The nominations for the 95th Oscars were announced this week, with EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE leading the pack with 11 nods, followed by ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT and THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN with 9 each.
But that’s not all: stay tuned for the launch of our new Autumn 2023 season next week which will feature no less than 16 of this year's nominated films – including 8 Best Picture nominees – screening from February 13 onwards.
In fact, we’re so excited about our new programme that we’re kicking off membership sales right now. Get your Autumn 2023 memberships in person at any screening from this week onwards or online at www.anufg.org.au/join (noting that online memberships usually take 2-3 working days to process).
All Autumn memberships purchased this week or next will also include entry into the remaining screenings of our current programme up to February 11 with such films as BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, SHE SAID, PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH and I
WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY still to come.
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WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK
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Return to Wakanda at the ANU Film Group this week with Marvel’s 5x Oscar-nominated epic. Plus, don’t miss Disney’s latest sci-fi adventure as well as a personal tale about Australia’s battle to save the Franklin River.
• FRI 27 JAN @ 7:30 PM: FRANKLIN (MA, 91 MINS)
The story of Australia's most significant environmental battle to save the Franklin River from being dammed by a hydroelectric project in the 1980s, as told by Oliver Cassidy, who retraces the journey taken by his late activist father some 40 years ago.
• SAT 28 JAN @ **5 PM**: STRANGE WORLD (PG, 102 MINS – NO GUESTS)
Accompanied by his teenage son, a farmer (Jake Gyllenhaal) must reunite with his estranged family of explorers and put aside their differences on a crucial mission to navigate an uncharted, treacherous land, in Disney's latest animated sci-fi adventure.
• SAT 28 JAN @ 7:30 PM: BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER (M, 161 MINS – NO GUESTS)
The Royal family of Wakanda must forge ahead with a new path for their kingdom in the wake of King T'Challa's sudden death, while also banding together to protect their people from intervening world powers, in the latest film from Marvel Studios.
Nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress (Angela Bassett).
This week, we’re screening a Nordic historical epic alongside a pair of terrific new Aussie films: family-friendly ecological drama BLUEBACK, and joyful musical crowd-pleaser SERIOUSLY RED. Plus, read on for your chance to win tickets to THE WHALE, starring Brendan Fraser.
• FRI 20 JAN @ 7:30 PM: MARGRETE: QUEEN OF THE NORTH (MA, 120 MINS)
In 1402, Queen Margrete (Trine Dyrholm) has gathered the Nordic kingdoms in an unprecedented union, ruled through her adopted son. But a conspiracy is in the making which leaves her facing an impossible dilemma, in this Danish historical epic.
• SAT 21 JAN @ **5 PM**: BLUEBACK (PG, 103 MINS)
When an Australian marine biologist (Mia Wasikowska) is called home with news that her activist mother has had a stroke, she reflects on her childhood and recalls her friendship with a wild blue groper that sparked her lifelong passion for the ocean.
• SAT 21 JAN @ 7:30 PM: SERIOUSLY RED (M, 98 MINS)
After misreading her work party’s dress code and losing her job, a vivacious redhead (Krew Boylan) at a crossroads in life decides to trade her 9-to-5 in real estate for a new career as a Dolly Parton impersonator, in this exuberant Aussie comedy.
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WIN TICKETS TO ‘THE WHALE’ – IN CINEMAS FEBRUARY 2
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Thanks to our friends at Madman, we’ve got tickets to give away to THE WHALE, the multi-award-winning drama starring Brendan Fraser that is in cinemas from February 2.
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, the film follows Charlie (Brendan Fraser), a reclusive English teacher living with severe obesity whose time is running out. As he makes one last attempt at trying to reconcile his broken family, Charlie must confront long buried traumas and unspoken love that have haunted him for decades.
Based on the acclaimed play by Samuel D. Hunter, THE WHALE also stars Sadie Sink and Hong Chau.
For your chance to win one of ten in-season double passes to see the film, all you have to do is send an email to info@anufg.org.au with your:
• Name
• Membership number (located in the bottom right corner of your membership card), and
• Your answer to the following question: ‘What is your favourite film starring Brendan Fraser?’
Entries will close on February 2 and winners will be selected and notified by reply email shortly thereafter. Prizes must be collected in person at an ANUFG screening.
