The 2026 HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival has today revealed a first tantalising taste of its 29th edition, including an award-winning drama, a rom-com starring one of the most well-known Latin American actors, a historical epic, salsa documentary, and more.

Set against the backdrop of a corporate crisis, NOTHING BETWEEN US (Nada entre los dos) is an intimate and charming love story starring Gael García Bernal and Natalia Oreiro, from Argentina and Uruguay. In the first time the two popular actors have appeared on screen together, they star as colleagues on conference at a beach resort in Mexico faced with the fragile balance between personal freedom and social expectations.

The Festival Centrepiece is the highly awarded Spanish box office hit SUNDAYS (Los domingos), from writer/director Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, which won the Golden Shell (Best Film) at the 2025 San Sebastián Film Festival, in addition to five Goya Awards and five Feroz Awards. The quietly spellbinding drama explores a family in crisis after their 17-year-old daughter defies expectations and declares that she is choosing the life of a cloistered nun.

From award-winning director Alejandro Amenábar, comes the epic historical adventure THE CAPTIVE (El cautivo), the Festival Special Presentation. The ambitious and thrilling drama starring Julio Peña (Through My Window) and Alessandro Borghi (The Eight Mountains) follows a young Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, who finds an unexpected refuge in the art of storytelling while imprisoned in 16th Century Algiers.

LA SALSA VIVE is a vivid documentary, from Colombia and the USA via Havana, that tells the story of two cities bound by the rhythm of salsa. From New York City, where the genre was born in the 1970s, to Cali, Colombia, the self-proclaimed “world capital of salsa” where it thrives with unmatched passion. The evolution of the genre is an illuminating journey of cultural heritage, music and dance, much like the global 1990s hit The Buena Vista Social Club.

Brazilian film ISABEL, direct from the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival, is an intoxicating drama imbued with wine. It follows talented sommelier Isabel (Marina Person, who also co-wrote the script) in São Paulo’s fine-dining scene who dreams of opening her own wine bar away from her controlling boss. However, she must balance following her passion with the realities of opening a business.

In a feel-good origins tale inspired by true events, ANOTHER LEAGUE (Pioneras: solo querían jugar) tells the story of a group of girls in the early 1970s who decide to play football in a country that does not see a place for them in the sport. Through the many challenges they face, they meet an ambitious promotor who is determined to change the story of women’s football in Spain.

For families and schools, there is the charming family comedy and Spanish box office hit MY AMAZING GRANDMA (Abuela Tremenda). Contrasting overprotective parents with the wild and carefree energy of a mischievous grandmother, three generations of women experience hilarious disasters at a rural farm. And fun is guaranteed in BEAR CLAW CAMP (Campamento Garra de Oso) in which two nine-year-olds race against time to save their summer camp, combining live action and animation for an exciting adventure about the power of friendship and teamwork.

The 2026 HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival takes place nationally from 10 June to 12 July (dates vary) in Melbourne, Ballarat, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Byron Bay and Ballina. The full programme will be announced, and tickets go on sale in mid-May at spanishfilmfestival.com.

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

The HSBC German Film Festival returns to Brisbane from May 6 to 27 at Palace Cinemas, showcasing the very best in contemporary German language cinema.

The 2026 programme features a dynamic selection of films from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, including acclaimed titles from major international festivals such as Berlinale and Cannes. From compelling dramas and thought provoking stories to lighter comedies and crowd pleasers, the festival offers a rich and diverse cultural experience.

Opening Night and Closing Night events will once again provide a celebratory cinema experience, alongside a curated programme that highlights the breadth of storytelling across the German speaking world, including a dedicated spotlight on Austrian and Swiss cinema.

Whether you are a lover of film, language or European culture, the HSBC German Film Festival is a wonderful opportunity to experience contemporary cinema from this vibrant region.

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

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Competition will be drawn May 5, winners will be notified by email.

