The Melbourne International Film Festival screens until August 20. Here are a few highlights from the first week of the festival. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Call Me By Your Name is a sensitive coming of age story set in a sun-drenched rural part of Italy in the 1980s and it deals with themes of…
Well crafted, well researched and sharply edited, Descent into the Maelstrom serves up a warts-and-all look at the rise and turbulent times of seminal Australian rock band Radio Birdman. Formed in 1974, the band was at the forefront of the punk new wave scene in the 70s. They came about when American-born medical student Deniz…
Kedi is the Turkish word for cat, and cat lovers everywhere will relish this simple but charming documentary from Turkey about the stray cats that live on the streets of Istanbul. Cats have been a feature of the city for hundreds of years. The adorable feral felines are cared for by the various local people…
The music world is littered with tragic stories of popular singers and their downfall – from Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Most of these stories follow a similar trajectory – a rise to fame at a young age which they struggle to handle, and a descent into…
In an age of political correctness, this is one film that well and truly breaks the mould … and then some. Hotel Coolgardie is a warts-and-all look at Australia’s ugly drinking culture and its impact. Walk into any bar across outback Australia and there’s a good chance your beer will be poured by a young female…
– Whitney: I Can Be Me – Only in cinemas from 15 June 2017 We have 10 double in-season passes thanks to Rialto Distribution. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE Whitney Houston was a sure thing, or as sure as the music industry had ever seen. A transcendent talent with pedigree and…
On 22 January 2008 one of Australia’s brightest shining lights in the entertainment business was snuffed out far too prematurely. A subsequent Oscar winner, the actor, director, musician, photographer, artist and chess guru Heath Ledger passed away at the age of 28. Medical reports indicated his death was accidental, the result of the abuse of prescribed medications. He…
Captivating imagery and insights into a brilliant but troubled mind come from one of Australia’s foremost contemporary artists and is wife of 27 years in this evocative documentary. Brett Whiteley is an Australian cultural icon. Nearly a quarter century after his death, you could argue there has never been anyone in the history of Australian art quite…
I walked out of A Plastic Ocean feeling guilty … guilty that I hadn’t given due consideration to a dramatic and escalating global problem. It is one that is choking the planet and causing death and destruction to creatures and bird life in and living off the seaways … and is carcinogenic to humans. I…
Rosie Jones previously gave us the documentary The Triangle Wars, about a people powered community protest over a proposed development in the suburb of St Kilda. Her latest film, The Family, is a vastly different offering. It explores the history of the strange abusive sect established by former yoga teacher Anna Hamilton-Byrne in Ferny Creek…
