This week at the Film Group, we kick off the month of November with our usual eclectic mix of box office hits, heartfelt dramas and quirky films you won’t see elsewhere. Read on to find out what’s on, and if you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to suggest films for our Semester One 2015 programme at www.anufg.org.au/suggestions
• Fri 7 Nov @ 7:30 PM: MY SWEET PEPPER LAND + MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
In MY SWEET PEPPER LAND, a former city sheriff takes on the corrupt ruler of a lawless territory on the borders of Iran, Turkey, and Iraq, with the help of a damsel in distress in this unique, off-beat take on the Spaghetti Western genre.
Then, geek king Joss Whedon takes on Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (at approx. 9 PM), in which two sparring couples discover they have very different concepts of love.
• Sat 8 Nov @ ** 7 PM**: THE MAZE RUNNER + WORDS AND PICTURES
In THE MAZE RUNNER, a young boy wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, all with no memory of the outside world, and sets out to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape.
Then, in WORDS AND PICTURES (at approx. 9 PM), Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche star as rival schoolteachers who compete to determine whether words or pictures are more important.
** NOTE: THE MAZE RUNNER replaces the originally scheduled THE BOOK OF LIFE as the night’s first feature. WORDS AND PICTURES takes the place of THE MAZE RUNNER as the second feature of the night. **
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SEMESTER TWO MEMBERSHIPS: $30 FROM OCTOBER 30
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As the screening year winds to a close, we’re dropping the price of our Semester Two memberships to $30 for the remainder of the programme starting from this Thursday (October 30).
If you’re not already a member (and if not, what have you been waiting for?), be sure to come along and join up to check out some of the year’s biggest hits at the ANU Film Group, including GONE GIRL, THE MAZE RUNNER, THE JUDGE and many more!
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WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK
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This week, celebrate Halloween with the untold origins of Dracula, see Scarlett Johansson kick butt, check out the latest film from Roman Polanski, and revel in the animated beauty of our Hayao Miyazaki double feature.
• Thu 30 Oct @ 7:30 PM: VENUS IN FUR
While holding auditions to cast the lead in his next production, a director finds himself falling under the seductive spell of an actress, in the latest film from director Roman Polanski.
• Fri 31 Oct @ 7:30 PM: DRACULA UNTOLD + LUCY
Explore the untold origins of the legendary vampire on Halloween night with DRACULA UNTOLD, in which a young prince (Luke Evans) makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect his kingdom and his family.
Then, in LUCY (at approx. 9 PM), Scarlett Johansson plays a woman who inadvertently ingests a powerful new drug, which unlocks the full capacity of her mind and grants her mysterious powers.
** NOTE: DRACULA UNTOLD replaces the originally scheduled GET ON UP at the same screening time. **
• Sat 1 Nov @ **7 PM**: THE WIND RISES + SPIRITED AWAY
In THE WIND RISES, a young aspiring pilot begins on a path that leads to him becoming one of the world’s foremost plane designers in the final film from famed director Hayao Miyazaki.
Then, revisit Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning masterpiece in SPIRITED AWAY (at approx. 9:15 PM) in which a young girl unknowingly wanders into a magical and mysterious world ruled by spirits, gods and monsters. Screening in 35mm film.
** NOTE: Both THE WIND RISES and SPIRITED AWAY will be screening in their original Japanese language versions, with English subtitles. **
How time flies... There’s only one month to go before Semester Two screenings conclude, and we hope that you’ve all been enjoying the films we’ve been screening this year. It’s now time for us to start working on our Semester One 2015 programme, so be sure to let us know what films you’d like to see at the ANU Film Group next year.
Whether it’s an upcoming release, something you’ve seen at the movies lately, or a beloved favourite, please head over to www.anufg.org.au/suggestions to let us know. Printed forms will also be available at the door at all screenings from this Thursday onwards.
Suggestions close on Saturday 22 November!
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WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK
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This week, Denzel Washington rights some wrongs, the world ends (again), Mia Wasikowska graces our screen (twice), and 35mm film returns!
• Wed 22 Oct @ 7:30 PM: THESE FINAL HOURS
Twelve hours before a cataclysmic event will end all life on Earth, a self-obsessed young man inadvertently saves the life of a young girl, and is forced to come to terms with what really matters in life.
• Thu 23 Oct @ 7:30 PM: THE EQUALIZER
A man (Denzel Washington) puts his mysterious past behind him and sets out to live a new, quiet life. But when he meets a young girl under the control of Russian gangsters, his desire for justice is reawakened.
• Fri 24 Oct @ 7:30 PM: THE DOUBLE + SUBMARINE
In our Canberra premiere screening of director Richard Ayoade’s THE DOUBLE, the life of a mild-mannered clerk (Jesse Eisenberg) takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of a new co-worker who is his exact physical double.