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

Join us at Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo for a dark & moody Gothic opening night screening of WUTHERING HEIGHTS, from award-wining filmmaker, Emerald Fennell (SALTBURN), starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi and based on the novel by Emily Brontë. Expect entertaining surprises to appear out of the mist while you sip on Blussh-inspired cocktails at the exclusive Blussh Opening Night Salon with 6pm arrivals for a 7pm film start.

Plus they will be hosting screenings of TWO YEARS LATER – EPISODE 1 AND 2 including Q&A with the series creators; THE BODYGUARD; FROM ITALY WITH LOVE including a Q&A with the film’s creators PLUS short film HALF PAST MIDNIGHT will screen before the feature – from local Brisbane film maker and Dendy Coorparoo General Manager Daniel Bibby and BEAUTY FROM PAIN including a Book Club Bundle with a drink on arrival, mini antipasto, prizes, meet cast & crew and join the creators after the film for an intimate Q&A.

BLUSSH ROMANCE FESTIVAL
Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14, 2026
DENDY CINEMAS COORPAROO
www.blusshromancefestival.com

For over three decades, the Brisbane International Film Festival has connected Queensland audiences and industry with the world’s leading filmmakers.

Building on the legacy of founding directors Anne Demy-Geroe, Gary Ellis and programmer David Stratton, whose vision established the Chauvel Award and Cinesparks, BIFF 2025 honours its past while evolving into a live collaboration between filmmakers, musicians, visual artists and audiences. We call this Cinema Elevated.

This year, the Brisbane International Film Festival celebrates 33 years as Queensland’s premier film festival. With the city gearing up for its global spotlight in 2032, BIFF enters a bold new era – reimagined for a contemporary, international Brisbane.

Organised by emotion rather than genre, BIFF’s roster of 62 films opens a window on a world of experiences and perspectives. No matter what your mood or taste, let BIFF take you on a journey through the hearts and minds of the world’s best filmmakers.

BIFF 2025
27-30 November 2025
Various locations around Brisbane
www.biff.com.au

Exercising one’s creativity in certain fields isn’t always easy. If photography is your jam, it’s even more difficult. Having an individual voice in that medium is especially challenging now that the world and its inhabitants possess over 8.58 billion mobile phones, and almost all of them have a camera built in. It can still be done; you just have to think outside the box.

That is a box that British photographer Martin Parr has stepped outside of all throughout his career. His early black & white work, finding the extraordinary in the ordinary in normal British life, is fantastic and more than a bit humorous. When he made the switch to colour photography in the early eighties, his work continued to show British life as even more colourful.

The story is told by the man himself, with fellow photographers and historians helping to put his work into context. The footage of him unassumingly wandering around in public with a camera and a walker shows how he gains access to the normal world. He’s not above forcing the issue, and one scene of him demanding a subject stop smiling is illustrative.

Even if your interest in photography is limited, it’s still a fascinating story. For those with an interest in the art form, there comes a wealth of useful observations and an insight into Parr’s methodology and approach. His storytelling is concise and vivid (and not above the occasional controversies), and this is all accomplished without a single word being needed.
Rob Hudson

From November 5, the 2025 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival, presented by Palace, will open in cities across the country screening at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova and Luna Palace Cinemas. This year’s sensational lineup showcases British brilliance at its best with hotly anticipated new releases, documentaries and restrospectives.

I Am Martin Parr Screening Times
Palace Barracks Brisbane
Monday 10th November 2025
Wednesday 26th November 2025
Monday 1st December 2025

Palace James St Cinema
Thursday 13th November 2025
Friday 21st November 2025
Friday 28th November 2025
Thursday 4th December
www.britishfilmfestival.com.au

From November 5, the 2025 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival, presented by Palace, will open in cities across the country screening at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova and Luna Palace Cinemas. This year’s sensational lineup showcases British brilliance at its best with hotly anticipated new releases, documentaries and restrospectives.

