News Archive

February 2022

Autumn 2022 Programme + Oscar Nominations Announced

9th February, 2022

It’s been a long six months since our last screening on August 11th but, as of next week, ANU Film Group screenings will be back!

And now, without further ado, you can view our full line-up for our Autumn 2022 season (February 14 to April 30) in one of three ways:
1. On our website with posters, synopses and cast listings by CLICKING HERE
2. In a printer-friendly PDF flyer version by CLICKING HERE
3. Or import all screenings into your phone or computer’s calendar using this .ICS file available by CLICKING HERE

Want to attend a screening but not yet a member? Not a problem – you can join up in person at any screening or online anytime at www.anufg.org.au/join with memberships starting from just $30 for a full season.

Want to try before you buy? We’ve got a free screening of SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME coming up next Monday at 7:30 pm. Full details available HERE

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OSCAR NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED
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Early this morning, the nominations for the 94th Academy Awards were announced, and Netflix’s THE POWER OF THE DOG led the pack with 12 nods while Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE wasn’t too far behind with 10 nominations. Other major nominees include BELFAST, WEST SIDE STORY, KING RICHARD, NIGHTMARE ALLEY and DRIVE MY CAR, with the awards ceremony set for Sunday 27 March.

Want to tick off all of the nominated films on your Oscar watchlist? Here’s a handy guide to when you can catch them at the ANU Film Group, including four Best Picture nominees screening during Oscar Week itself (March 31 – April 2):

• MON 14 FEB @ 7:30 PM: SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME – Best Visual Effects Nominee
• FRI 18 FEB @ 7:30 PM: DUNE – 10 nominations, including Best Picture
• FRI 25 FEB @ 7:30 PM: NO TIME TO DIE – 3 nominations, including Best Original Song
• THU 3 MAR @ 7:30 PM: SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME – Best Visual Effects Nominee
• FRI 4 MAR @ 7:30 PM: HOUSE OF GUCCI – Best Makeup and Hairstyling Nominee
• THU 10 MAR @ 7:30 PM: PARALLEL MOTHERS – 2 nominations, including Best Actress
• SAT 12 MAR @ 5 PM: ENCANTO – 3 nominations, including Best Animated Feature
• SAT 26 MAR @ 5 PM: SPENCER – Best Actress Nominee
• THU 31 MAR @ 7:30 PM: KING RICHARD – 6 nominations, including Best Picture
• FRI 1 APR @ 7:30 PM: WEST SIDE STORY – 7 nominations, including Best Picture
• SAT 2 APR @ 5 PM: BELFAST – 7 nominations, including Best Picture
• SAT 2 APR @ 7:30 PM: LICORICE PIZZA – 3 nominations, including Best Picture
• FRI 8 APR @ 7:30 PM: DRIVE MY CAR – 4 nominations, including Best Picture
• THU 21 APR @ 7:30 PM: THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD – 2 nominations, including Best International Film
• FRI 22 APR @ 7:30 PM: NIGHTMARE ALLEY – 4 nominations, including Best Picture
• WED 27 APR @ 7:30 PM: FLEE – 3 nominations, including Best International Film
• SAT 28 APR @ 7:30 PM: THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE – 2 nominations, including Best Actress

Screenings Begin on February 14 with SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME!

2nd February, 2022

There are less than two weeks before we’re finally back for the first time since August, and we hope you’re getting as excited we are!

To kick things off with a bang, we’re starting 2022 with Marvel’s record-breaking blockbuster, SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME. In the film, with his identity now revealed to the world, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) can no longer separate his civilian life from being Spider-Man, forcing him to seek the help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a universe-altering spell – which leads to unintended consequences.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME will screen on Monday 14 February at 7:30 pm, with doors opening for entry from 7 pm. As is customary to kick off the year, this will be a FREE screening that will be open to absolutely anyone, including members and future members alike. As such, we do anticipate it to be a busy one and recommend that you get there early to ensure you don’t miss out.