Then, catch a rare 35mm screening of Ayoade’s directorial debut SUBMARINE (at approx. 9:15 PM), in which a precocious teenager sets out to improve his life by getting a girlfriend and mending his parents’ rocky relationship.
• Sat 25 Oct @ **7 PM**: ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE + THE PAST
In Jim Jarmusch’s ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE, two vampire lovers (Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston) finds their centuries-old romance disrupted by the arrival of an uncontrollable younger sister (Mia Wasikowska).
Then, in THE PAST (at approx. 9:15 PM), an Iranian man returns to France to confront his estranged wife’s request for a divorce, as well as the reality that both his wife and his children may have moved on.
Escape reality this week at the ANU Film Group with a line-up that includes dystopian futures, papier mâché heads, a return to form for Nicolas Cage, a vengeance-seeking priest, and four heroes in a half shell. Only at the Film Group!
Plus, read on for a chance to win tickets to the thrilling new drama KILL THE MESSENGER, starring Jeremy Renner.
• Thu 16 Oct @ 7:30 PM: THE GIVER
In a seemingly perfect community without war, pain or suffering, a young boy (Brenton Thwaites) is chosen to learn from a mysterious old man known as The Giver (Jeff Bridges) about the reality of his world. Also starring Meryl Streep.
• Fri 17 Oct @ 7:30 PM: FRANK + JOE
In FRANK, an aspiring musician (Domhnall Gleeson) discovers that he’s in over his head when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious, enigmatic, papier-mâché-head-wearing Frank (Michael Fassbender).
Then, in JOE (at approx. 9:15 PM), an ex-con (Nicolas Cage, in an acclaimed return to form) sees a chance at redemption when he becomes an unlikely role model to a tormented fifteen-year-old boy.
• Sat 18 Oct @ **7 PM**: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES + CALVARY
In TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, four outcast mutant brothers rise from the sewers and discover their destiny when an evil criminal mastermind threatens New York City.
Then, in CALVARY (at approx. 8:45 PM), a good-natured priest (Brendan Gleeson) sets out to discover who may want him dead after he is threatened with imminent death during a confession.
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WIN TICKETS TO ‘KILL THE MESSENGER’!
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Thanks to Transmission Films, we have tickets to give away to KILL THE MESSENGER, the thrilling new political drama starring Jeremy Renner.
The film is on the remarkable true story of journalist Gary Webb (Renner), as he uncovers one of the most elaborate criminal conspiracies in the history of the US government, unleashing a CIA smear campaign that turns the American public against him.
Featuring an all-star cast including Michael Sheen, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ray Liotta, Oliver Platt and Andy Garcia, the film is in cinemas from October 30. For a look at its trailer, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N2nuDtJX0M
For your chance to win one of ten in-season double passes to see the film, simply email info@anufg.org.au with your name, membership number (located underneath the barcode on your card) and your answer to the following question: ‘In which Oscar-nominated 2013 film did Jeremy Renner play a politician who was also caught up in a conspiracy?’
Entries close on Thursday 23 October, with winners to be notified via email and prizes to be collected at ANU Film Group screenings.
It’s a week of spies, strong women and acclaimed Australian films, including GALORE, set and filmed entirely in Canberra, and a powerful posthumous performance by the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman in A MOST WANTED MAN. Only at the ANU Film Group!
• Wed 8 Oct @ 7:30 PM: GLORIA
In this award-winning Chilean comedy-drama, a free-spirited older woman embarks on a whirl of singles’ parties until she meets a divorced man, and then finds herself torn between hope for her future and nostalgia for the past.
• Thu 9 Oct @ 7:30 PM: A MOST WANTED MAN
When a tortured immigrant turns up in Hamburg, both German and US security agencies race to establish his true identity. Based on the novel by John le Carré and starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe and Robin Wright.
• Fri 10 Oct @ 7:30 PM: CHARLIE’S COUNTRY + GALORE
In the award-winning CHARLIE’S COUNTRY, a frustrated Aboriginal Australian elder (David Gulpilil) leaves his remote community in the North Territory and takes to the bush to live life the old way, but sets off events that change his life forever.
Then, in GALORE (at approx. 9:30 PM), a group of reckless teenage friends and lovers find their lives in suburbia disrupted by the revelation of a secret in the chaotic days surrounding the 2003 Canberra bushfires.
• Sat 11 Oct @ 7 PM: THE INVISIBLE WOMAN + WADJDA
In THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, famed author Charles Dickens (Ralph Fiennes), at the height of his career and bored with his life, enters into a stormy relationship with a younger woman (Felicity Jones) who becomes his secret lover until his death.
Then, in WADJDA (at approx. 9 PM), an enterprising young Saudi girl joins a Koran recitation competition at her school in the hopes of winning a cash prize to buy a green bicycle that has captured her interest.