Opening the festival is the Australian Premiere of THE CHORAL, a sweeping wartime drama with a stellar cast, led by Ralph Fiennes and directed by Nicholas Hytner. As a group of choralists discover the joys of singing, the young male members must also come to terms with their imminent conscription into the army. Exploring humour and humanity at the heart of a community facing an uncertain future, the film also stars Roger Allam, Mark Addy and Amara Okereke.

The Special Presentation is Oliver Hermanus’ THE HISTORY OF SOUND starring an electric Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor. A decade spanning romance centered around the power of music, this gorgeous period drama is a film of lingering melancholic beauty.

Marking the highly anticipated return to the screen of Daniel Day-Lewis, ANEMONE is this year’s Festival Centrepiece. Heralding the directorial debut of son Ronan Day-Lewis, with whom Daniel Day-Lewis co-wrote the script, ANEMONE also features superb performances from Sean Bean and Samantha Morton as it explores the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons.

Closing the festival is Oscar winner Chloé Zhao’s (Nomadland,The Rider) radiant adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel HAMNET, starring Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare. In the sensitively observed, magnificently crafted tale about the complexities of love and the healing power of art and creativity, the couple’s tragic shared experience sets the stage for the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.

The festival is delighted to once again welcome naming partner Russell Hobbs — the iconically British appliance brand that’s been adding style, charm, and a proper cup of tea to everyday life since 1952. Dean Hammerton, Marketing Manager, Asia Pacific, says:

“We’re thrilled to be back for another year as naming partner of the Russell Hobbs British Film Festival. We’ve always embraced that classic British mix of innovation, tradition, and a dash of style — values that align beautifully with the films being showcased. It’s a real pleasure to once again celebrate the best of British culture, on screen and beyond.”

A standout selection of real-life stories feature in this year’s lineup profiling iconic British identities including John Cleese, Twiggy and John Lennon. In what might be his final European tour, JOHN CLEESE PACKS IT IN is a wry, behind-the-scenes portrait of a comedy legend on the road, battling various ailments, chaotic travel, and his own stubborn refusal to stop.

Exploring the final decade in the life of John Lennon, BORROWED TIME – LENNON’S LAST DECADE is a gripping documentary charting Lennon’s turbulent post-Beatles years of art, activism, and reinvention. Evolving beyond the Beatles, he created music and stood at the forefront of anti-war protests that would make him one of the most influential pop culture icons of all time.

In celebrated documentary TWIGGY, the meteoric rise of the 1960s style icon—bold, sharp, and unforgettable – is explored. A dazzling portrait of reinvention and influence, the film showcases the fashion, fame, and fearless individuality of Twiggy, during a culturally significant period of British history.

To complement the documentary, Ken Russell’s THE BOY FRIEND (1971), Twiggy’s first film role, will also screen in the festival. Bursting with glitz, glamour, and cheeky charm, Twiggy shines as an understudy turned star in this dazzling, tap-dancing love letter to 1920s musicals.

From the director of BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, Gurinda Chadha, comes the Australian premiere of CHRISTMAS KARMA, based on the classic Dickens story A Christmas Carol. In Chadha’s Bollywood style musical adaptation, the all-star cast including Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, Eva Longoria and Boy George, bring the story to life in a modern day, diverse London.

Premiering to rave reviews at the recent Toronto International Film Festival, I SWEAR is a biographical comedy/drama directed, written, and produced by Kirk Jones starring Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson and Peter Mullan. Based on the true story of John Davidson who was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome at a time when it was barely identifiable, the film is a heartwarming, comedic and moving story of his journey.

A riotous spoof of period drama mixing forbidden romance, aristocratic scandals, and razor- sharp wit, FACKHAM HALL premieres at selected sessions just prior to the official release in the UK. With an all-star cast and Jimmy Carr’s absurdist flair, the film skewers tradition while serving nonstop laughs and intrigue.

Actor Harris Dickinson’s searing directorial debut URCHIN follows Mike, an unhoused ex- prisoner, in his fight for redemption. Highly lauded at the 2025 Cannes International Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Film and Best Actor prizes, the unforgettable odyssey of survival, empathy, and fragile hope is led by an incredible Frank Dillane as Mike.