If you would like to avoid the crowds, however, we can let you know now that will be re-screening the film again for members only on Thursday 3 March at 7:30 pm.

The rest of our Autumn 2022 programme will be announced early next week, so stay tuned to see what else we’ve got in store. Or if you can’t wait that long, head over to our Facebook page – www.facebook.com/ANUFG – for some sneak peeks over the next few days!

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UPDATED COVID-19 SAFETY RULES
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Our COVID-19 safety rules have been updated since last year to be in accordance with the latest advice and directions from ACT Health and the ANU. You can find them in full at www.anufg.org.au/COVID or summarised below:

• The wearing of face masks in currently mandatory in all indoor settings, except when actively eating or drinking. We will continue to supply free masks at the door for anyone who requires one.

• All attendees must check-in using the Check In CBR app by scanning the provided QR code upon arrival. If you are unable to use the app, we can assist you with checking in.

• We are permitted to use the full capacity (305 seats) of our cinema, but continue to recommend social distancing whenever this is possible by leaving 1.5 metres between yourself and the nearest person/group, including while queueing up outside.

• Anyone exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or who would otherwise be required to be in isolation should not be attending screenings.

• Pre-registration for screenings via Eventbrite is no longer required.

Once again, for anyone who is uncomfortable with attending screenings or has any issues with the safety rules that will be strictly enforced, we are still offering no-questions-asked pro rata refunds up until February 13. If you’d like a refund, please email us at info@anufg.org.au with your name and membership number, and we’ll get back to you with next steps.

January 2022

One Month to Go + New Doorpeople Wanted

14th January, 2022

There’s precisely one month to go until ANU Film Group screenings return for 2022!

We acknowledge that the COVID-19 situation around the country has been worsening over the past few weeks, but we remain optimistic that it will stabilise before our intended return – which currently slated for Monday 14 February (save the date!).

We will continue to monitor the advice given by the ACT Government as well as the ANU in the coming weeks and advise you if anything changes, but have so far been informed that it is safe to resume screenings with our safety protocols in place.

For more information about membership extensions and the availability of pro rata refunds, please refer to our most recent message from December 24 on our website here: https://www.anufg.org.au/news/471

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WANTED: DOORPEOPLE FOR 2022
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We're currently on the lookout for additional doorpeople to assist us at screenings in 2022. Door people are the smiling, friendly faces of the Group who greet you as you enter, scan your membership card and confirm that you've checked in using the Check In CBR app before entering the cinema.

If you're a current ANUFG member, are punctual, have a sunny disposition, and have experience in the fine art of scanning QR codes, this may be for you!

Please note that this is an unpaid volunteer position, but all doorpeople will receive a free membership for the following season as a token of thanks upon completion of a required number of sessions.

Interested? Want to find out more? Email us at info@anufg.org.au now!

December 2021

Screenings Resuming in February 2022

24th December, 2021

It’s been a long four months since we were shut down (for the second time) due to COVID-19 restrictions, and we acknowledge that it’s been a little quiet as we’ve patiently waited for restrictions in the ACT and on the ANU campus to be lifted.

In the spirit of the holidays, we’re pleased to finally announce that restrictions have now eased enough and that we have begun planning for our return. At this stage, we are aiming to resume screenings from the week beginning February 14, 2022!*

All existing active memberships will be brought forward and automatically extended by an additional two seasons at no charge. For example, if your membership was due to expire in February 2022, it will now be extended until the end of our Winter 2022 season in mid-July. There’s nothing further you have to do, but if you’d like to know your new expiry date, feel free to email us at info@anufg.org.au with your name and membership number.

Rest assured that health and safety remains a top priority for us, and we wouldn’t be resuming screenings unless we were confident we could do so in a manner that was safe for members and volunteers alike. If, however, you still do not feel comfortable returning to screenings or don’t anticipate being able to use your existing membership for whatever reason, we will still be offering no-questions-asked pro rata refunds up until our very first screening back. If you’d like a refund, please email us at info@anufg.org.au with your name and membership number, and we’ll get back to you with next steps.