And we’re back! Our Summer 2022/23 season resumes this week with an award-winning South Korean mystery (DECISION TO LEAVE), a cannibal love story (BONES AND ALL) and a New Zealand indie comedy (MILLIE LIES LOW).
• FRI 13 JAN @ 7:30 PM: DECISION TO LEAVE (M, 139 MINS)
A detective investigating a man's suspicious death gradually finds himself developing feelings for the deceased man's wife, who also happens to be the prime suspect, in the latest film from acclaimed South Korean director Park Chan-Wook.
• SAT 14 JAN @ **5 PM**: MILLIE LIES LOW (MA, 100 MINS)
When a young would-be architect misses her flight from Wellington to New York for a prestigious internship, she attempts to save face by convincing all of her friends, family and followers that she is living her dream life, in this satirical Kiwi dramedy.
• SAT 14 JAN @ 7:30 PM: BONES AND ALL (MA, 131 MINS)
In 1988, love blossoms between a young woman (Taylor Russell) and a disenfranchised drifter (Timothée Chalamet) as they embark on an odyssey through the backroads of America to escape their pasts – and their cannibalistic urges.
On behalf of all of us here at the ANU Film Group, we wanted to thank all of you – members, guests and everyone in between – for supporting us throughout 2022. And what a year it’s been!
Since returning in February after a lengthy, COVID-induced shutdown, we’ve screened nearly 180 films. There have been box office hits like TOP GUN: MAVERICK, ELVIS, SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, alongside hidden gems like THE QUIET GIRL, RIVER and GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE. We also threw it back throughout the year with monthly anniversary screenings of classics like DR.NO, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN and 1922’s ROBIN HOOD.
With the support of many valued embassy partners, we were able to bring you films from all corners of the world, including as far as Bhutan (LUNANA: THE YAK IN THE CLASSROOM) and Bosnia (QUO VADIS, AIDA?). Not to mention over 30 more films screening as part of film festivals highlighting First Nations filmmakers as well as Chinese, Lebanese and Latin American cinema.
We look forward to seeing you all again when screenings resume next year on Friday 13 January, 2023. There are still many more films to come in the final four weeks of our Summer season, including SHE SAID, LYLE LYLE CROCODILE, SERIOUSLY RED, I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY and BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER.
Until then, we wish you the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Years. May your holiday season be happy, restful and packed with the people and activities you love most!
This is it: we’ve arrived at the last week of screenings for 2022. From next week onwards, we’ll be taking a brief break for the holiday period, before returning on January 13, 2023 to finish out the remainder of our Summer 2022/23 season.
And we’ve assembled a smorgasbord of stars to bid farewell to the year: from Anthony Hopkins and Anne Hathaway in ARMAGEDDON TIME, to Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan in SEE HOW THEY RUN and a who’s who of Hollywood led by Christian Bale and Margot Robbie in AMSTERDAM. You’re welcome!
• THU 8 DEC @ 7:30 PM: ARMAGEDDON TIME (M, 114 MINS)
In 1980s New York, a 12-year-old boy is separated from his African-American best friend and sent to a privileged – and prejudiced – private prep school where he concocts a risky scheme to escape his life and run away to Florida.
• FRI 9 DEC @ 7:30 PM: TALL TALES (112 MINS)
In 1945, a con man is forced to flee Budapest after taking advantage of the families of soldiers who died during WWII. He is taken in by a woman, and soon finds himself in a passionate love affair, but all is not as it seems in this Hungarian crime-thriller.
Presented in partnership with the Embassy of Hungary
• SAT 10 DEC @ **5 PM**: SEE HOW THEY RUN (M, 98 MINS – NO GUESTS)
In the West End of 1950s London, plans for a film adaptation of a hit play come to a halt after the film's Hollywood director is murdered – and it's up to a world-weary inspector (Sam Rockwell) and a rookie constable (Saoirse Ronan) to solve the case.
• SAT 10 DEC @ 7:30 PM: AMSTERDAM (MA, 134 MINS – NO GUESTS)
In the 1930s, three friends – a doctor (Christian Bale), a nurse (Margot Robbie) and an attorney (John David Washington) – become prime suspects in a murder and set out to uncover the outrageous truth behind the crime in this star-studded mystery.