The majestic drama THE NORTH, has been described as the ‘ultimate hiking film’. It is an adventurous tale of two old friends who embark on a 600-kilometre journey through the Scottish Highlands, seeking to reconnect not only with nature but with each other and the parts of themselves they have lost.

In icy suspense thriller DEAD OF WINTER, British icon Emma Thompson plays Barb, a woman travelling alone through snowbound northern Minnesota. Barb interrupts the kidnapping of a teenage girl, and hours from the nearest town and with no phone service, she realises that she is the young girl’s only hope.

MOSS & FREUD is the biopic about the life of era-defining supermodel Kate Moss and her relationship with British artist Lucian Freud. When Freud offered to paint Moss nude during the nine months of her pregnancy in 2002, it prompted her to embark on an intense journey of self-discovery.

Documentary BECOMING HITCHCOCK – THE LEGACY OF BLACKMAIL dives into the groundbreaking 1929 film that launched Hitchcock’s signature style. Also screening is Hitchcock’s thriller BLACKMAIL about a woman who kills a man in self-defence but falls victim to a blackmailer, considered a bridge between the silent era and that of the ‘talkies’.

Another must-see for Hitchcock fans, the retrospective HITCHCOCK: THE BEGINNING featuring ten rarely screened, early silent and talkie films from the 1920s to 1930s from the iconic director including NUMBER 17, the last of the era, CHAMPAGNE, MURDER!, THE SKIN GAME and Hitchcock’s only foray into screenwriting, THE RING.

Set in the Scottish Highlands, GLENROTHAN is a powerful tale of two estranged brothers played by Alan Cumming and Brian Cox, in his directorial debut. Drawn home by loss, the pair open old wounds and test family bonds, with the pull of tradition igniting a transformative journey.

In a film adapted from an acclaimed novella, THE THING WITH FEATHERS charts the struggle of a young father, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and his sons after a sudden family loss. As they struggle to hold their world together, they start to experience how love endures in the strangest, most unexpected forms.

Fueled by powerhouse performances from Vicky Krieps, Aidan Gillen and Colm Meaney, RE-CREATION is a razor-sharp courtroom drama. Director Jim Sheridan reimagines a trial (based on a real story) that never happened with questions, guilt, bias and memory at the centre of a tense chamber where truth itself is on trial.

Dev Patel and Rosy McEwen electrify in chilling folk-horror RABBIT TRAP where music, myth, and obsession collide. Filmmaker Bryn Chainey’s debut blurs reality into an eerie, unforgettable nightmare that draws the viewer in and never lets go.

With a brilliant ensemble cast led by enigmatic festival favourite Bill Nighy, & SONS is the story of a world-renowned but reclusive novelist who believing he is about to die, summons his estranged sons to his home. An adaptation of the novel of the same name, the family drama also stars Johnny Flynn, George MacKay, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West.

Stories that focus on the older generation include FOUR MOTHERS, a riotous, heartfelt comedy where one man’s burgeoning career implodes as four eccentric mothers of his friends, off on a trip to a Pride festival, invade his Dublin home; and drama DRAGONFLY, starring Brenda Blethyn and Andrea Riseborough, about a neglected pensioner who finds an ally in a younger neighbour in what has been described as a fierce and wonderfully acted film.

A story of resilience, friendship and hope against an unforgiving system, LOLLIPOP is a raw, heartfelt drama. Starring Posy Sterling as Molly, a mother recently released from prison, her fight to reclaim her children and give them a life she never had is unrelenting.

In contemporary noir thriller with a twist ISLANDS, Sam Riley stars as a tennis coach at a holiday resort who befriends a couple with unnerving results and in WORDS OF WAR, the true story of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who battled for press freedom in Putin’s Russia, is portrayed by an incredible cast including Maxine Peake, James Lawtey, Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus), Ellie Bamber and Ciarán Hinds.