We hope this comes as welcome news – screenings have never been more disrupted in our nearly-56-year history, and we’ve certainly missed screening films for you. Please keep an eye here on our website or on our Facebook page in the new year for more details about our new Autumn 2022 season as they become available. Until then, we wish you all a very merry Christmas, a happy new year, and look forward to seeing you again in person real soon!

*Assuming that the ACT isn’t hit with another outbreak, new restrictions, an alien invasion or the enslaving of humanity by sentient robots. We’re not ruling anything out at this point!

September 2021

Update on Future Screenings

12th September, 2021

It’s now officially been one month since the ACT was sent into lockdown and ANU Film Group screenings were put on hold. While there are no doubt more urgent things going on in everyone’s lives at the moment, we wanted to provide a brief update to our members about the status of our future screenings.

We have had to regretfully cancel the remainder of our Spring season (which was intended to run until October 2) regardless of whether Canberra comes out of lockdown this coming Thursday. The current advice from the ACT Government is that, even if the lockdown ends, restrictions will be eased gradually, and we have received a similar indication from the ANU that public events such as ours are not likely to be permitted to return to campus at this early stage.

The ANU Film Group will eventually return, but unfortunately we are simply unable to make any future plans until we have a more definitive idea of when it will be deemed safe for screenings to resume. We hope this will be soon and can't wait until we can screen films for you once again.

Until then, we want to assure our members that they will not lose out as a result of this temporary intermission. As we did when screenings were temporarily put on hold in March last year, we will be extending all current Annual and Spring 2021 season members by a period of time equal to, if not exceeding, the shutdown duration. This will happen automatically when screenings resume and there’s nothing further you need to do.

If, however, your personal circumstances make it unlikely that you will return when screenings resume, we can also offer pro rata refunds for anyone who requires one. If you would like a refund, please send an email to info@anufg.org.au with your membership number and we’ll get in touch with next steps.

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ANUFG@HOME IS BACK
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Like we did last time, we’ve also resurrected ANUFG@Home for anyone looking for themed suggestions of (mostly) free films you can watch online in the absence of your favourite Film Group. Please feel free to share these film suggestions to keep you and your loved ones entertained and connected from the comfort and safety of your own homes. And, of course, if you’ve discovered any hidden gems you’d like to share, feel free to send them through to info@anufg.org.au too.

ANUFG@Home suggestions can be found at www.anufg.org.au/athome and will be updated on a regular basis, with new additions highlighted on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ANUFG. Do note that the website does contain some of last year’s recommendations too, so we can’t guarantee that all of the links will still be valid at time of viewing.

Finally, if you need more than film suggestions to get you through this period, don't forget that you are not alone and that there are a range of services offering support:
• Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service: 1800 512 348
• Lifeline: 131 114
• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800

More information from ACT Health on mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19 can be found by CLICKING HERE

August 2021

Screenings Postponed Until Further Notice

12th August, 2021

Well, we’ve had a good run over the past eight months, but unfortunately we regret to inform you that ANU Film Group screenings will be postponed once again from tonight (Thursday 12 August) onwards until further notice. To be clear, this postponement will include tonight’s scheduled screening of TWO OF US, which will not be proceeding as planned.

This is in accordance with the latest ACT Health orders, including the snap lockdown beginning from 5 pm tonight, and ANU restrictions on on-campus events that are anticipated to continue beyond this.

We will endeavour to re-schedule any postponed screenings as soon as we have a better idea of when screenings will be permitted to resume, and will of course also be offering some form of membership extension so that none of you are out of pocket.

More details will be announced at a later date, but in the meantime, please look after yourselves and stay safe. We’ll all be back at the movies before you know it!

