Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is finally coming to QPAC! Direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story. Men, money and microphones will be fought over in this irreverent but affectionate adaptation where the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to romance.

This “smart, laugh out loud funny” (Daily Telegraph) show features a string of pop classics including “Young Hearts Run Free”, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “You’re So Vain”. Coming to Australia for the first time, five fearless women bring Austen’s world of love, class and chaos to life with heart, humour and unstoppable energy in this modern take on one of the world’s most adapted pieces of literature.

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)
Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane
30th September – 11th October 2026
www.qpac.com.au

Palace is delighted to announce the following highlights, with the full line up to be revealed in late August.

The 2026 Festival Special Presentation is bittersweet romantic drama THREE GOODBYES (Tre ciotole), based on the bestselling novel by Michela Murgia. When a couple (played by acclaimed actors Alba Rohrwacher and Elio Germano) split up after what seems like a trivial argument, their lives dramatically change in this emotional, ultimately life-affirming tale from director Isabel Coixet.

Directed by and starring Rocco Papaleo, THE GREATER GOOD (Il bene comune) is both a story of resilience and a heartfelt love letter to the southern Italian region of Basilicata. The story follows a hiking group whose search for an ancient pine tree in Pollino National Park becomes a transformative journey for each of them.

THE EYES OF OTHERS (Gli occhi degli altri) starring Jasmine Trinca and Filippo Timi, takes its inspiration from sensational real events amongst the elite in 1960s Italy. Set on the scenic Pontine Islands archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea, this provocative thriller is an intense tale of passion and crime amidst the wild beauty of an island owned by an immensely wealthy marquis.

The comedy TWIN STARS (Stella gemella) portrays a couple facing a relationship crisis who suddenly learn they are expecting twins. But not a regular set of twins, an extremely rare case in which each twin has a different father!

Featuring stellar supporting performances from Margherita Buy and Laura Morante, this delightful new comedy from Luca Lucini is a story of family, modern love and self-discovery.

Intergenerational dramatic comedy CLASSMATES (Domani interrogo), based on Gaja Cenciarelli’s novel, stars Anna Ferzetti as a devoted English teacher assigned to the toughest class in a Rome high school. The film highlights the power of education, and the essential nature of respect and community in today’s classrooms.

INCANTO is a fantasy family adventure about the importance of imagination and kindness, as a young girl escapes her controlling guardian and discovers a magical circus, where she begins to find her voice.

The full programme will be announced and tickets go on sale late August. Register for updates via the festival website to be the first to know when tickets are released.

The 2026 ST. ALi Italian Film Festival presented by Palace screens in the following locations:
Canberra 16 September – 14 October, Palace Electric Cinema
Adelaide 16 September – 13 October, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Sydney 17 September – 14 October, Palace Moore Park, Palace Norton St, Palace Central
Byron Bay and Ballina 17 September – 14 October, Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
Melbourne 18 September – 15 October, The Astor Theatre, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema, Cinema Nova Ballarat 18 September – 15 October, Palace Regent Cinemas
Brisbane 24 September – 18 October, Palace Barracks, Palace James Street
Perth 24 September – 18 October, Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX, Windsor Cinema
www.italianfilmfestival.com.au

CATVIDEOFEST 2026 is the most joyous cinema experience around, with the latest and greatest cat videos from around the world shown the way they should be seen: on the big screen!

Plus, 10% of every ticket sold directly supports cats in need with Dendy Cinemas partnering with Pet Rescue in 2026.

CATVIDEOFEST 2026
August 14-16 2026
Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo & Dendy Cinemas Portside
www.dendy.com.au

Naming rights partner for the second year, Hurtigruten, are long associated with the Nordic region. Damian Perry, Managing Director APAC, Hurtigruten says, “As the original and undisputed travel expert in the region and along Norway’s stunning coastline for over 130 years, Hurtigruten has always been about genuine and authentic experiences with a deep connection to the Nordic people. We’re proud to partner with Palace to celebrate the richness of Nordic storytelling. which is a natural extension of who we are.”

Opening the festival is the powerful Icelandic drama ÁRRU from debut director Elle Sofe Sara, that follows a family of Sàmi reindeer herders whose community and way of life is threatened by a proposed mining project. Weaving together grounded drama with bursts of exquisite traditional song (joik) and movement, the film draws on cultural expression to explore a breathtakingly genuine connection to the environment.

