Save the date: our 2023 Annual General Meeting will take place on Monday 20 March, from 6 pm in the Cinema.
All members are encouraged to come along and hear about how the Group has performed over the past year, and to help select the committee that will guide us through the next 12 months. If you're keen, you (yes, you!) can even get involved in the running of Australia's largest film society.
Head to www.anufg.org.au/AGM to find out more about getting involved, or send us an email to info@anufg.org.au if you have any further questions.
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WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK
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Step back in time to the roaring 1920s with Damien Chazelle's Hollywood epic BABYLON, along with Oscar-nominated documentary NAVALNY, an inspirational French drama (RISE), a look at the monumental shift from film to digital (SPLICE HERE) and M. Night Shyamalan's latest nail-biting thriller (KNOCK AT THE CABIN).
• WED 1 MAR @ 7:30 PM: SPLICE HERE: A PROJECTED ODYSSEY
A decade after the single greatest change in the history of cinema – the shift from recording and projecting movies on celluloid film to digital formats – documentarian and projectionist Rob Murphy sets out to discover if the era of film is truly over. (G, 117 mins)
• THU 2 MAR @ 7:30 PM: RISE
A promising young ballet dancer finds her life falling apart after she suffers a devastating injury on stage. Her path to recovery leads her to new friends, a new love and the freedom of contemporary dance in this inspiring French drama. (M, 117 mins)
Presented in partnership with Alliance Francaise Canberra in celebration of the 2023 French Film Festival, screening in Canberra from March 9 to April 5. Find out more HERE
• FRI 3 MAR @ 7:30 PM: BABYLON
A daring, audacious ode to cinema which traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity as Hollywood transitions from silent films to ‘talkies’ in the late 1920s. Nominated for 3 Oscars. (MA, 189 mins)
• SAT 4 MAR @ **5 PM**: NAVALNY
In 2020, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent. Upon his recovery, aided by investigative journalists, he uncovers an assassination plot masterminded by none other than Vladimir Putin. (M, 99 mins)
• SAT 4 MAR @ 7:30 PM: KNOCK AT THE CABIN
While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. But are they telling the truth? (M, 100 mins)
We’ve recently made a small but important change to the way that our Annual memberships operate. Since 2019, all Annual memberships have been valid for the season in which they were purchased, along with three subsequent seasons. This meant that those who joined up earlier in the season got slightly more value out of their memberships.
To give members the best value possible going forward, our Annual memberships will now be valid for precisely 365 days, inclusive of the day of purchase. This means that Annual membership will be valid for the same length of time, regardless of when you happen to join up.
Please note that this does not affect the validity of existing Annual memberships for anyone who joined up or renewed this year prior to February 12, 2023, as your memberships would have been extended until February 11, 2024 (i.e. more than 365 days). Our Season memberships also remain unchanged and remain valid only for the fixed period of a particular season, regardless of when they are purchased.
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WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK
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We begin the week with a powerful new documentary that takes a look at the lives of two women whose lives have been upended by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in commemoration of the first anniversary of the war. It will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Simon Target.
Also making an appearance at the ANU Film Group this week: Guillermo del Toro’s dark, Oscar-nominated take on PINOCCHIO, the incredible true story of an amateur historian (THE LOST KING), an acclaimed French crime thriller (THE NIGHT OF THE 12TH) and a 90th anniversary screening of the one and only KING KONG!
• TUE 21 FEB @ 7:30 PM: MASHA & VALENTYNA (50 MINS)
Masha and Valentyna are just two of the seven million women and children who have crossed the border into Poland in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They find safe haven in Polish homes, but face tough decisions for their future. Followed by Q&A with director Simon Target.
Presented in partnership with the ANU Centre for European Studies, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and the Embassy of Ukraine.
• THU 23 FEB @ 7:30 PM: THE LOST KING (M, 108 MINS)
Prompted by spectral visions, a lonely amateur historian (Sally Hawkins) becomes obsessed with unearthing the remains of King Richard III, which have been missing for over 500 years, much to the chagrin of Britain's top academics.
• FRI 24 FEB @ 7:30 PM: GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO (M, 117 MINS)
After the death of his young son, an Italian carpenter carves a boy from wood. When he's brought to life, the boy embarks on an adventure into a world of fascism and exploitation, in Guillermo del Toro’s dark animated take on the classic tale. 2023 Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature Film.
• SAT 25 FEB @ **5 PM**: KING KONG (PG, 100 MINS)
The Eighth Wonder of the World turns 90! Celebrate the milestone anniversary of this all-time classic, in which a film crew travel to a remote island in search of a legendary creature, which they bring back to New York – with disastrous results.