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WIN TICKETS TO ‘THE FABLEMANS’ – IN CINEMAS JANUARY 5
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In case a week of great films to end the year wasn’t enough, we’ve also got your chance to win tickets to see Steven Spielberg’s critically acclaimed latest, THE FABELMANS, when it arrives in cinema next year.
A deeply personal portrait of a 20th century American childhood, Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical new film is a cinematic memory of the family that shaped the filmmaker’s life and career. A universal coming-of-age story about an isolated young man’s pursuit of his dreams, it is an exploration of love, artistic ambition, sacrifice and the moments of discovery that allow us to see the truth about ourselves.
Thanks to our friends at StudioCanal, we’ve got five in-season double passes to give away to the film, which will arrive only in cinemas on January 5.
For your chance to win, all you have to do is come along to this Saturday’s 5 PM screening of SEE HOW THEY RUN. The passes will be distributed to randomly selected members in attendance upon entry, so if you’d like to be in the running, make sure you’re there for our final night of the year!
It’s officially December! For the first week of the month – and the penultimate week of ANUFG screenings for the year – we’ve got a bountiful selection of acclaimed and award-winning films that will take you on a cinematic journey to the sunny Croatian coast, Africa in the 1800s, rural Ireland and a New York apartment during Thanksgiving.
• THU 1 DEC @ 7:30 PM: MURINA (M, 96 MINS)
Tensions rise between a restless teenage girl and her strict father when a wealthy family friend arrives for a weekend visit, with an eye to turning their island home into a holiday resort, in this award-winning Croatian coming-of-age drama.
Presented in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia
• FRI 2 DEC @ 7:30 PM: THE WOMAN KING (M, 135 MINS)
In 1823, as a group of all-female warriors protect the African kingdom of Dahomey with skills unlike anything the world has seen, General Nanisca (Viola Davis) trains the next generation to battle an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.
• SAT 3 DEC @ **5 PM**: THE QUIET GIRL (M, 95 MINS)
In rural Ireland, a neglected nine-year-old girl is sent away from her impoverished family to live with distant relatives on a farm for the summer. She blossoms in their care and enjoys her new way of life, but soon discovers a devastating secret.
• SAT 3 DEC @ 7:30 PM: THE HUMANS (M, 107 MINS)
Three generations of the dysfunctional Blake family gather to celebrate Thanksgiving at a New York apartment, but it doesn't take long for simmering secrets to be revealed, in this psychological drama based on the award-winning play.
Only three weeks left of screenings for 2022! This week, we have a feel-good British fashion comedy (MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS), a Danish chef drama (A TASTE OF HUNGER), a sizzling French romance (BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE), and a landmark gay rom-com (BROS) for your viewing pleasure.
• THU 24 NOV @ 7:30 PM: A TASTE OF HUNGER (M, 104 MINS)
Two married Danish chefs have it all: a loving family, wonderful children and a successful gourmet restaurant in Copenhagen. But they remain hungry for a coveted Michelin Star and will risk everything in their relentless pursuit for perfection.
• FRI 25 NOV @ 7:30 PM: BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE (MA, 116 MINS)
A couple – Sara (Juliette Binoche) and Jean (Vincent Lindon) – have been in an affectionate relationship for almost a decade, but that all changes after a chance encounter with a man from her past, in this powerful French romantic drama.
• SAT 26 NOV @ **5 PM**: MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS (PG, 116 MINS)
In the 1950s, a London cleaning lady (Lesley Manville) falls in love with an haute couture Christian Dior dress and, deciding she must have one of her own, gambles everything on an adventure to Paris that forever changes her outlook on life.
• SAT 26 NOV @ 7:30 PM: BROS (MA, 115 MINS)
A witty podcaster (Billy Eichner) who prides himself on being cynical about love finds himself unexpectedly falling for a handsome lawyer, which upturns his life, in the first rom-com from a major film studio featuring an almost-entirely LGBTQ+ cast.
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DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
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December is a short month for us as we will be taking a brief break over the holiday period until we return on January 13, 2023. But that’s not to say there aren’t still plenty of great films to catch!
