CTC
Go to diff.net.au for tickets and info.
MCoarse language
Fundraiser: Weedwalkers Top End Catering: TBA 500 Days In The Wild follows the epic 6-year journey of filmmaker Dianne Whelan as she sets out to reconnect with nature and become the first person to travel the world’s longest trail. The 24,000 km Trans Canada Trail stretches across the continent of North America, connecting the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans. It is the longest trail in the world. For six years filmmaker Dianne Whelan traveled the entirety of the land and water trails, the only person to ever accomplish this journey. 500 Days in the Wild recounts Dianne’s journey by bike, canoe, skis, snowshoes and on foot and her cross-cultural visits with those who live close to the land. This feature doc culled from 800 hours of footage is an intricate weave of adventure film, personal reflection and stunning captures of wildlife and landscapes. Using humour, adventure, beautiful cinematography and a great soundtrack (including songs from Joni Mitchell, First Aid Kit, Xavier Rudd, and The Tragically Hip), 500 Days in the Wild will entertain audiences and inspire hope for the future. She started out alone, disillusioned with state of the world, to look for different ways of caring for the land and for each other. She ended the journey a bit wiser, more hopeful, in love and with a passion to share this story.
MCoarse language
Fundraiser: Top End Pride Catering: TBA A reserved Indian-American doctor brings his fiancé home - where traditions, identity, and love collide in unexpected, joyful ways. Step into a rom-com filled with cultural warmth, relatable family dynamics, and a lovingly told queer romance. A Nice Indian Boy follows Naveen, a thoughtful Indian-American doctor, as he navigates the complexities of introducing his fiancé to his traditional family. What starts as an awkward introduction blossoms into a vibrant exploration of love, identity, and acceptance. Adapted from a beloved stage play and directed with warmth and insight, the film brings together heartfelt performances and moments of genuine humour. The cast delivers chemistry and emotional depth, while a key performance by the mother infuses the story with authenticity and laugh-out-loud charm. Bollywood influences color the film with joyful musicality - from playful dance sequences to emotionally rich visual storytelling - adding sparkle without sacrificing sincerity. Whether it’s the clash of expectations, the quiet yearning for approval, or the radiant celebration of partnership, this film resonates with honest feeling and sincere affection. Perfect for audiences drawn to emotionally nuanced rom-coms, cultural resonance, and the quiet power of personal acceptance, this story unfolds as a gentle, joyful affirmation of love in all its beautiful complexity.
E
The Adventure Reels Tour brings the planet's most electrifying action sport films to the big screen. Curated to keep you locked in from first frame to last, every heart-pounding short film has been carefully selected to push you further, wilder, higher and harder alongside the world's elite skiers, climbers, kayakers and mountain bikers. Fair warning — the Adventure Reels Tour isn't built for the timid. This year's line-up packs two-and-a-half hours of jaw-dropping, gut-churning action. Explosive rides, endless ski lines, fearless jumps and breathtaking stunts — these films pay tribute to the grit, spirit and sheer audacity of the athletes who refuse to play it safe. With radically fresh outlooks, these high-energy shorts will take you to a place where your heart beats faster, adrenaline courses through your veins and the world whirls by at speed. The Adventure Reels Tour is a full-throttle return to the soul of action sport cinema — a night of films guaranteed to leave you breathless, buzzing and ready to take on the world. ONE SCREENING ONLY : DON'T MISS THE ACTION SEATING IS NOT ALLOCATED: Come early for the best seats. 2 films are subtitled The Adventure Reels Reels Tour is exempt from classification, but all coarse language has been beeped out.
MCoarse language and drug use
40 years after Crocodile Dundee introduced audiences around the world to the spectacular landscapes of Kakadu, Mick Dundee is returning to the big screen at Deckchair Cinema. When New York journalist Sue Charlton travels to the Northern Territory in search of the legendary Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee, she expects to find a good story. Instead, she is swept into an adventure through the Kakadu wilderness. When Sue invites Mick back to Manhattan, the resourceful bushman must navigate an entirely different kind of jungle. Starring Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski, Crocodile Dundee became a global phenomenon and an enduring part of Australian popular culture. Four decades later, its comedy, romance and unmistakable Top End scenery remain larger than life on the big screen. Join us on Saturday 26 September for this special 40th anniversary screening, presented in partnership with Kakadu Tourism. Celebrate the film that took Kakadu to the world, right here under the stars at Deckchair Cinema.