In a festival exclusive, the highly anticipated FJORD, direct from winning the Palme d’Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, screens as the Festival Centrepiece. Shot on the picturesque western coast of Norway, the film stars Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan as a Romanian-Norwegian conservative couple facing scrutiny after moving to the wife’s progressive remote Norwegian hometown.

Icelandic comedy/drama THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (Ástin sem eftir er) from director Hlynur Pálmason (A White, White Day, Godland) is this year’s Special Presentation. This brilliant and bittersweet film tenderly captures a year in the life of a family of five, as the parents navigate their separation, exploring love, family and shared memories. It also features a ‘Palme d’Og’ winning performance from Pálmason’s own dog Panda, an Icelandic sheep dog.
Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value, Fjord) delivers another standout performance in Special Presentation BUTTERFLY, an intriguing drama about a pair of estranged sisters who reunite after their mother’s sudden passing. The sisters travel to the Canary Islands, where they grew up at a resort, after their mother’s mysterious death at an esoteric retreat in the mountains.

Closing the festival is the 60th anniversary screening of Ingmar Bergman’s masterpiece PERSONA. Liv Ullmann, in the first of many iconic collaborations with the director, plays a screen actress who has fallen into an unexplained silence, while Bibi Andersson is captivating as the talkative young nurse assigned to her care in a secluded island retreat. The two women mysteriously experience a slow merging of the inner lives in an isolated, dreamlike meditation on the human psyche.

In the fascinating documentary BEING BO WIDERBERG (I huvudet på Bo) the acclaimed and eccentric Swedish director Bo Widerberg’s journey is chronicled.

In the shadow of Ingmar Bergman, Widerberg became Sweden’s most influential filmmaker. From the progressive early 1960s in Malmö, where he worked as a writer and film critic, to his successes as a director in Stockholm and adventures in Cannes and New York, the film showcases Widerberg’s incredible artistic legacy.

In conjunction with the documentary, there are selected screenings of Bo Widerberg’s films including ÅDALEN 31, a gripping blend of political history and adolescent awakening; RAVEN’S END (Kvarteret Korpen) his unflinching 1936 Malmö portrait that follows young dreamer Anders, as he pursues his writing ambitions while slowly suffocating beneath poverty and dysfunction; and arguably Widerberg’s masterpiece, ELVIRA MADIGAN, which follows two lovers who abandon everything for each other.

In sharply observed drama THE GUEST (Gæsten), Trine Dyrholm stars as an estranged mother determined to prove herself. Hoping to rejoin the family, Vibeke (Dyrholm) appears unannounced at her grandson’s naming ceremony.

Winner of the Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film at the 2026 Göteborg Film Festival, THE LAST RESORT (Paradis), is an absorbing drama that follows a Danish family on holiday at an all-inclusive resort. Anticipating a well-deserved and restful break, reality hits hard when they witness boat loads of refugees hitting the shores and they are forced to question how much they should risk to help a person in need.

Also from Denmark is the dark comedy THE LAST VIKING (Den sidste viking), reuniting writer/director Anders Thomas Jensen (Riders of Justice) with Mads Mikkelsen (Another Round) and Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Department Q) in their sixth project together. The pair star as brothers on a crime adventure filled with unpredictable twists and turns as they attempt to unlock Mandfred’s (Mikkelsen) memory to recover stolen loot.

In OFFROAD, an entertaining Danish comedy from Rasmus Heide, a woman’s stable life begins to unravel during a girls’ trip, leading her and her friends into an impulsive and chaotic journey; and winner of the New Director’s Award at the San Sebastián Film Festival is Emilie Thalund’s WEIGHTLESS (Vægtløs). A bold and intimate exploration of adolescent desire and identity, this coming-of-age drama follows the transformative summer of a fifteen-year-old girl at a Danish summer health camp.

THE KIDNAPPING OF A PRESIDENT (Presidentin Kyyditys) is a blackly comic drama based on a bizarre true story about the chaos that ensues when a group of far-right Finnish officers drunkenly decide to start a revolution in 1930. Lieutenant Colonel Eero Kuussaari (Jussi Vatanen, Fallen Leaves) impulsively orders the kidnapping of retired former president Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg (Pertti Sveholm, 100 Litres of Gold), but then doesn’t recall his orders the following day, having left the escapade to a group of young, eager and inexperienced soldiers.