In a special Retrospective entitled BRITISH BRILLIANCE, six iconic British films that have all won Best Picture at the Academy Awards are showcased on the big screen including CHARIOTS OF FIRE, GANDHI, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, THE ENGLISH PATIENT and from 2010, THE KINGS SPEECH.

Rounding out the superb selection of documentaries is the quirky THE GOLDEN SPURTLE and I AM MARTIN PARR. The contestants of the annual World Porridge Making Championship battle with oats and ladles in a Highland village, celebrating tradition and community in THE GOLDEN SPURTLE; while the playful, provocative portrait I AM MARTIN PARR reveals the iconic British photographer behind the lens and his extraordinary eye on the everyday.

In a celebration of 25 years since its release, BILLY ELLIOT remains a heartwarming tale of grit and grace, following an 11-year-old boy who defies expectations, trading boxing gloves for ballet shoes in a celebration of passion, identity, and the courage to chase dreams.

The Australian premiere of GROW will delight families in an exuberant tale full of giant pumpkins, madcap characters, and a little girl who just might be a pumpkin-growing savant starring Nick Frost, Alan Carr and Jane Horrocks.

The Russell Hobbs British Film Festival opens on Wednesday 5 November in Sydney, Melbourne, Ballarat, Adelaide, Perth, Byron Bay, Canberra and Brisbane, concluding on Sunday 7 December in all cities.

The Russell Hobbs British Film Festival presented by Palace screens in the following locations from NOV 5 – DEC 7:
Melbourne: The Astor Theatre, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema, Palace Church St Ballarat: Palace Regent Ballarat
Canberra: Palace Electric Cinemas
Brisbane: Palace Barracks, Palace James Street
Adelaide: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Perth: Palace Raine Square, Luna on SX, Leederville and Windsor
Byron Bay: Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
Sydney: Palace Norton Street, Palace Moore Park, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central
www.britishfilmfestival.com.au

Alberta (Luisa Ranieri) and Gabriella (Jasmine Trinca) are sisters. Together they run a highly regarded Fashion House that specialises in designing and creating costumes for the entertainment industry. When we meet them they have two distinct personalities. Alberta is stern and all business and Gabriella is quiet and almost withdrawn.

They are surrounded by a staff of colourful and idiosyncratic women. Each of these ladies have private lives that vary from good to the truly awful. As the film fills in the blanks and you get to know them, you also get invested in their plight and come to understand their actions.

When a large movie costume job arrives, it pushes the staff to their limit and the effects their private lives have on their ability to work. We find the sisters harbouring a tragic secret from their past, a staff member who deals with domestic abuse is a most straight forward manner and many other tales.

The most intoxicating aspect of Diamonds is how these characters and your knowledge of them and their lives is constantly changing. As these ladies and their lives come into sharper focus you can’t help but to be drawn in and make a connection and feel their acute sense of success and failure and the camaraderie that that fosters.
Rob Hudson

Diamonds Screenings in Brisbane
Palace Barracks Brisbane
Thursday 25th September 3:00pm
Saturday 27th September 12:40pm

Palace James St Cinema
Monday 29th September 3:15pm
Wednesday 1st October 7:45pm
Thursday 2nd October 12:50pm
Thursday 9th October 8:10pm
Sunday 12th October 10:10am
Wednesday 15th OcOctobert 3:00pm
Sunday 19th October 5:45pm
Tuesday 21st October 11:00am

2025 ST. ALi Italian Film Festival runs in Brisbane from 24 September – 22 October, and will take place at the Palace James Street and Palace Barracks cinemas. Click here for more information about the festival, or head to the official website for more information and to book your tickets!
www.italianfilmfestival.com.au

The 2025 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival, presented by Palace, will land in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide, Ballarat, Byron Bay and Ballina this November with a spectacular line up of exquisite dramas, fascinating documentaries, much-loved retrospectives, comedies and more at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova and Luna Palace Cinemas.