• MURINA – this award-winning Croatian drama is a darkly sensual coming-of-age tale set on the stunning Adriatic coast (Thu 1 Dec, 7:30 pm)
• THE WOMAN KING – Viola Davis stars in this fact-based action epic about a group of all-female African warriors in the 1800s (Fri 2 Dec, 7:30 pm)
• THE QUIET GIRL – a uniquely Irish film entirely in Gaelic which follows a young girl sent to live with a dysfunctional family over the summer (Sat 3 Dec, 5 pm)
• ARMAGEDDON TIME – Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong and Anthony Hopkins star is this poignant coming-of-age tale set in 1980s New York (Thu 8 Dec, 7:30 pm)
• SEE HOW THEY RUN – Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan star as detectives tasked with solving the murder of a Hollywood director in 1950s London (Sat 10 Dec, 5 pm)
• AMSTERDAM – Christian Bale and Margot Robbie lead an impossibly starry cast in a murder mystery that blends fact with fiction for our final screening of 2022! (Sat 10 Dec, 7:30 pm)
We’re halfway through November, which is as good a time as any to remind all members that we’ll be taking a brief break for the holiday period in just under a month. Our last screening for the year will be on Saturday 10 December (a double dose of murder mysteries with SEE HOW THEY RUN and AMSTERDAM!) until we return in the new year on Friday 13 January, 2023.
But there are still plenty of great films to see before the break, including this week’s offerings: Dwayne Johnson’s superhero blockbuster (BLACK ADAM), a Latvian war drama (THE RIFLEMAN) and a pair of acclaimed Aussie films (CLEAN, BOSCH & ROCKIT). Plus, celebrate the Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World with a glass of prosecco before our screening of THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS on Thursday, thanks to the Embassy of Italy.
• WED 16 NOV @ 7:30 PM: THE RIFLEMAN (MA, 104 MINS)
After losing his mother and home to invading German troops, a 16-year-old Latvian finds consolation in joining the army as WWI breaks out. But war is nothing like he imagined, and he is forced to start anew as he returns to his newly-proclaimed country.
Presented in partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia
• THU 17 NOV @ 7:30 PM: THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS (M, 84 MINS)
In Northern Italy, a dwindling group of old men and their expertly-trained dogs search for the world’s most expensive ingredient using secret techniques passed down through the generations. Screening as part of the Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World.
Enjoy a complimentary glass of prosecco available on arrival from 7 PM.
• FRI 18 NOV @ 7:30 PM: BLACK ADAM (M, 125 MINS – NO GUESTS)
Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods – and imprisoned just as quickly – Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the world.
• SAT 19 NOV @ **5 PM**: CLEAN (MA, 92 MINS)
A fly-on-the-wall look into the world of trauma cleaning through the journey of business owner Sandra Pankhurst and her team, whose job is to scrub crime scenes, suicide sites and clear out hoarder homes, all while dealing with their own demons.
• SAT 19 NOV @ 7:30 PM: BOSCH & ROCKIT (MA, 107 MINS)
In the 1990s, a teenage boy embarks on a summer holiday along the Australian coast with his father (Luke Hemsworth), only to discover that they're actually on the run from the law. Turning to surfing, he embraces the ocean as a means of escape.
It’s our final week of screenings for the month of October and we’ve got some thrills and chills in store, along with two daring documentaries and a Iranian road trip movie. What more could you want?
• TUE 25 OCT @ 7:30 PM: LIFE IS WAITING (61 MINS) + PANEL DISCUSSION
Forty years after its people were promised freedom by departing Spanish rulers, Western Sahara remains Africa's last colony. This documentary chronicles the oppression experienced by Sahrawis living under Moroccan occupation, and will be followed by a panel discussion examining developments since the film was made. Panellists will include:
• Kamal Fadel, Western Sahara Representative to Australia and roving Ambassador to the South Pacific.
• Professor Matt Qvortrup, an expert on referendums, secessionist movements and the creation of states.
• Associate Professor Ntina Tvouvala, whose work focuses on political economy, history and theory of international law.
Presented in partnership with the Australia Western Sahara Association, ANU Latin American Students Association and ANU Law Reform & Social Justice.
• THU 27 OCT @ 7:30 PM: HIT THE ROAD (PG, 94 MINS)
A family of four embark on a road trip across the Iranian countryside. Over the course of their chaotic journey, they bond over memories of the past, grapple with fears of the unknown, and fuss over their sick dog. But where are they headed, and why?
• FRI 28 OCT @ 7:30 PM: FALL (M, 107 MINS)
After two thrill-seeking best friends climb 600 metres up a remote, abandoned radio tower, they accidentally find themselves stranded at the top and must put their survival skills to the ultimate test as they attempt to find a way back down.