In the heartfelt and delightful drama A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT (Jossain on valo joka ei sammu), a successful flautist who returns to his hometown in need of recuperation is drawn into the world of experimental music when he reconnects with an old school friend; and in 1890s Finland, TELL EVERYONE (Kerro kaikille) portrays a free spirited young woman who fights to hold on to hope, friendship and forbidden love while confined on an isolated sanatorium island.

Sweden’s stylish psychological thriller DOCTOR GLAS (Doktor Glas) brings a bold and fresh new perspective to Hjalmar Söderberg’s acclaimed 1905 novel. Desire, guilt and obsession are portrayed through the eyes of Gabriel Glas (played by Isac Calmroth, also one of the co-writers), a reclusive young doctor whose fascination with fashion icon Helga Gregorius spirals into madness.

Also from Sweden is THE QUIET BEEKEEPER (Biodlaren), winner of the Audience Award at the 2026 Göteborg Film Festival. This meditative drama set in the small, rustic town of Åmotfors in the Swedish region of Värmland, close to the Norwegian border, is an exploration of love, nature, and the cycles of life, seen through the eyes of a father and daughter longing for connection.

When 39-year-old Anni has to move back in with her mother after a scandalous incident on live television, her life goes off the rails in HOME (Heim), a darkly funny, brutally honest, and unexpectedly tender romantic dramedy from Norway; in THE PENSION HEIST (Pensjonskuppet) three women set out to steal from the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund after one discovers her husband is having an affair in this feel-good crowd-pleasing heist comedy featuring some of Norway’s most beloved actors.

Norwegian box office hit drama THE BATTLE OF OSLO (Blücher) is a gripping true story of courage under fire recounting the decisive actions of Colonel Birger Eriksen during World War II, whose fateful choice in 1940 shaped his nation’s destiny.

Recently winning six Icelandic Film Awards, the thriller THE FIRES (Eldarnir), based on the best-selling novel, tells the story of an accomplished volcanologist’s life which is upended by both a romantic affair and a volcanic eruption that threatens Reykjavík.

The 2026 Hurtigruten Nordic Film Festival will take place from July to August.
Canberra: 9 July – 2 August, Palace Electric
Melbourne: 10 July – 2 August, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Church St, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor Theatre
Ballarat: 10 July – 2 August, Palace Regent Cinema
Brisbane: 22 July – 16 August, Palace James St, Palace Barracks
Adelaide: 22 July – 16 August, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Sydney: 23 July – 16 August, Palace Norton St, Palace Moore Park and Palace Central Perth: 23 July – 16 August, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Palace Raine Square Byron Bay and Ballina: 23 July – 16 August, Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
www.nordicfilmfestival.com.au

Building on an extraordinary 2025 debut, NIFFA returns in 2026 with an expanded and more ambitious program, showcasing the very best of Indian cinema – from regional and independent voices to major mainstream icons.

Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo will present 17 films across four days including films in Manipuri, Hindi, Assamese, Malayalam, Tamil, Odia, Kannada, Marathi and English with a Red Carpet Opening Night Gala on Thursday, 2 July at 6pm followed by a screening of BOONG at 7pm.

NIFFA – National Indian Film Festival of Australia 2026
Thursday, 2 July – Sunday 5 July 2026
Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo
www.coorparoo.dendy.com.au

Catch all the fun at the Dendy Coorparoo screening of OVER THE FENCE, a short comedy film festival that not only delights in observing life on planet earth but adores celebrating it.

This year’s program features 15 short comedy films, each capturing a different slice of the wonderfully chaotic rhythm of Life. as it Goes! Filmmakers capture the spirit perfectly with humour as “one of the most powerful tools for change.” The festival is “a beacon for like‑minds who see the absurdity and bizarre humour in life,” and in challenging times, “we must laugh, laugh, laugh.”

Celebrate weird and dark comedies in a festival devoted to celebrating them. – for 30 years!” The films embrace the chaos, the beauty and the bizarre rhythm of simply trying to keep up, urging us to keep it going. ‘Life, as it Goes!’

