TBC
A visionary reimagining of Dante’s Divine Comedy, blending vibrant animation with modern-day issues like environmental destruction and inequality, offering a timeless message of hope and renewal.
MOffensive language & mental health themes
A family of six settles into their new home on Vancouver Island as internal dynamics are slowly revealed through the eyes of the youngest child.
R13Bloody violence & animal cruelty
June, 1940. France collapses and signs the armistice. In the midst of the chaos, one man refuses to give up. Alone against the odds, this unknown general flees to London to save what remains of freedom. Without an army, without backing, without hope. But with one irrational conviction – France, his France, has not laid down arms. Taking the ultimate gamble, he seeks to convince the world that the battle for France is neither over, nor lost. Reality, however, is unyielding and seems determined to prove him wrong. Yet, little by little, resistance fighters, rebellious students and determined soldiers rise up in England, France and Africa to join the cause. Their faith, audacity and thirst for freedom defy what history seemed to have written in advance.
MViolence & wound detail
- OFFICIAL SELECTION: Festival de Cannes (Out of Competition) – Direct from the world premiere in France comes De Gaulle: Tilting Iron. June 1940. France collapses and signs the Armistice. In the midst of the chaos, one man, Charles de Gaulle, refuses to give up. Taking the ultimate gamble he flees to London and seeks to convince the world that the battle for France is neither over or lost. What follows next is a triumphant story of faith, audacity and an unshakeable quest for freedom. Antonin Baudry has crafted a powerful and dramatic view of a man at the very centre of a turning point in history, on his path to becoming a 20th century leader and cultural icon. The reality of intense politics, family struggles and the impact of war are deftly drawn in this geopolitical thriller, which has been more than five years in the making. Simon Abkarian commands the screen as the titular General, leading a stand-out ensemble cast including Benoît Magimel, Mathieu Kassovitz, Francois Darlan, Niels Schneider and the César-winner Anamaria Vartolomei (The Count of Monte Cristo). The talented Simon Russell Beale (The Choral) rounds out the cast as Winston Churchill, with the film exploring the complex relationship between De Gaulle and the British Bulldog. Sure to be a talking point of the Festival, don’t miss out on seeing this keenly anticipated film.
MSuicide references
FATHERLAND centres on the relationship between the Nobel Prize-winning writer Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) and his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller) - actress, writer and rally driver. In the summer of 1949, at the height of the Cold War, father and daughter embark on a challenging and emotional road trip in a black Buick taking them across a Germany in ruins - from US dominated Frankfurt to Soviet controlled Weimar. Returning home after sixteen years of exile in the US, Thomas Mann has to face not only a divided fatherland, but also a deep fracture within his own family. With FATHERLAND, Pawlikowski picks up where he left off with his award-winning Ida and Cold War, exploring – in his elliptic, distilled style - the themes of identity, family, love and guilt amid the turmoil and confusion of post-war Europe.
R16Nudity, violence, cruelty, sexual violence & content that may offend
In 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier seeks to protect the city of Loudun from the corrupt establishment of Cardinal Richelieu. Hysteria occurs within the city when he is accused of witchcraft by a sexually repressed nun.
MOffensive language
Based on the bestselling novel from Nobel Prize-winner Kazuo Ishiguro and written and directed by Academy-Award® winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), Klara and the Sun introduces audiences to Klara (Jenna Ortega), an Artificial Friend who wants nothing more than to find the perfect home. When Klara meets Josie (Mia Tharia), each immediately senses a kindred spirit in the other. Josie has a fraught relationship with her mother (Amy Adams) and they’ve suffered great loss, but Klara’s innocent wonder and unwavering loyalty begin to heal the family and bring light to Josie’s complicated world.
M
The Black Ball opens in 1937, where a rural village loyal to Nationalist rebels is holding a celebration to welcome their Italian allies. Only, when the planes fly overhead, they strafe the villagers with bullets and send bombs whining down into buildings. One young man, Sebastián (the singer Guitarricadelafuente, making a promising acting debut), scrambles to safety, only to be conscripted into the fascist army. Five years earlier, with revolution approaching, another young man, Carlos (Milo Quifes), drowns his sorrows after being black-balled from his father’s social club due to unseemly rumours about his sexual proclivities. And in 2017, a gay writer and historian, Alberto (Carlos González), learns that a grandfather he didn’t know he had has left him something in his will — a document that will crucially link his story to the past. How these three plots intersect is the mystery of the film.
Exempt
Produced by the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and Belmont Productions, Master of Motion celebrates the life and work of Len Lye and his longstanding relationship with Aotearoa, Taranaki and the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery. Alongside vintage footage of the artist and interviews with experts in hi art, Master of Motion includes a wealth of recently uncovered archival materials telling the Len Lye’s story in his own voice. The new 30 minute documentary introduces audiences to the Len Lye story, showcasing his visionary work in film and sculpture, his monumental ambitions for his work beyond his own life and his legacy in the Len Lye Centre.
Exempt
Pitchblack Playback: Bon Iver '22, A Million' (10th Anniversary) *Please arrive by event start time as latecomers will not be admitted and refunds will not be offered* Immerse yourself in a Bon Iver classic at Pitchblack Playback's listening session in the dark, celebrating the 10th anniversary of '22, A Million'. Hear this stunning record played loud in uncompressed full-resolution audio on a powerful cinema sound system. No phones; no talking; no singing; no distractions; just you and the music. "This sounds great” — Rick Rubin "A fabulous idea" — Jay Kay, Jamiroquai "The optimal way to listen to an album" — Max Richter "This might just be my favourite new thing to do" — Nihal, BBC Radio 5 Live Ticket includes recycled cotton Pitchblack Playback eye mask for extra darkness. As recommended by The Guardian, What Hi-Fi?, GQ, Time Out, FT Weekend and BBC 6 Music. Duration: 34 minutes
R16Sex scenes, offensive language & nudity
Dario Russo, of 'Danger 5' cult fame, draws on Japanese and Korean folktales, as well as his own upbringing in the Adelaide Hills, with this story of a trickster fox let loose in the henhouse of Australian culture. Nick is your average good bloke - heart of gold, a bit thick, a dud root, looks forward to schnitty night at the pub. When his fiancée betrays him, Nick is unwise enough to listen to a fox who has a typically cunning scheme for returning his foxy lady to him. An all-star cast headed by Jai Courtney and Emily Browning, includes Miranda Otto and Kym Gyngell, with the voices of Olivia Colman and Sam Neill. There are also talking magpies, magic holes, and lots of yapping Jack Russells. Russo explores the struggle between domestication, commitment and stability against the wild and primal desire for freedom, novelty and lust-but most importantly, he does it in a very, very funny way.
TBC
Following the finale of his TV series, filmmaker John Wilson looks to the bedrock of his beloved New York City for inspiration and structure. Concrete, the world's most widely used building material, appears as an ever-present life force, and John sets out to make the definitive documentary on the matter. To tell this seemingly drab story, he decides to use the industry-approved Hallmark formula to increase his movie's appeal. But his foundation soon begins to crumble—literally and figuratively—as he struggles to balance artistic freedom with the realities of the modern film industry.
R13Violence, offensive language, drug use & suicide
Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi). Amongst the Island's iconic statues, and as the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris's newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas) threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways.
TBC
Thirty-four days before she's sent to prison, notorious Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes invites a skeptical film crew to document her every move. What begins as an intimate portrait becomes a mind-bending three-year journey.