The festival Centrepiece is the highly anticipated drama ANEMONE starring Daniel Day- Lewis, Sean Bean and Samantha Morton, in the directorial debut from Ronan Day-Lewis. In a script co-written by Daniel Day-Lewis and son Ronan, the film explores the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons. The explosive drama is Day- Lewis’ first film in eight years in which he portrays a former British soldier who lives in the remote woods who must confront his past.

In icy suspense thriller THE DEAD OF WINTER, Emma Thompson plays Barb, a woman travelling alone through snowbound northern Minnesota. Barb interrupts the kidnapping of a teenage girl, and hours from the nearest town and with no phone service, she realises that she is the young girl’s only hope.

MOSS & FREUD is the biopic about the life of era-defining supermodel Kate Moss and her relationship with the acclaimed British artist Lucian Freud, starring Ellie Bamber and Derek Jacobi as Freud. When Freud offered to paint Moss nude during the nine months of her pregnancy in 2002, it prompted her to embark on an intense journey of self-discovery.

At the age of eighty-five, the inimitable John Cleese sets off on what might be his final European tour in JOHN CLEESE PACKS IT IN. Covering five countries, sixteen cities, twenty-three shows, and retaining just two original body parts, John Cleese Packs It In is a wry, behind-the-scenes portrait of a comedy legend on the road, battling various ailments, chaotic travel, and his own stubborn refusal to stop.

Scenic drama THE NORTH is an adventurous tale of two old friends who embark on a 600- kilometre journey through the Scottish Highlands. They seek to reconnect not only with nature but with each other and the parts of themselves they lost.

The Russell Hobbs British Film Festival opens on Wednesday 5 November in Sydney, Melbourne, Ballarat, Adelaide, Perth, Byron Bay, Canberra and Brisbane, concluding on Sunday 7 December in all cities.

The full programme to be announced and tickets on sale in mid-October.

The Russell Hobbs British Film Festival presented by Palace screens in the following locations:
Melbourne: 5 Nov – 7 Dec, The Astor Theatre, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema, Palace Church St
Ballarat: 5 Nov – 7 Dec, Palace Regent Ballarat
Canberra: 5 Nov – 7 Dec, Palace Electric Cinemas
Brisbane: 5 Nov – 7 Dec, Palace Barracks, Palace James Street
Adelaide: 5 Nov – 7 Dec, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Perth: 5 Nov – 7 Dec, Palace Raine Square, Luna on SX, Leederville and Windsor
Byron Bay: 5 Nov – 7 Dec, Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
Sydney: 5 Nov – 7 Dec, Palace Norton Street, Palace Moore Park, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central
www.britishfilmfestival.com.au

Presented by Palace, the 2025 ST. ALi Italian Film Festival’s annual Spring escape to Italy is one step closer with the announcement of the full programme. From 17 September for four weeks, a bellissimo selection of box office hits and award-winning films will dazzle screens in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Ballarat, Byron Bay and Ballina. Returning as Festival Ambassador is the multi-talented Italian-born chef, TV presenter and host Silvia Colloca, who will be opening the festival in Sydney and for the first time in Brisbane.

The festival opens with Paolo Genovese’s record-breaking hit SOMEBODY TO LOVE (FolleMente), a romantic comedy with an all-star cast including Edoardo Leo, Pilar Fogliati and Vittoria Puccini. Following the global success of Perfect Strangers (IFF 16), writer/director Genovese’s latest film reveals the innermost thoughts and uncertainties of a modern Italian couple on their awkward first date.

Following its World Premiere at the Opening Night of the 2025 Venice International Film Festival later this month, Oscar winner Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film LA GRAZIA is this year’s Festival Centrepiece. The highly anticipated drama stars Toni Servillo, Anna Ferzetti and Massimo Venturiello.

