Bold, outrageous, and funny THE DEB is an Australian musical about two very different teenage cousins who initially clash but ultimately join forces at their town’s annual debutante ball.

It follows lovable farm girl and high-school outcast Taylah Simpkins, who is certain the upcoming Debutante Ball, “the Deb,” is her one chance to redefine herself. But when her cynical city cousin Maeve is exiled to Taylah’s drought-stricken town of Dunburn, Maeve dismisses the ball as a “heteronormative shit-show” and immediately disrupts the status quo.

In their search for the spotlight, the two girls dig deep to find self-acceptance and a date to the Deb. Directed by Rebel Wilson and starring Charlotte MacInnes, Natalie Abbott, Stevie Jean, Shane Jacobson, Tara Morice and Rebel Wilson herself, THE DEB will release in Australian cinemas from January 15 through Rialto Distribution.
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This dazzling production, by the Tony Award-winning team Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens and Darko Tresnjak, transports you from the twilight years of the Imperial rule to the euphoria of 1920s Paris. ANASTASIA follows a brave young woman on a journey to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by an army officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.

Rising star Georgina Hopson leads the cast as Anya, alongside international stage sensation Robert Tripolino as Dmitry. They are joined by Joshua Robson as Gleb, Rodney Dobson as Vlad, showbiz legend Rhonda Burchmore as Countess Lily, and Australian theatre royalty Nancye Hayes AM as the Dowager Empress.

With much-loved songs like “Journey to the Past” and “Once Upon a December”, ANASTASIA has captivated audiences around the world – hailed as “A MONSTER HIT!” by The New York Times and “Irresistible!” by Variety.

ANASTASIA the Musical
From 16 Sep 2026
Lyric Theatre, Brisbane
www.qpac.com.au

The film is beautifully crafted with an amazing visual aesthetic. The drone shots are particularly impressive at establishing the out in the wilderness feel. The sound design is also noteworthy, as no matter how lush and green the visuals are, there is an edginess imparted through the music used as the film score. It is noisey post-rock in nature and emanates almost entirely from the side speakers in the cinema. This acts to never lets you relax into mere travelogue mode.

The story revolves around themes of family, duty, guilt and the awful misuse of power by the church (you know which one). It is also an acting tour de force with Daniel as Ray Stoker going toe-to-toe with Sean Bean as his brother Jem. When they reunite after years apart, they dance around the awful facts that make up their past as they head towards the inevitable clash. This brutal brawl erupts near the film’s end. All of their life details are revealed conversationally, and you hang on every word and physical nuance. There are also a number of fantasy scenes where you are left alone to find meaning.

There is a mastery at work here that requires attention and empathy and rewards those who look for more than surface entertainment in their film-going ethos. The technical aspects are sublime, as are the acting chops on display and the solid writing through out. This is not a work that you can casually approach; you need to be all in, and if you are, it is one of this young year’s most rewarding pleasures.
Rob Hudson
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Written by Robert Harling, the timeless tale of Steel Magnolias comes alive under the direction of Lee Lewis featuring an extraordinary ensemble led by Lisa McCune (Blue Heelers, Sea Petrol, The 39 Steps), Belinda Giblin (Home & Away, Amadeus, Doubt), Debra Lawrance (Home & Away, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child AU and UK, A Christmas Carol), Mandy Bishop (Wharf Revue, Blue Heelers), Jessica Redmayne (Home & Away, 800 Words, The Great Gatsby) and Lotte Beckett (Julia, The Election Monologues).

Step inside Truvy’s beauty salon, the heart of a small Southern town, where local women share their joys, struggles and a little neighbourly gossip. From weddings and babies to divorces and funerals, they face life’s highs and lows with humour, courage and impeccably styled hair. When tragedy strikes, it’s in these familiar walls that they find comfort, support and the unbreakable bonds of friendship that carry them through.

Bursting with sass, warmth and Southern charm, Steel Magnolias delivers laughter, love and unforgettable heart.