What's On This Week: BRAZEN HUSSIES, CLIFF WALKERS, HITMAN'S WIFE'S BODYGUARD and more!

10th August, 2021

Our BRAZEN HUSSIES event screening takes places this Saturday at 5 PM, followed by a special panel discussion featuring two of the film’s participants, one of whom you may recognise as an ANUFG member! Plus, we’ve also got a Chinese spy thriller, a French romantic drama, and Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek heading up a star-studded action-comedy sequel.

• WED 11 AUGUST @ 7:30 PM: CLIFF WALKERS (MA, 120 mins)

In 1931, four Chinese agents are sent behind enemy lines on a mission to rescue a witness who can expose Japanese war crime atrocities to the world – but quickly find themselves hunted by the enemy after they are betrayed, in director Zhang Yimou's latest.

• THU 12 AUGUST @ 7:30 PM: TWO OF US (M, 95 mins)

Two older women living as neighbours on the top floor of their apartment building have also been secret lovers for decades – until an unexpected event threatens to unveil the true nature of their relationship, in this acclaimed French romantic drama.

• FRI 13 AUGUST @ 7:30 PM: THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD (MA, 116 mins)

A disgraced bodyguard (Ryan Reynolds) is forced back into action by a hitman (Samuel L. Jackson) and his volatile con artist wife (Salma Hayek), all of whom soon are embroiled in a madman's plot to destroy Europe in this action-comedy sequel.

• SAT 14 AUGUST @ **5 PM**: BRAZEN HUSSIES (M, 93 mins)

A look at the Women's Liberation Movement and their revolutionary work throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a daring and diverse group of women reignite the feminist movement in Australia, at times at great personal cost. Followed by a panel discussion chaired by ANU Gender Institute Convenor Fiona Jenkins, and featuring two stars of the women’s movement, Elizabeth Reid AO and Biff Ward.

What's On This Week + Upcoming Post-screening Events

3rd August, 2021

This week at the ANU Film Group, we’re screening two of this year’s Oscar-nominated documentaries showcasing stranger than fiction stories, as well as star-studded thriller featuring the talents of Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman and more.

• TUE 3 AUGUST @ 7:30 PM: THE MOLE AGENT (G, 90 mins)

When concerns are raised about elder abuse in a Chilean retirement home, a private investigator hires an 83-year-old man to go undercover and investigate the community in this heartfelt 2021 Oscar nominee for Best Feature Documentary.

• THU 5 AUGUST @ 7:30 PM: CRISIS (MA, 119 mins)

An all-star cast features in this crime drama that examines the opioid epidemic through intersecting narratives, as it touches everyone from recovering addicts to drug traffickers, pharmaceutical scientists, and undercover cops.

• FRI 6 AUGUST @ 7:30 PM: THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD (MA, 100 mins)

A firefighter (Angelina Jolie) stationed in the Montana wilderness encounters a young boy on the run after witnessing a murder. When the killers set fire to the forest to cover up their tracks, she must use her skills to bring him to safety.

• SAT 7 AUGUST @ **5 PM**: COLLECTIVE + PANEL DISCUSSION (MA, 109 mins – ‘NO GUESTS’ SCREENING)

In this Oscar-nominated documentary, a team of journalists investigating a nightclub fire in 2015 uncover mass corruption within the Romanian health system. Followed by a panel discussion with ANU Law Reform and Social Justice (see details below).

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UPCOMING POST-SCREENING PANEL DISCUSSIONS
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We proud to be presenting two very special events taking place over the next two Saturdays, following our screenings of acclaimed documentaries COLLECTIVE (August 7) and BRAZEN HUSSIES (August 14).

First up, after our screening of COLLECTIVE this Saturday at 5 PM, ANU Law Reform and Social Justice (LRSJ) will be hosting a panel discussion featuring eminent legal experts and academics discussing the themes of the film. Panellists will include including Associate Professor Matthew Zagor, Director of ANU LRSJ; John Griffin, former Australian Ambassador to Greece, Bulgaria and Romania; and Dr Judith Healy, ANU Menzies Centre for Health Governance.