This year, the festival showcases migrant stories from two different sides of the globe with SIGNORINELLA: LITTLE MISS (from the team behind LYGON ST – Si Parla Italiano) and NAPOLI – NEW YORK. Celebrating the tenacity and spirit of Italian women who helped shape the Italian-Australian community, SIGNORINELLA: LITTLE MISS, narrated by Greta Scacchi, profiles their incredible life stories. NAPOLI – NEW YORK, from Academy Award-winner Gabriele Salvatores, is based on an original screenplay by Frederico Fellini and Tullio Pinelli. Featuring festival favourite Pierfrancesco Favino and a stellar cast, it is a compelling and hopeful account of the migrant experience, the search for identity and pursuit of a better life that follows two Neapolitan children as they journey from Naples to New York in 1949.

Closing the festival and celebrating its 25th anniversary this year is the Australian coming-of-age classic LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI starring Pia Miranda, Greta Scacchi and Kick Gurry. Audiences new and old can delight in the stunning 4K restoration of the much-loved film whose themes still resonate over two and half decades later.

The Festival Special Presentation is the critically acclaimed, 2024 Venice Film Festival Grand Jury prize winner THE MOUNTAIN BRIDE – VERMIGLIO (Vermiglio). Maura Delpero’s atmospheric, visually breathtaking film portrays a family caught between tradition and modernity in the final year of WWII.

From acclaimed filmmaker Ferzan Özpetek comes the stunning, female led drama DIAMONDS (Diamanti). An ode to the beautiful craftsmanship of film costume designers and seamstresses, Luisa Ranieri and Jasmine Trinca star as sisters running a couture costume design house in 1970s Rome.

Elio Germano delivers standout performances in dramas SICILIAN LETTERS (Iddu) and THE GREAT AMBITION (Berlinguer. La grande ambizione). Toni Servillo joins Germano in a story of dangerous liaisons set in early 2000s Sicily in SICILIAN LETTERS, during Cosa Nostra boss Matteo Messina Denaro’s three decades as a fugitive from Italian justice. In the meticulous biopic THE GREAT AMBITION Germano transforms into Enrico Berlinguer, the former leader of the Italian Communist Party between 1973 and 1978. His performance won him Best Actor at the David di Donatello Awards.

A box office sensation in Italy, moving drama THE BOY WITH PINK TROUSERS (Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa) features rising star Samuele Carrino in a powerful performance. Exploring the real story behind Italy’s first publicised case of online bullying, the film garnered much attention in Italy and sparked important discussions about the issue.

From acclaimed writer/director Mario Martone comes FUORI, an elegant biopic drama that follows a decisive event in the life of renowned Italian feminist writer Goliarda Sapienza. A brilliant Valeria Golino stars as Sapienza in an inspiring story of friendship, female solidarity and freedom in the early 1980s. And in thoughtful drama MY PLACE IS HERE (Il mio posto è qui), set during the aftermath of WWII in a rural village in southern Italy, a single mother befriends the local wedding planner and begins to understand her rights as a woman. The film stars Ludovica Martino and Marco Leonardi (Cinema Paradiso) and is based on the eponymous novel by Daniela Porto.

The common thread of family focused stories is at the heart of several films in this year’s lineup including THE LIFE APART (La vita accanto), an enthralling and music-imbued drama set in beautiful Italian art city Vicenza that follows a wealthy family whose daughter must contend with profound rejection due to her appearance; in VITTORIA, a hairdresser from Naples with three loving sons and a devoted husband risks everything to pursue her dream of having a daughter, in a deeply moving drama based on true events; Ivano de Matteo’s compelling drama MY DAUGHTER (Una Figlia) stars Stefano Accorsi as a widowed father whose 16-year-old commits a serious crime, testing his ability to forgive; personal tale THE TIME IT TAKES (Il tempo che ci vuole) from filmmaker Francesca Comencini pays homage to her father Luigi Comencini and their connection with cinema; the debut feature from director and writer Sara Fgaier, WEIGHTLESS (Sulla terra leggeri) delivers a sensitive drama about the power of memory, love and how to fi

