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

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

Opening this year’s festival is the Australian Premiere of BLITZ, Steve McQueen’s visually stunning period drama depicting pivotal moments of World War II in London and starring Saoirse Ronan, Paul Weller and brilliant newcomer Elliot Heffernan. Closing the festival is another exciting exclusive, the premiere of the highly anticipated WE LIVE IN TIME. With beautifully nuanced performances from Oscar nominees Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, this heart rendering romance delves into the profound question of how to make the most of the time we have in this world.

The 2024 Festival Centrepiece is Mike Leigh’s latest film HARD TRUTHS, which reunites him with the brilliant Marianne Jean-Baptiste in a darkly humorous and insightful exploration of family dynamics. The film examines a hypersensitive woman’s impact on her family, blending compassion with Leigh’s signature attention to detail.

Fresh from its UK release comes THE OUTRUN with Saoirse Ronan once again in the lead role. After a turbulent life in London, Rona returns to the untamed beauty of Scotland’s Orkney Islands, her childhood home, seeking to reconcile with her troubled past and find healing.

Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche star in THE RETURN, an adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey. Exuding the classical essence of the Greek epic with a distinctly British spin, The Return offers a meticulously measured classical work with an all-star cast. The film premieres in the festival ahead of the UK release.

British/French co-production WIDOW CLICQUOT tells a rousing true story offering an effervescent portrait of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, the “Grande Dame of Champagne,” otherwise known as Veuve Clicquot.

Another Australian Premiere is Aylin Tezel’s directorial debut FALLING INTO PLACE. This tender drama follows Kira (played by Tezel) and Ian, each fleeing their own personal struggles, who cross paths during a winter weekend on the Isle of Skye. Their connection is profound but when they return to London, they must confront their past. We are delighted to announce that Tezel will be joining audiences in person in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for a series of Q&A events.

Plunging audiences into Tudor times is the historical drama FIREBRAND. Set during the final months of King Henry VIII’s reign, his sixth wife, Katherine Parr, faces the perilous challenges of the Tudor court. Alicia Vikander and Jude Law lead a gripping historical drama about power and survival.

In special screenings the adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name, CONCLAVE, stars Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence who is entrusted with the secretive task of selecting a new Pope, but in the Vatican’s sacred halls, uncovers secrets that could destabilize the Roman Catholic Church.

Pierce Brosnan and Helena Bonham Carter lead a commanding ensemble cast in FOUR LETTERS OF LOVE, Polly Steele’s tender story follows Nicholas and Isabel who are destined for each other, but their path to true love is anything but straightforward.

Other romantic dramas include THE SALT PATH starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs in career best performances as a couple who embark on a 630-mile coastal walk after losing their home and facing a terminal diagnosis. And THIS TIME NEXT YEAR about Minnie and Quinn who are born just one minute apart on the same day, yet their lives take completely different paths. Years later, a chance encounter offers the perfect moment to take a chance on love.

Andrea Arnold’s latest film BIRD follows 12-year-old Bailey, who seeks solace in nature as her distracted father remarries. Through a mysterious encounter, Bailey gains strength to confront her mother’s abusive partner, exploring themes of identity and resilience. The film stars Barry Keoghan.

In a special music themed sidebar ‘Brit Rock to Brit Pop’, renowned documentarian Nick Broomfield uncovers the true story of Brian Jones, the creative force and heartbreaker behind what would become the world’s greatest rock band The Rolling Stones in THE STONES AND BRIAN JONES; Iconic rock band Led Zeppelin’s electrifying 1973 Madison

Square Garden performances are captured in THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME, interwoven with surreal fantasy sequences reflecting the band members’ personas. Fast forward to the Brit Pop era with BLUR: LIVE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM, an epic two-hour concert film immortalising Blur’s historic 2023 show at Wembley Stadium which saw the band perform their iconic and much-loved songs for 150,000 adoring fans plus doco BLUR: TO THE END, depicting the most recent chapter in the band’s story, captured during the period in which they made a surprise – and emotional – return with their first record in 8 years, the critically acclaimed #1 album The Ballad of Darren.