Steel Magnolias
30 April – 10 May 2026
Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane
www.qpac.com.au

This year’s festival Centrepiece is AMRUM, the celebrated new feature from multi award-winning director Fatih Akin. The film is a moving and deeply poignant drama about a 12-year-old boy named Nanning who lives on Amrum Island in 1945, during the final days of the war. Nanning braves the treacherous sea to hunt seals, goes fishing at night, and works the nearby farm to help his mother feed the family yet despite the hardship, life on the beautiful, windswept island almost feels like paradise. But when peace finally comes, it reveals a deeper threat: the enemy is far closer than he imagined. Starring Laura Tonke, Diane Kruger and Matthias Schweighöfer, plus a brilliant performance from the young lead Jasper Billerbeck, Amrum is based on the real-life story of co-writer Hark Bohm.

Cannes Film Festival Jury Award winner SOUND OF FALLING (In die Sonne schauen) is the festival Special Presentation. Directed by Mascha Schilinski, the haunting drama follows four girls across four generations experiencing their youth on the same farm in northern Germany. A sensory and poetic epic, this beautifully crafted film has garnered much critical acclaim and was Germany’s entry into the 2026 Academy Awards©.

From Switzerland comes a warm and humorous portrait of a unique Swiss cultural phenomenon in HELLO BETTY (Hallo Betty). Set in 1956, Hello Betty follows Emmi Creola, a talented copywriter who defies a male dominated workplace by inventing “Betty Bossi”, a fictional housewife who becomes Switzerland’s culinary icon. As Betty’s popularity skyrockets, Emmi struggles to balance the expectations of her public persona with her role as a wife,
mother and professional. A warm and humorous portrait of the 1950s, Hello Betty explores female ambition, identity and the timeless tension between public image and private life.

The popular ‘Kino for Kids’ sidebar, presented by the Goethe-Institut Australia, returns with a superb selection of films for younger cinemagoers and families. From Austria is THE SECRET FLOOR (Das geheime Stockwerk), a playful time-travel adventure shot in stunning Alpine locations. Twelve-year-old Karli moves with his parents to an old hotel in the Alps and discovers an elevator that transports him through time to 1938 where he makes new friends and must help solve a mystery.

The magical phenomenon returns with SCHOOL OF MAGICAL ANIMALS 4 (Die Schule der magischen Tiere 4). The highly anticipated fourth instalment of the successful franchise School of Magical Animals, based on Margit Auer’s bestselling book series, featuring stunning visual effects and valuable life lessons.
BARRY & ME (Mein Freund Barry) is a breathtaking live-action adventure inspired by the legend of Switzerland’s most famous rescue dog, the St. Bernard. A boy called Georg raises a puppy in secret in a timeless story of friendship, bravery, and survival in late 18th century Switzerland.
Featuring the legendary German children’s character Pumuckl, first created in 1961, PUMUCKL’S BIG MIX-UP (Pumuckl und das große Missverständnis) is a charming and entertaining tale that combines live action and animation, following the adventures of a quiet craftsman in Munich and his mischievous and invisible goblin friend Pumuckl.

In the charming, observant coming-of-age film TOMORROW I’LL BE BRAVE (Ab morgen bin ich mutig) tween angst and young love is explored with a touch of humour and tenderness.

The 2026 HSBC German Film Festival takes place from 6 May – 27 May
Canberra: 6 – 27 May, Palace Electric
Brisbane: 6 – 27 May, Palace James St, Palace Barracks
Adelaide: 6 – 27 May, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Perth: 7 – 27 May, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX & Palace Raine Square Sydney: 7 – 27 May, Palace Norton Street, Palace Central, Palace Moore Park Byron Bay and Ballina: 7 – 27 May, Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
Melbourne: 8 – 27 May, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Church St, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, The Astor Theatre, Pentridge Cinema, Palace Penny Lane
Ballarat: 8 – 27 May, Palace Regent Ballarat
www.germanfilmfestival.com.au

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is an animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros., and follows The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which was released in 2023 and earned more than $1.3 billion worldwide. Both the 2023 film and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie are produced by Chris Meledandri of Illumination and Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo.