MCoarse language and drug use
Fundraiser for Tactile Arts on 12/10/2025. Caterer: Yogi's Way An Aussie bushman’s life is turned upside down when he travels from the rugged outback to the streets of New York in this iconic culture-clash comedy. Immerse yourself anew in one of Australia’s greatest cinematic treasures with Crocodile Dundee: The Encore Cut. This meticulously restored 4 K version brings Mick “Crocodile” Dundee’s spirited Outback charm to life with pristine visuals and a powerful Atmos soundtrack. Thoughtfully updated for contemporary audiences, the Encore Cut introduces a ceremonial Acknowledgement of Country and a moving dedication to the late producer John Cornell. While balancing respect for modern sensibilities, carefully removed material - no longer diverting from the film’s tone - ensures the essence of romance, comedy, and adventure endures. Audiences are invited to fall in love again with Mick’s witty swagger, the heart of the Outback, and Sue’s equal-footed wit, all delivered with renewed clarity and resonance. Accompanied by the feature-length tribute documentary Love of an Icon: The Legend of Crocodile Dundee, this release offers a layered celebration of the film’s impact, artistry, and enduring legacy. Whether rediscovering the original or experiencing it for the first time, the Encore Cut promises a balanced blend of nostalgia, spectacle, and cultural mindfulness.
CTC
Earth’s Greatest Enemy, the second feature film project by Abby Martin, is a groundbreaking anti-imperialist environmental documentary. Screening with a special post-film panel discussion hosted by the Environment Centre NT. Exempt from international climate agreements and rarely scrutinized in mainstream reporting, the Pentagon is the world’s single largest institutional polluter—spewing carbon, contaminating water, and scarring landscapes across the globe. Combining investigative journalism, striking visuals, and stories from impacted communities, this film challenges audiences to rethink the hidden costs of a global military empire and its planetary consequences. Provocative, urgent, and eye-opening, this is a documentary that will change how you see both the military and environmentalism.
MCoarse Language
When Helen's beloved father passes away, she is overtaken by grief and loses herself in memories of their time birding and exploring the natural world together. She becomes obsessed with the idea of training her own goshawk, and so she brings the fearsome bird Mabel home to Cambridge with her. Ready to embark on the arduous process of trying to train the wildest of animals, Helen fills the freezer with hawk food and turns off her phone. But as she labors to teach Mabel how to hunt and fly free on her own, Helen uncovers how neglected her own emotions and life have become. Based on a true story and a memoir of the same name, H IS FOR HAWK is a soaring journey of the connection between people and nature, and how it might be possible to reconcile loss through love.
PGMild themes, coarse language and drug use
In 1970s New Zealand, young Brian is devastated by the loss of his mother and determined to stop his dad from marrying the woman he sees as her replacement. Convinced he can reach his mother through prayer and penance, Brian finds refuge at a run-down convent with three delightfully eccentric elderly nuns. But when he overhears plans to shut the convent down and split the sisters apart, sending the most vulnerable to a terrifying institution, Brian sparks an unlikely mission: escape to the Southern Alps to find a former nun-turned-lawyer who might just save them all. For Brian, it’s more than a legal battle—he believes this is the miracle he’s been praying for, a chance to reunite with his mother atop the sacred mountain, Aoraki. What follows is a wild, hilarious, and heartwarming road trip as a boy and three nuns face down their fears, outwit crooked officials, lose a sister to fishmongers, and even cash a bet shop win, all while racing against time to save their beloved convent. With its soul firmly planted in faith, family, and fierce loyalty, Holy Days is a joyful comedy packed with heart, humour, and high-speed hijinks. It’s a story about letting go, holding on, and finding home in the most unexpected places.