We head into the month of October with our usual eclectic selection of films: the latest acclaimed musical from the director of ONCE, a double feature of award-winning foreign films, and a four-hour erotic opus, courtesy of director Lars von Trier. What more could you want?
• Thu 2 Oct @ 7:30 PM: BEGIN AGAIN
A chance encounter between a disgraced music executive (Mark Ruffalo) and a young singer (Keira Knightley) turns into a life-changing collaboration between the two talents, in the latest musical from the director of ONCE.
• Fri 3 Oct @ 7:30 PM: STILL LIFE + A GUN IN EACH HAND
In the poignant British drama STILL LIFE, a council worker (Eddie Marsan) whose job is to find the next of kin for people who have passed away alone learns that he is being made redundant, and embarks on one last, liberating case.
Then, in the hit Spanish comedy A GUN IN EACH HAND (at approx. 9 PM), chance encounters between old friends and acquaintances form an engrossing series of six intertwined tales of love, lost and found, in this witty battle of the sexes.
• Sat 4 Oct @ **7 PM**: NYMPHOMANIAC
In director Lars von Trier latest controversial film, after being rescued by a stranger, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac (Charlotte Gainsbourg) recounts the lustful story of her highly erotic life from infancy into the present day.
** NOTE: NYMPHOMANIAC was released theatrically in two volumes, both of which will be showing on Saturday. The two parts will be separated by a 10-minute intermission at approximately 9 PM. **
It’s back to business as usual with a fully packed week of screenings at the Film Group. Documentaries, action stars, biopics, raunchy comedies and even horror flicks -- there’s bound to be something for everyone!
• Tue 23 Sep @ 7:30 PM: BEYOND THE EDGE
A stunning documentary that brings to life Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary's monumental ascent of Mount Everest in 1953, retold through original footage and photographs, as well as dramatised reconstructions of the climb.
• Thu 25 Sep @ 7:30 PM: THE EXPENDABLES 3
The Expendables embark on their most personal mission yet: to take down a former member of the team bent on wiping them out. Featuring an all-star cast of action heroes including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas and Mel Gibson.
• Fri 26 Sep @ 7:30 PM: GRACE OF MONACO + YVES SAINT LAURENT
In GRACE OF MONACO, former Hollywood star Grace Kelly (Nicole Kidman) struggles with a crisis of identity and marriage during a political dispute between Monaco and France in the early 1960s.
Then, YVES SAINT LAURENT (at approx. 9:15 PM) takes a revelatory look at the life of the iconic French designer, from the very beginning of his illustrious career at the young age of 21.
• Sat 27 Sep @ **7 PM**: SEX TAPE + DELIVER US FROM EVIL
In SEX TAPE, a couple (Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel) wake up to discover that the sex tape they made the evening before has gone missing, and embark on a frantic search to recover it before it is made public.
Then, in DELIVER US FROM EVIL (at approx. 8:45 PM), a New York cop (Eric Bana) begins investigating a series of disturbing crimes, and joins forces with a priest to combat supernatural forces terrorising the city.
Already this year we’ve had screenings of films mere weeks after their theatrical releases, but one of this weekend’s films is about to top all that. Gripping Georgian drama IN BLOOM will be getting a limited release in Sydney and Melbourne from September 25 -- and we’ll be screening it this weekend before it’s even out!
Set in 1992 in the newly independent state of Georgia, the film follows two fourteen-year-old best friends whose childhood comes to a halt amid civil war in the region. Unsure of what the future might bring, the two girls find themselves reacting to the pressures in very different and life-changing ways.
IN BLOOM screens on Saturday 20 September at approx. 9 PM, following CHILD’S POSE.
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WHAT'S ON THIS WEEK
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We return to full screenings from next week with a string of highly anticipated films, including THE EXPENDABLES 3, GRACE OF MONACO and SEX TAPE. This week, for the second and last week of the university vacation period, we head to Eastern Europe for a double feature of two celebrated dramas from Romania and Georgia.
• Sat 20 Sep @ **7 PM**: CHILD’S POSE + IN BLOOM
In CHILD’S POSE, when her adult son is charged with manslaughter, a woman sets out on a campaign of emotional and social manipulation to keep him out of prison and, in turn, reassert control over him.
Then, in IN BLOOM (at approx. 9 PM), two young girls are forced to leave their childhood behind as they work to escape their turbulent family lives amidst civil war in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi in 1992.
Despite our best efforts to put together a programme of films months before most of them are released in cinemas, we occasionally find ourselves having to make unexpected programme changes. As such, due to recent changes to their theatrical release dates, we are now no longer able to screen GET ON UP and THE BOOK OF LIFE as part of our Semester Two 2014 programme.
