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

Palace is delighted to announce five of the first highlights ahead of the full programme being unveiled in mid June.

The first Special Presentation is Icelandic comedy/drama THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (Ástin sem eftir er) from director Hlynur Pálmason (A White, White Day, Godland). 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 ‘Palm Dog’ winning performance from Pálmason’s own dog Panda, an Icelandic sheep dog.

Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value, Fjord) stars in festival Special Presentation BUTTERFLY, an intriguing drama about a pair of estranged sisters who must reunite after their mother’s sudden passing. The sisters travel to Gran Canaria, where they grew up at a resort, following their mother’s mysterious death at an esoteric retreat in the mountains, plunging them headfirst into a journey of revelations about their childhood and the hidden heart of the tourist island.

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. Testing their moral compass, the family members are forced to question how much they should risk to help a person in need.

THE KIDNAPPING OF A PRESIDENT (Presidentin Kyyditys) is a blackly comic drama based on a bizarre true story that follows the chaos that ensues when a Finnish group of far-right 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.

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.

The 2026 Hurtigruten Nordic Film Festival will take place from July to August (dates vary by location).

The full programme will be announced later in June when tickets go on sale.

The 2026 Hurtigruten Nordic Film Festival
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

The HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival returns to Australia from 10 June – July 2026, bringing a vibrant celebration of contemporary cinema, culture, music, passion and storytelling from Spain and Latin America to cinema screens nationwide.

Queensland audiences can experience the festival at Palace Barracks Brisbane and Palace James St, with a spectacular line-up of award-winning dramas, feel-good crowd pleasers, documentaries, romance, music and historical epics.

Festival highlights include the Opening Night film NOTHING BETWEEN US, a charming and intimate romantic drama starring acclaimed actors Gael García Bernal and Natalia Oreiro; the Festival Centrepiece SUNDAYS, winner of the Golden Shell at the 2025 San Sebastián Film Festival and recipient of five Goya Awards; and Special Presentation THE CAPTIVE, an ambitious historical adventure from Oscar-winning director Alejandro Amenábar exploring the early life of Don Quixote author Miguel de Cervantes.

Other standout films include the vibrant salsa documentary LA SALSA VIVE, intoxicating culinary drama ISABEL direct from the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival, and the inspiring true story ANOTHER LEAGUE, following young women fighting for the right to play football in 1970s Spain.

Celebrating its 29th edition in 2026, the HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival invites Queensland audiences to discover unforgettable stories, acclaimed filmmakers and the warmth, rhythm and spirit of Spanish and Latin American cinema on the big screen.

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

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Competition will be drawn June 9, winners will be notified by email.

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