PG
This vibrant music documentary celebrates the history, energy and enduring cultural force of salsa, tracing its journey from the streets and clubs of 1960s New York to the thriving dance culture of Cali, Colombia. Through music, memory, archival material and interviews with major figures, the film explores how salsa became more than a genre: it became a shared language of identity, migration, community and joy. The documentary features legendary names including Rubén Blades, Henry Fiol, Willie Rosario, Larry Harlow and Jairo Varela, connecting the sound’s Afro-Caribbean roots with its powerful evolution across the Americas. Cali’s passionate dancers, musicians and audiences give the film its contemporary heartbeat, showing how salsa continues to live through bodies, neighbourhoods, festivals and family traditions. Directed by Juan Carvajal, the film arrives with strong festival recognition, including selections at SXSW, Vancouver and Palm Springs. Its PG rating, lively rhythm and accessible storytelling make it inviting for a broad audience, from dedicated salsa dancers to viewers discovering the music’s story for the first time. Colourful, nostalgic and full of movement, this is an uplifting big-screen experience for music lovers, Latin American cinema audiences and anyone who believes in the power of rhythm to bring people together.
PGMild themes and coarse language
Desperate to save her marriage, a woman in China hires a professional to go undercover and break up her husband's affair. With strikingly intimate access, Mistress Dispeller follows this unfolding family drama from all corners of a love triangle.
PGMild threat
Session on August 15 screens with open captions. In “Moana,” Disney’s live action reimagining of the beloved Oscar®-nominated animated adventure, Moana (Catherine Lagaʻaia) answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people. The film is directed by Emmy® and Tony Award® winner Thomas Kail (“Hamilton”); produced by Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia and Lin-Manuel Miranda; and executive produced by Kail, Scott Sheldon, Charles Newirth and Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated films “Moana” and “Moana 2.” “Moana” features original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foaʻi and Mark Mancina, and an original score composed by Mancina. Audiences can experience the brilliant cinematic sights, sounds and songs of “Moana” exclusively in cinemas on July 8, 2026.
MCoarse language
After writing for Cahiers du cinéma, young Godard decides making films is the best film criticism. He gets Beauregard to fund a low-budget feature, creating a treatment with Truffaut about a gangster couple. From Director Richard Linklater, NOUVELLE VAGUE is the story of Jean-Luc Godard making "Breathless". The film is a love letter to the revolutionary magic of the French New Wave and a homage to Godard's influential 1960 film, capturing its youthful dynamism and creative chaos.
MA15+Strong coarse language
Three-time Emmy nominee Melanie Lynskey (YELLOW JACKETS, THE LAST OF US) and acclaimed NZ actress Robyn Malcolm (TOP OF THE LAKE, AFTER THE PARTY) star as Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse; two ordinary women who together stand up and take on the government, justice system and a company that will stop at nothing to protect itself, after the 2010 Pike River Mine explosion takes the lives of 29 men underground. This is a film about the powerless vs. the powerful, of people vs. money, of right vs. wrong. An inspiring true story of an incredible female friendship and together what is possible when you simply won’t give up.
MCoarse language
Fundraiser: Tara Irish Dance Company Incorporated Catering: TBA After a chance meeting, wedding band front man Rick (Paul Rudd) drunkenly jams with former boy-band sensation Danny (Nick Jonas). Six months later, Rick is astounded to discover their impromptu song has skyrocketed to global fame, yet Danny receives all the glory. As Danny’s solo career takes flight, Rick fights for recognition. However, in his relentless pursuit of fame, fortune, and the rockstar life he’s dreamed of having, Rick risks losing a grip on his real fortune—his wife, daughter, and cherished friends back home.
MScience fiction themes
Fundraiser: Darwin Show Jumping Club Caterer: Three Mums Kitchen Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction… but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.