Unconventional rom-com AND MRS tells the tale of a hesitant bride-to-be who loses her fiancé unexpectedly. She is determined to proceed with the wedding, pledging to defy public opinion, legal barriers, and the objections of her loved ones; offbeat comedy, THE RADLEYS, depicts the family of the same name who appear to be an ordinary family, but are hiding a dark secret: they’re vampires. And in CHUCK CHUCK BABY, Helen’s dull life takes an unexpected romantic twist when her charismatic childhood friend Joanne returns.

Moving, funny, and charming, this musical rom-com set in a Welsh chicken processing plant is delightfully unexpected.

Guaranteed to deliver a chuckle is THE PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE. Festival favourite Colm Meaney and US comedian Paul Reiser star as estranged cousins who, despite never having met, must resolve a generation’s worth of family disputes – before they start another one!

Time-bending dark comedy TIMESTALKER follows a woman’s obsession with the same bad boy spanning six centuries offering a razor-sharp commentary on obsession and desire; whilst in TUESDAY, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a mother and daughter are forced to face Death when it appears in an unexpected form.

POISON is an intimate exploration of grief and healing, featuring powerful performances by Tim Roth and Trine Dyrholm. Focusing on Lucas and Edith, a once-married couple estranged for ten years who reunite under unexpected circumstances.

In EDGE OF SUMMER, two 11-year-olds, drawn together during a summer holiday, embark on an adventure to uncover the mystery of who or what is calling to them from the depths of an abandoned tin mine, inspired by an old folk tale; GREY MATTER is a drama based on true events following troubled teen Chloe Isles as she becomes her grandmother Peg’s carer and in LIES WE TELL, an orphaned heiress battles her sinister uncle’s schemes to claim her inheritance. As danger mounts, she defies Gothic conventions, seizing control of her fate in a feminist reimagining of Uncle Silas.

Marking its 25th anniversary and presented in a new 4K restoration is Lynne Ramsay’s stunning and confident debut feature RATCATCHER, a haunting portrayal of a troubled childhood.

In tribute to the late Dame Maggie Smith, James Ivory’s classic melodrama A ROOM WITH A VIEW will be screened in the festival. The film follows Lucy, a young Englishwoman on a tour of Florence (played by Helena Bonham Carter) who is chaperoned by her cousin (played by Smith), as a series of events challenge her societal expectations.

A newly released documentary MERCHANT IVORY focuses on the 44-film collaboration of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory who delivered decades of acclaimed dramas to audiences. Now, at 95, Ivory and key collaborators reflect on the production company’s lasting impact on arthouse cinema.

THE SHAMROCK SPITFIRE follows Brendan “Paddy” Finucane, an Irishman who rises from eager RAF recruit to legendary fighter ace and the youngest Wing Commander during WWII, leading his squadron to historic fame.

A retrospective entitled ‘History Restored’ features a selection of British classics that are all historic dramas. Presented in a new 4K restoration, iconic work A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS examines Sir Thomas More’s moral stand against King Henry VIII’s divorce, and won six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor; based on the novel by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, James Ivory’s epic melodrama HEAT AND DUST explores two parallel stories of love and cultural clash in 1920’s India; Kenneth Branagh’s 1989 rendition of HENRY V is a gritty adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, acclaimed for his direction and performance; THE LION IN WINTER starring Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn in a tale of King Henry II’s family power struggles and THE MUSIC LOVERS, a bold exploration of classical composer Tchaikovsky’s tumultuous life, with intense performances from Richard Chamberlain and Glenda Jackson.

The festival opens on Wednesday 6 November in Melbourne, Ballarat, Adelaide, Perth Byron Bay, Canberra and Brisbane and Thursday 7 November in Sydney, concluding on Sunday 8 December in all cities.

Tickets are now on sale!

The Russell Hobbs British Film Festival presented by Palace screens in the following locations:
Melbourne: 6 November – 8 December, The Astor Theatre, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema
Ballarat: 6 November – 8 December, Palace Regent Ballarat
Canberra: 6 November – 8 December, Palace Electric Cinemas
Brisbane: 6 November – 8 December, Palace Barracks, Palace James Street
Adelaide: 6 November – 8 December, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
Perth: 6 November – 8 December, Palace Raine Square, Luna on SX, Leederville and Windsor
Byron Bay: 6 November – 8 December, Palace Byron Bay
Sydney: 7 November – 8 December, Palace Norton Street, Palace Moore Park, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central
www.britishfilmfestival.com.au