• SAT 29 OCT @ *5 PM**: FIRE OF LOVE (PG, 94 MINS)
For two decades, intrepid French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft devoted their lives to each other as well as unravelling the mystery of volcanoes, with pioneering research in the 1970s and 80s that helped save lives, but ultimately ended their own.
• SAT 29 OCT @ 7:30 PM: CRIMES OF THE FUTURE (MA, 108 MINS)
In a future where the human body has evolved beyond pain, a performance artist (Viggo Mortensen) famed for showcasing the removal of his organs is recruited by the government for a special mission, in David Cronenberg’s dark return to the sci-fi/horror genre.
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LEBANESE FILM FESTIVAL: NOVEMBER 4 – 6
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This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Lebanese Film Festival and it returns to the ANU Film Group for three FREE screenings taking place next weekend. No registration or membership required, so don’t miss out on this celebration of Lebanese arts and culture through film!
• FRI 4 NOV @ 7:30 PM: MEMORY BOX – When she receives a mysterious box of keepsakes, a teenager learns about her mother’s tumultuous upbringing in the 1980s during the Lebanese Civil War.
• SAT 5 NOV @ 7:30 PM: C SECTION – Mayhem ensues in this comedy of errors when two pregnant couples from opposing ends of the social spectrum are forced to share a room at a hospital.
• SUN 6 NOV @ **4 PM**: COSTA BRAVA, LEBANON – A family leave Beirut for the serenity of the country mountains, but their idyllic existence is shattered when a shadowy corporation begins building a landfill next door.
For more information, please visit the festival website at www.lff.org.au
The ANU has advised that, starting from this week, the wearing of masks is no longer mandatory while on campus or during ANU Film Group screenings.
We wish to thank all of you for your patience and co-operation over the past eight months while the mask mandate has been in place. COVID-19 is far from gone, however, and the medical advice remains that the wearing of masks is strongly encouraged in situations where social distancing isn’t possible.
There are also many in the community who are vulnerable or who will choose to continue wearing a mask, and we ask that you be respectful of their choice.
If you wish to keep wearing a mask, please ensure you bring your own with you. We will continue to have disposable masks available for anyone who wants one, but this will likely only last until our current supply runs out.
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WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK
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Swedish cuisine, French fashion, murdered millennials and a British love story all feature at the ANU Film Group in the second week of our new Summer season. Plus, a very special 100th anniversary screening of one of Hollywood’s earliest blockbusters – 1922's ROBIN HOOD starring Douglas Fairbanks – fully restored with a new score and introduced by the ANU’s foremost Robin Hood expert!
• WED 19 OCT @ 7:30 PM: TUESDAY CLUB (M, 102 MINS)
After separating from her husband of 40 years, Karin is forced to re-evaluate her life. Persuaded by a friend to join a cooking class led by a renowned chef, she begins a journey of food, friendship and second chances in this feel-good Swedish romantic drama.
Presented in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden
• THU 20 OCT @ 7:30 PM: HAUTE COUTURE (M, 101 MINS)
When Dior’s head seamstress has her handbag stolen by a 20-year-old woman, she decides against calling the police and instead sees an opportunity to pass on her skills by teaching the craft of dressmaking to the down-on-her-luck thief in this French comedy-drama.
• FRI 21 OCT @ 7:30 PM: BODIES BODIES BODIES (MA, 94 MINS)
In the midst of a hurricane, a group of rich 20-somethings take shelter in a remote mansion where they decide to play a party game in which one of them is secretly a killer. Things take a turn for the worse when people start getting killed off for real.
• SAT 22 OCT @ *5 PM**: ALI & AVA (M, 94 MINS)
Sparks fly after Ali and Ava meet. As the pair begin to form a deep connection, they must find a way to keep their newfound passion from being overshadowed by the turmoil of their separate lives and past relationships in this heartfelt British drama.
• SAT 22 OCT @ 7:30 PM: ROBIN HOOD (122 MINS)
When treacherous Prince John attempts to usurp the throne, a nobleman (Douglas Fairbanks) adopts the mantle of Robin Hood and gathers a band of vigilantes to fight back, in this 100th anniversary screening of the milestone 1922 silent film.
Presented in a fully restored version with a new score by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, and a special extended introduction by William Hoff, ANU researcher, historian and expert on all things Robin Hood.