MMedium level violence
Presented by Launch Darwin, City of Darwin and Deckchair Cinema, this special screening is FREE for young people aged 12 to 25. The first 100 people through the door will also receive free popcorn, so arrive early! After being bitten by a genetically altered spider, shy student Peter Parker discovers he has extraordinary new abilities. But when the menacing Green Goblin threatens New York City and the people Peter loves, he must learn that great power comes with great responsibility. Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Willem Dafoe, Sam Raimi’s action-packed superhero classic combines thrilling set pieces, heartfelt characters and plenty of web-slinging fun.
UC15
A Delhi street artist sets out on a remarkable bicycle journey across continents to reunite with the woman he loves in Sweden. This inspiring documentary blends romance, adventure and destiny into a deeply human true story about self-belief, connection and the courage to follow the heart.
E
A special screening as part of German Week 2026, co-presented by the Goethe-Institut and the German Association in Darwin Inc. Hannes has everything he has ever hoped for in life: a loving family, a house in the countryside and a successful career as a writer. His biggest bestselling years are behind him, but that’s no matter – his roles as husband and father give him all the satisfaction and purpose he needs. Until out of the blue, Hannes’s whole life turns upside down. His publisher cancels his next book series, his son Nick is struggling to make good enough grades to graduate, and his daughter Carla decides to move out of home, prompting Hannes’s wife Sara to take a break from their stale marriage and move in with Carla. Hannes is just about ready to give up on everything when he meets Vanessa. Will Vanessa be the one to help Hannes finally venture beyond his comfort zone? This hilarious family comedy based on the bestselling novel by Jan Weiler and directed by Sönke Wortmann (How About Adolf?) addresses that strange, transitional period in every parent’s life – when their offspring finally leave the nest. Screening in German with English Subtitles.
UCG
Join us for the NT Premiere Screening on 24th September with Special Guests! Directed by Natalia Laska, The Piano Tuner is a warm and deeply human Australian documentary about music, memory and the fading craft of keeping acoustic pianos alive. The film follows Tasmanian piano tuner Martin Tucker, a passionate “piano doctor” on a mission to rescue pianos from neglect, silence and landfill. Travelling with a carload of spare keys, strings and tools, Martin meets a diverse mix of piano owners across Australia, including in the Northern Territory, uncovering the stories, memories and emotional connections held within their instruments. Filmed over eight years, The Piano Tuner is as much about people as it is about pianos: those who play them, those who own them, and those who repair and preserve them. Gentle, funny and quietly moving, it celebrates the enduring place of music in Australian homes, schools, halls, churches and communities. A World Premiere selection at Sydney Film Festival 2026, where it was Runner Up for Best Australian Documentary in the GIO Audience Awards, The Piano Tuner is a charming portrait of dedication, craft and the old instruments that still have stories to tell.
MMature themes and coarse language
Deep within the backwoods of rural Oklahoma, charismatic and musically gifted Amziah King (Matthew McConaughey) herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in town. When Amziah’s estranged foster daughter (Angelina LookingGlass) unexpectedly returns, Amziah leaps at the possibility to renew connection and create a family business. But the honey game is ruthless, and Amziah’s rivals threaten to destroy everything he has built.
"This inspiring Australian documentary follows Muzafar and Nagina Ali, who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban’s rise and found themselves living as refugees in Indonesia. Faced with uncertainty, they responded with imagination, generosity and determination, beginning with a small two-room school that soon became the heart of a displaced community. What unfolds is a moving portrait of family, education and collective strength. The school becomes more than a place of learning; it becomes a meeting point, a support network and a pathway to possibility for young people whose futures had been placed on hold. As students gain confidence, complete certificates and pursue ambitions around the world, the film reveals the wide-reaching effects of a community refusing to be defined by circumstance. Warm, accessible and emotionally generous, the documentary connects personal experience with broader questions about belonging, opportunity and the human need for dignity. It is especially resonant for audiences interested in real-life stories of social impact, refugee experience, multicultural Australia, education and grassroots change. With its focus on hope, practical action and care across borders, it offers a powerful big-screen experience grounded in courage, love and the belief that meaningful change can begin with ordinary people."