The film will be co-financed by Universal Pictures and Nintendo and will be released worldwide by Universal Pictures.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is directed by returning filmmakers Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, from a screenplay by returning screenwriter Matthew Fogel, with Brian Tyler returning to compose the score.

Starring Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Kevin Michael Richardson and Brie Larson, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will be released in Aussie cinemas April 1!
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In 1930s Australia, the story follows two swaggering outlaws who unleash cruelty upon a remote mining town, forcing two siblings to flee the white masters who have enslaved them as child labourers. Their journey across the desert “sweet country” of central Australia becomes a powerful search for safety, truth and home.
The Gold Coast Film Festival 2026 will close with the World Premiere of DON’T BE PREY, leaving an edge-of-your-seat adventure into one man’s fight to reclaim his life by taking on the world’s most dangerous marathon swims, the Oceans Seven. Featuring unforgettable characters, raw vulnerability and breathtaking ocean feats, it’s a gripping, uplifting journey of resilience, reinvention and what it really takes to survive.

Beyond the screen, the 2026 Gold Coast Film Festival is delivering an exceptional events program designed to inspire, celebrate and connect the screen community. Highlights include the always-inspiring Women in Film Lunch, presented by Screen Queensland, which shines a spotlight on the women driving innovation across the industry; the glittering Gold Coast Film Festival Awards Gala at Warner Bros. Movie World, celebrating the creative brilliance of Australian filmmakers. Each event offers audiences and industry professionals alike the chance to network, be inspired, and experience the magic of film in unforgettable settings.

Tickets are on sale now to Opening and Closing Night Red Carpet Galas and the incredible featured events through www.gcff.com.au and the full programme for GCFF will be available from Thursday April 2.

2026 Gold Coast Film Festival
22 April – 3 May 2026
HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast
www.gcff.com.au

A magical and beautifully animated journey through time, Arco is a dazzling adventure about a 10-year-old boy from a peaceful, distant future who accidentally travels back to the year 2075 and discovers a world in peril.

As Arco develops a charming and touching friendship with a young girl named Iris, they band together and along with her trusted robot caretaker Mikki, set out on a quest to get Arco home, while the two children may also be the only ones who can save our planet.

A wondrous odyssey filled with hope and optimism for our future, Arco is an enchanting fable from breakout filmmaker Ugo Bienvenu, and debuted at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and won The Cristal Award for Best Feature Film at the 2025 Annecy Awards. Arco has been nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars.
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Competition will be drawn March 12, winners will be notified by email.

We’ve never seen Jessie Buckley, as the Bride, so electric. She fills every scene with a strong sense of danger as her character transforms in a wild arc. Christian Bale, almost unrecognisable at first as Frankenstein’s Monster, fills the screen with an almost overwhelming mix of aggression and sadness. Annette Bening is also fabulous as Dr Euphronius, who is tasked with bringing the dead back to life.

Every scene has a purpose, and this kinetic energy powers the film forward throughout its two-hour running time. It constantly brings in so many other film references; it’s a film aficionado’s dream. The art exists in those moments, being presented as a tribute and not as outright thievery. Gyllenhaal even succeeds in delivering an ending that validates your care for the participants.

In a nod to Bonnie & Clyde, Sid and Nancy and many others, Frankenstein and The Bride embark on a crime-riddled romantic road trip for the ages. And it speaks to Maggie Gyllenhaal’s sure hand at the till and her obvious love of the cinema (past and present) that the final product feels so fresh and holds together so well with so many influences at play. This all equates to a rollicking good time.
www.facebook.com/WarnerBrosAU/

Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there.

As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction… but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.

Starring Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, Project Hail Mary is coming to Aussie cinemas March 19!
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Competition will be drawn March 18, winners will be notified by mail.