recovery and human connection. Drawing on McCann’s longstanding interest in regional Australian stories and the lives of people existing beyond the country’s urban centres, the film offers an intimate portrait of individuals searching for connection and meaning during a period of profound uncertainty.

Following an independent theatrical release across five Australian states, Southerly will make its streaming debut on Netflix Australia on 5 June 2026, bringing a distinctly independent Australian story to audiences nationwide.

ADVERTISEMENT Click for details