• SAT 25 FEB @ 7:30 PM: THE NIGHT OF THE 12TH (M, 114 MINS)
An ambitious young policeman appointed to investigate serious crimes gets more than he bargained for when a horrific murder case lands on his desk, leading to a haunting obsession with the victim's life, in this French crime thriller.
We kicked things off with a nearly packed free screening of EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE on Monday, but there’s still plenty more to come for the first week of our new Autumn 2023 season!
Check out what’s on this week below, which includes Steven Spielberg’s 7x Oscar-nominated autobiographical drama (THE FABELMANS), a Terry Pratchett animated adventure (THE AMAZING MAURICE), a sweeping Scottish melodrama (THE ROAD DANCE) and everyone’s new favourite killer robot (M3GAN).
For your convenience, we’ll also now be including links to individual film listings on our website, where you can find more information about the films showing each week, including extended synopses, cast listings, posters and trailers.
• THU 16 FEB @ 7:30 PM: M3GAN (M, 102 MINS)
When she becomes the guardian of her newly-orphaned 8-year-old niece, a toy company roboticist enlists the help of her latest invention – an artificially intelligent, life-like doll named M3GAN – to deadly
consequences.
• FRI 17 FEB @ 7:30 PM: THE ROAD DANCE (M, 117 MINS)
A beautiful young woman dreams of a better life away from her small Scottish island village with her lover. But her plans are upended by the outbreak of the Great War – and an act of violence which changes her life forever.
• SAT 18 FEB @ **5 PM**: THE AMAZING MAURICE (PG, 93 MINS)
A streetwise ginger cat comes up with a money-making scam by befriending a group of rats and a pied piper, but they must go on the run when their con is exposed in this animated film based on the children's book by Terry Pratchett.
• SAT 18 FEB @ 7:30 PM: THE FABELMANS (M, 150 MINS)
Growing up in the 1950s, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker but finds his childhood rocked by the discovery of a shattering
family secret in director Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed semi-autobiographical drama. Nominated for 7 Oscars, including Best Picture.
Presented in partnership with the ANU Postgraduate and Research Students’ Association
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NOTICE ABOUT DIRECT DEPOSIT RENEWALS
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Please be advised that the ANU Film Group switched to a different bank as of the end of 2022, so our bank account details have now changed.
If you have our old bank account details saved on your online banking platform from a past direct deposit, we suggest that you delete these to avoid depositing money into the wrong account in the future.
We also require that you fill out the renewal form at www.anufg.org.au/join when renewing your membership to ensure we don’t miss any payments, and to aid in the reconciliation process. Thanks in advance for your cooperation!
Our Autumn 2023 season officially begins tonight with a free screening of one of 2022's most acclaimed, original and talked-about films!
Nominated for a leading 11 Oscars including Best Picture, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE follows Chinese-American immigrant Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) who runs a struggling laundromat with her husband (Ke Huy Quan). During a meeting with a tax auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis), Evelyn’s world suddenly fractures and she discovers that she must ‘verse-jump’ into the lives of her parallel universe counterparts to save them all from a powerful being. As profound as it is profane, this metaphysical epic must be seen to be believed.
Entry to tonight’s screening is free and everyone – whether you’re a current member, former member or have never been a member at all – is welcome to attend. Doors will open from 7 pm for a prompt 7:30 pm film start, so don’t be late!
Note: we will be screening the re-released version of the film, which includes an introduction from the Daniels and an additional eight minutes of outtakes during the credits.
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FEBRUARY HIGHLIGHTS
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Although we’re already partway through the month, there is plenty to look forward to in February as part of our new Autumn 2023 season. The full programme can be found now at www.anufg.org.au/news/522 with memberships available for purchase at any screening or online at www.anufg.org.au/join
• M3GAN – an A.I. doll assigned to care for an orphaned child takes its job too seriously in this film that’s part killer robot horror, part biting social satire (Thu 16 Feb, 7:30 pm)
• THE FABELMANS – only Steven Spielberg could make a film about his own coming of age and have it be as brilliant as this 7x Oscar-nominated drama (Sat 18 Feb, 7:30 pm)
• MASHA & VALENTYNA – the heartfelt story of two women who crossed the border into
Poland following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with director Q&A (Tue 21 Feb, 7:30 pm)
• GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO – Oscar-nominated for Best Animated Feature, this is the Mexican director’s dark, soulful take on the classic tale (Fri 24 Feb, 7:30 pm)
• KING KONG (1933) – witness the Eighth Wonder of the World in all its glory as this all-time classic returns to the big screen for its 90th anniversary (Sat 25 Feb, 5 pm)
• THE NIGHT OF THE 12TH – a detective becomes obsessed with the case of a murdered girl in this French thriller which won Best Film at this year’s Lumières (Sat 25 Feb, 7:30 pm)
For more, view our full Autumn 2023 listing at www.anufg.org.au/programme
We’ve reached the last week of our Summer season – and it seems the weather might agree. Helping us wrap things up this week, we’ve got a singing crocodile (LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE), a Whitney Houston biopic (I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY) and Ralph Fiennes as a chef with a hidden agenda (THE MENU).