GET ON UP on Friday 31 October will be replaced by the previously unscheduled DRACULA UNTOLD, screening at the same start time of 7:30 PM.
DRACULA UNTOLD tells the never-before-told origin story of a warrior (Luke Evans) who makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his family and becomes the legendary vampire Dracula. The perfect film for Halloween!
THE BOOK OF LIFE on Saturday 8 November will be replaced by the night’s intended second feature, THE MAZE RUNNER, now screening at 7:00 PM. The previously unscheduled WORDS AND PICTURES will now screen as the night’s second feature at approximately 9:00 PM.
WORDS AND PICTURES is the latest film from Australian director Fred Schepisi, and stars Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche as rival schoolteachers who compete to determine whether words or pictures are more important.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the changes and will endeavour to screen GET ON UP and THE BOOK OF LIFE as part of a future programme if possible.
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ROBIN WILLIAMS TRIBUTE SCREENING: UPDATE
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Thanks to the generosity of members at our Robin Williams tribute screening last month we managed to raise over $350 in support of Lifeline Canberra.
All funds raised will go directly towards the on-going recruitment and training of Lifeline’s telephone crisis support volunteers that work to save the lives of those battling depression every day.
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WHAT'S ON THIS WEEK
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There’s only one screening this week due to the university’s mid-semester vacation period with a double feature of two acclaimed foreign dramas from Canada and France.
• Sat 13 Sep @ **7 PM**: GABRIELLE + A CASTLE IN ITALY
In GABRIELLE, a young woman with Williams syndrome and an exceptional musical gift must confront the prejudices of others as well as her own limitations in her quest to attain emotional and physical independence.
Then, in A CASTLE IN ITALY (at approx. 8:45 PM), a family that has fallen on hard times is forced to sell their castle in a poignant tale about family, relationships and mortality. Nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
The ANU Film Group would like to express our profound thanks to everyone who came along and supported our special events over the past few weeks!
Just last weekend, we held our 8th Annual Trivia Night and a Robin Williams Tribute Screening, with phenomenal turnout and feedback at both. Our Trivia Night was once again incredibly well-received and raised significant funds, all of which will go directly towards allowing us to continue doing what we do best: providing a great and varied selection of films throughout the year.
We're still tallying up the money raised for Lifeline Canberra from the Robin Williams Tribute Screening and will update you as soon as we've finalised numbers, but the generosity of our members -- both new and old alike -- has been tremendous. For those of you who weren't able to make it along, we also screened a special Robin Williams tribute montage before the films on Sunday. Have a look at that on our Facebook page HERE.
Our special event screening of ALLIES on August 13 was also very well attended, as was the fascinating post-screening discussion with our guests Professor Des Ball, Ronin Films' Andrew Pike and 666 ABC's Alex Sloan. If you were amongst those in attendance who wanted to buy a DVD of the film but were unable to do so, please email us at info@anufg.org.au to arrange your copy.
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WHAT'S ON THIS WEEK
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Take a trip around the world at the Film Group this week as we screen as series of acclaimed films from countries across the globe, including Japan, India, France, Italy and the UK. Plus, another chance to see Robin Williams on the big screen in the romantic drama THE FACE OF LOVE.
• Tue 2 Sep @ 7:30 PM: THE FACE OF LOVE
In this tale of lost love and second chances, a grieving widow (Annette Bening) finds herself falling for a man (Ed Harris) who looks identical to her deceased husband. Also starring Robin Williams in one of his last films released before his untimely passing.
• Thu 4 Sep @ 7:30 PM: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
When a successful business man learns that his biological son was switched with another child after birth, he must make a life-changing decision and choose between his true son or the boy he has raised as his own in this moving Japanese drama.
• Fri 5 Sep @ 7:30 PM: THE TRIP TO ITALY + THE LUNCHBOX
In THE TRIP TO ITALY, comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon once again play semi-fictionalised versions of themselves, as they take a culinary road trip around Italy, while indulging in crackling banter and countless impersonations along the way.
Then, in the acclaimed and charming THE LUNCH BOX (at approx. 9:15 PM), a mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famous lunchbox delivery service serendipitously connects a lonely young housewife to an older man, who then begin exchanging daily notes.
• Sat 6 Sep @ **7 PM**: ERNEST & CELESTINE + THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY
Oscar-nominated for Best Animated Feature Film, ERNEST & CELESTINE tells the beautifully-hand-animated story of an unlikely friendship between a grumpy bear and a young mouse.
Then, in the feel-good hit THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY (at approx. 8:30 PM), an Indian family arrive in a small French country town where they open an restaurant directly across the road from a famed Michelin-starred eatery run by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren).
** NOTE: ERNEST & CELESTINE will be screened in its English-dubbed version, featuring the voices of Forest Whitaker, Paul Giamatti, William H. Macy and the late Lauren Bacall. **