Then, after our screening of BRAZEN HUSSIES next Saturday at 5 PM, ANU Gender Institute Convenor Fiona Jenkins will be chairing a post-screening discussion featuring two stars of the Australian Women's Liberation Movement who appear in the film, Elizabeth Reid AO and Biff Ward.

We hope you can make it along and participate in these special events!

July 2021

What's On This Week + ANU 75th Anniversary Celebrations

28th July, 2021

As July comes to an end, we’re screening two of the most acclaimed films of the year alongside a feel-good true story about an unlikely Welsh racehorse. Plus, with the Tokyo Olympics now in full swing, don’t miss a special 40th anniversary screening of 1981 Best Picture winner CHARIOTS OF FIRE!

• WED 28 JULY @ 7:30 PM: THE NEST (MA, 107 mins)

In the 1980s, a businessman (Jude Law) relocates his wife and children from the U.S. to a grand old manor in the English countryside in pursuit of a better life, but it's not long before his ambition causes the family to fall apart.

• THU 29 JULY @ 7:30 PM: THE DISSIDENT (M, 117 mins)

When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears after entering Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul in 2018, investigative activists around the world are left to piece together the clues and expose a global cover-up.

• FRI 30 JULY @ 7:30 PM: CHARIOTS OF FIRE (M, 125 mins)

Get into the Olympic spirit with a 40th anniversary screening of this British classic, in which two athletes from different religious backgrounds train to compete in the 1924 Olympics. Winner of 4 Oscars, including Best Picture.

• SAT 31 JULY @ **5 PM**: DREAM HORSE (PG, 113 mins)

Despite having no experience in horses, a Welsh bartender (Toni Collette) convinces her neighbours to chip in their earnings to help raise an unlikely racehorse to compete with the racing elites. Based on an incredible true story.

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ANU 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
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The ANU Film Group may be a ripe 55 years old this year, but our home at the Australian National University was established 20 years earlier on August 1, 1946 and are celebrating their milestone 75th anniversary this weekend.

Kicking off a year-long commemoration will be a series of special in-person events on August 1 and 2, intended to honour the past, celebrate the present and look forward to the future. Find out more about what’s on by CLICKING HERE

One of the
events that we’re collaborating with the ANU on is a screening of PENGUIN BLOOM, in case anyone missed out on our original screening earlier this year. This screening is open to all members of the public and no ANUFG membership is required. More details, including registration links for the screening, can be found by CLICKING HERE

Spring Season Begins This Week

22nd July, 2021

The weather outside may be frightful, but we’re hopefully willing warmer days into existence with the beginning of our Spring season of films this week!

Running until October 2, we’re kicking it all off with an acclaimed Aussie dramedy, a spirited animated film, and the long-awaited return of one of the biggest blockbuster franchises around. Don’t forget to check out the full listing at www.anufg.org.au/programme

• THU 22 JULY @ 7:30 PM: JUNE AGAIN (M, 99 mins)

When a twist of fate grants her a brief reprieve from her dementia, a matriarch (Noni Hazlehurst) makes an escape from her aged care home and sets out to put the lives of her estranged adult children back on track, in this Aussie dramedy.

• FRI 23 JULY @ 7:30 PM: FAST & FURIOUS 9 (M, 143 mins – ‘NO GUESTS’ SCREENING)

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) must assemble his crew to confront the sins of the past when his estranged younger brother (John Cena) re-emerges on the hunt for a device capable of controlling any weapons system in the world.

• SAT 24 JULY @ **5 PM**: SPIRIT UNTAMED (G, 88 mins)

A young girl finds her life changed forever when she moves from her home in the city to a small frontier town, where she befriends a wild mustang who shares her rebellious spirit – until a heartless wrangler threatens to capture its herd.