OVER THE FENCE – Comedy Film Festival 2026
Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo
Saturday 27 June 2026
www.coorparoo.dendy.com.au

It starts with two mysterious people in a car talking about astrology, who soon spot a lone pedestrian walking down the street and run him down. It’s out of character violence is never to return, and the sense of urgent provocation is replaced by a sense of mystery as to what the collective tissue is that binds these divergent people together.

This Spanish film is a co-production between Uruguay, Argentina and Spain and is a work that is sprinkled with elements of those countries’ populist culture. These norms seem foreign to a Western audience and create a desire to look up a number of reverence points at the movie’s end to flesh out the experience. You are also rewarded with an ending that answers a lot while still leaving much to contemplate.

You can catch this wonderful work during the screenings that make up the 2026 HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival.

2026 HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival
Canberra 10 June – 5 July: Palace Electric Cinema
Adelaide 10 June – 5 July: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Brisbane 11 June – 5 July: Palace James Street and Palace Barracks
Perth 11 June – 1 July: Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville and Luna on SX
Melbourne 12 June – 5 July: The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Church St,
Palace Penny Lane, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Palace Balwyn and Pentridge Cinema
Ballarat 12 June – 5 July: Palace Regent Cinema
Sydney 18 June – 12 July: Palace Norton Street, Palace Moore Park and Palace Central
Byron Bay/Ballina 18 June – 12 July: Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
www.spanishfilmfestival.com

Join us after sundown on Saturday, 20 June – the longest night of the year – for BITE NIGHT, a celebration of classic vampire cinema.

Once the sun sets and it’s safe to head out, sink your teeth into the ultimate nocturnal movie marathon.

Dust off your capes for a screening of Francis Ford Coppola’s BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA (1992), starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves and Monica Bellucci and THE LOST BOYS (1987), starring Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest and a killer soundtrack.

The Annual Bite Night – Vampire Retro Screenings
Saturday, June 20th from Sundown (5:15pm)
Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo
www.coorparoo.dendy.com.au

Following sell-out performances across Australia, this internationally acclaimed production features an elite ensemble of acrobats, aerialists, jugglers and balancing artists, delivering a thrilling fusion of physical artistry, theatrical storytelling and modern stagecraft.

At the heart of the show is a charismatic and quirky ringmaster confronting a universal theme: change. Blending humour, heart and breathtaking skill, Cirque Nouvelle explores the evolution of circus—from the nostalgic wonder of the traditional Big Top to the bold, technology-driven spectacles of today.

Audiences are taken on a visually rich and emotionally engaging journey that honours circus traditions while reimagining what the future of the art form can be. Perfect for families these school holidays, Cirque Nouvelle promises to captivate audiences of all ages with its blend of daring feats, storytelling and theatrical magic.

Brisbane
Fortitude Music Hall, June 26 @ 6pm
www.thefortitude.com.au

Gold Coast
The Star Theatre, June 27 @ 6pm
www.star.com.au

As a stage play in 2026, it still works as it sets out on a humble path, just to entertain. It steers way clear of any overt political statement and instead focuses solely on the trials and tribulations of a group of Southern gals. There is a tragic element to the story, but it happens mostly off-stage and adds more colour to the story, which becomes the central theme. In this way, it keeps the activities from becoming too dark or less appealing.

Into the environment of the modern audience, it has a humble plan to provide just pure entertainment, and in these troubled times, that is more than welcome. The outstanding cast get the nuances just right, and as each character becomes defined, they flesh them out with appealing human traits. It’s also great to see an all-female cast riff off each other with such ease and grace. The inherent humour in the writing comes across with a gentle approach that feels unforced and natural. This makes it more than relatable.

The play is directed by Lee Lewis with a screenplay by original writer Robert Harling and stars a cast led by Lisa McCune. The cast also features Belinda Giblin, Debra Lawrance, Mandy Bishop, Jessica Redmayne and Lotte Beckett. The play’s limited Brisbane run will finish on Sunday, May 10th.
Rob Hudson

Steel Magnolias
Brisbane – 30 April – 10 May 2026, Playhouse Theatre QPAC
Sydney – 13-30 May 2026, Theatre Royal
Wollongong – 3-11 June 2026, IMB Theatre IPAC
Canberra – 17-21 June 2026, Canberra Theatre
Perth – 7-18 July 2026, His Majesty’s Theatre
Melbourne – 23 July – 9 August 2026, Athenaeum Theatre
www.steelmagnoliasplay.com/