Hotly anticipated Italian comedies include popular comic duo Ficarra & Picone and festival favourite Toni Servillo in THE ILLUSION (L’Abbaglio), a fun re-imagining of Giuseppe Garibaldi’s 1860 campaign that unified Italy; the adventures of the Rovelli family continue in WHEN MUM IS AWAY…WITH THE IN-LAWS (10 Giorni con I suoi) with a trip to Puglia in the hit comedy directed by Alessandro Genovesi and starring Fabio De Luigi and Valentina Lodovini; and set in 1980s-1990s Italy, DIVA FUTURA is an entertaining reimagining of Riccardo Schicchi’s agency Diva Futura that revolutionised mass culture by turning free love into porn, making stars of Ilona Staller (Cicciolina), Moana Pozzi and others in an intoxicating story of private and widespread desire.

The story of fashion icon Gianni Versace, from his youth in Reggio Calabria in the 1960s to his rise in the world of fashion design is explored in GIANNI VERSACE – EMPEROR OF DREAMS (Gianni Versace: L’Imperatore dei sogni). The witty biopic from director Mimmo Calopresti intertwines fiction and documentary, reconstructing the world, life and creativity of the famous designer. In HOLD TIGHT, MISSY! ISABELLA DUCROT UNLIMITED (Tenga Duro Signorina! Isabella Ducrot Unlimited) 90-year-old artist Isabella Ducrot is followed for two years as her incredible story of her rise as an artist unfurls. Ducrot is sought after by leading galleries the world over after devoting herself to art at the age of 55.

In historical drama BATTLEGROUND (Campo di Battaglia) a powerful story of courage and compassion emerges when two military doctors, who work at a clinic in Northern Italy in the final year of WWI, must face the devastating Spanish flu as it strikes the city. Inspired by true events that remain powerfully resonant 20 years on, dramatic thriller THE NEGOTIATOR (Il Nibbio) stars Claudio Santamaria as Nicola Calipari, deputy director of operations of the Italian secret service who sacrificed his life to save journalist Giuliana Sgrena.

In special encore screenings, gripping historical drama THE TASTERS (Le assaggiatrici), from multi award- winning writer/director Silvio Soldini and adapted from Rosella Postorino’s bestselling novel At The Wolf’s Table, is inspired by the incredible true story of Margot Wölk, a woman who was conscripted to be one of Hitler’s food tasters.

For an unforgettable plunge into the dark heart of cinema, the festival retrospective this year focuses on Italy’s Giallo cinema. Born from Italy’s yellow jacketed crime paperbacks, this selection of classic thrillers are not for the faint of heart! Showcasing a stunning new 4K restoration of DEEP RED (Profondo Rosso), widely regarded as one of Dario Argento’s greatest films and a cornerstone of Italian horror cinema, it blends mystery, artistry, and psychological terror in unforgettable fashion.

Also included is A LIZARD IN A WOMAN’S SKIN (Una lucertola con la pelle di donna) Lucio Fulci’s surreal giallo that blends psychedelic visuals and an Ennio Morricone score to create a truly unique experience; BLOOD & BLACK LACE (Sei donne per l’assassino) a founding classic of the genre that follows a masked killer stalking fashion models and said to have pioneered the modern slasher aesthetic; Pupi Avati’s THE HOUSE WITH LAUGHING WINDOWS (La casa dalle finestre che ridono) renowned for its slow-burn suspense and shocking finale; and the hypnotic ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK (Tutti i colori del buio) which follows a traumatised woman who is drawn into the occult, starring Edwige Fenech and featuring a Bruno Nicolai score.

Festival tickets are now on sale.

The 2025 ST. ALi Italian Film Festival presented by Palace screens in the following locations:
Canberra 17 September – 15 October
Adelaide 17 September – 14 October
Sydney 18 September – 15 October
Melbourne 19 September – 16 October
Ballarat 20 September – 16 October
Brisbane 24 September – 22 October
Byron Bay and Ballina 25 September – 15 October
Perth 25 September – 22 October
www.italianfilmfestival.com.au