But don’t fret – our Autumn season begins just next Monday with a free screening of EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. More details on our new line-up can be found at www.anufg.org.au/news/522 with memberships available for purchase at any screening or online at www.anufg.org.au/join
• FRI 10 FEB @ 7:30 PM: THE MENU (MA, 107 MINS)
A young couple travels to a private island to dine at an exclusive restaurant where its celebrity chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu – but his approach to cuisine holds shocking surprises for the guests, in this darkly comic thriller.
• SAT 11 FEB @ **5 PM**: LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE (PG, 106 MINS)
When his family moves to New York City, a young boy struggles to adapt to his new school and new friends. But all of that changes when he discovers Lyle – a singing crocodile who loves baths and music – living in the attic of his new home.
• SAT 11 FEB @ 7:30 PM: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (M, 144 MINS)
A powerful and triumphant celebration of the life and music of the incomparable Whitney Houston (Naomi Ackie), tracking her trailblazing journey from New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time.
We're big believers in moviegoing as an experience to be enjoyed with others. There’s nothing quite like laughing, crying or screaming with a room full of strangers at what’s unfolding on the big screen.
That's why, effective immediately, we are removing the 'No Guests' restrictions on our screenings to allow guests to be brought along to ALL films.
Use of guest entitlements will still be subject to the capacity of the cinema and the remaining quota on your membership, but otherwise, sky’s the limit. So make sure you bring a friend along to the next screening you attend – the more the merrier!
And if that isn’t exciting enough, our brand new Autumn 2023 season programme is now available. You can check it out either:
1. On our website with full synopses, posters and trailers by CLICKING HERE
2. In a printer-friendly PDF flyer format by CLICKING HERE
3. Imported directly into your phone or computer’s calendar by CLICKING HERE
4. Or you can pick up one of our new programme flyers at any screening from this week.
It all kicks off with a FREE screening of one of the most acclaimed and talked-about films of 2022 – EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE – on Monday 13 February at 7:30 PM. Nominated for a leading 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, don’t miss your chance to see this absurdist comedy back on the big screen.
Memberships for our new season are already available for purchase either in person at any screening or online at www.anufg.org.au/join. All Autumn memberships purchased this week will also include entry into the remaining screenings of our current programme up to February 11.
It’s everything you've ever wanted... and it’s coming back to the ANU Film Group for a FREE screening to kick off our new programme on Monday 13 February at 7:30 PM!
So save the date and bring all of your Alpha friends and loved ones to experience one of the most acclaimed and talked-about films of 2022 – EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE – on the big screen. BYO googly-eyed rocks and sausage fingers.
And stay tuned for the launch of our full Autumn 2023 programme later this week!
Can’t wait? Don’t forget that Autumn 2023 memberships are now available for purchase in person at any screening 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 remainder of our current programme up to February 11.
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WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK
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A daring feline outlaw – as well as three elderly women – grapple with their mortality while embarking on what could be their final adventures in both an Oscar-nominated animated sequel and a Finnish comedy. Plus, witness the birth of the #MeToo movement as a pair of investigative reporters look to uncover decades of sexual harassment in Hollywood.
• FRI 3 FEB @ 7:30 PM: LADIES OF STEEL (M, 92 MINS)
After being belittled for five decades, a 75-year-old woman hits her husband on the head with a frying pan and plans to bury him in the garden. Facing the rest of her life in prison, she embarks on one last road trip through Finland with her two sisters.
Presented in partnership with the Embassy of Finland
• SAT 4 FEB @ **5 PM**: PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH (PG, 102 MINS)
Daring outlaw Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) discovers that his passion for peril has taken its toll: he has used up eight of his nine lives. Embarking on his most important quest yet, he sets out to find the mythical Wishing Star to restore his lost lives before it’s too late.
Oscar nominee in 2023 for Best Animated Feature Film.
• SAT 4 FEB @ 7:30 PM: SHE SAID (M, 129 MINS)
In 2017, New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor uncover decades of sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood, ultimately breaking a story that would change the world and propel the #MeToo movement into existence.
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.