Return Chute: The Survival of a Small Town Video Store(2023)

Running 62(en)

Zibeon Fielding, Aboriginal TSI man and long distance runner is preparing to run a crazy 62 kilometres. Driven by passion to help those he loves, Zibeon will run further than he ever has before in the heart of Australian desert.

Life in Australia: Wagga Wagga(en)

Made by the Department of Immigration to entice immigrants from Great Britain, this film shows an idyllic picture of life in the New South Wales regional town of Wagga Wagga in the mid 1960s.

Rewind This!(en)

Home video changed the world. The cultural and historical impact of the VHS tape was enormous. This film traces the ripples of that impact by examining the myriad aspects of society that were altered by the creation of videotape.

Rats in the Ranks(en)

Every September Sydney's inner-suburban Leichhardt Council re-elects it mayor. Incumbent Larry Hand was popular with the citizenry but they don't vote for mayor - the 12 councillors do - and after three years of Larry, at least four councillors were after his job. When film-makers Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson settled in at Leichhardt Council in early 1994 the knives were already being sharpened. A battle royal was in the making, and so it came to pass. By the end of September Larry had fought the fight of his life, with Connolly and Anderson documenting every bit of it on film. Ambition, courage, envy, hatred, loyalty, betrayal, disaster, triumph... in other words, a classic study in politics.

On Location With Clarence Claymore(en)

Join Simon Sniffcock in his deep dive interview and behind the scenes look into The Big Lez show and it's creator, Clarence Claymore.

Black Man's Houses(en)

In 1832 the government of Van Diemen’s Land sent the last Aboriginal resistance fighters into exile at Wybalenna on Flinders Island, bringing an end to the Black War and opening a new chapter in the struggle for justice and survival by Tasmanian Aboriginal people. Black Man’s Houses tells a dramatic story of the quest by Aboriginal people to reclaim the graves of their ancestors against a background of racism and denial. Documenting a moving memorial re-enactment of the funeral of the great chief Manalargenna, the film also charts the cultural strength and resilience of his descendants as they are forced to fight for recognition in a society that is not ready to remember the terrible events of the past.

The Platypus Guardian(en)

In a time of hardship, Hobart resident Peter Walsh turns to the secretive platypus for solace, only to discover it is the platypus that need his help to survive in a habitat under threat.

Following the Rabbit-Proof Fence(en)

This documentary follows Phillip Noyce as he tries to find three aboriginal girls able to act in his film Rabbit Proof Fence. The film sees a cast of 100's whittled down to the eventual three girls and follows them through workshops and into the difficult shoot.

Looking for Modern Art: Rethinking Art History(de)

Many twentieth century European artists, such as Paul Gauguin or Pablo Picasso, were influenced by art brought to Europe from African and Asian colonies. How to frame these Modernist works today when the idea of the primitive in art is problematic?

Sydney Castells: Spirit of Catalunya(en)

'Sydney Castells: Spirit of Catalunya' is a documentary exploring Catalan climbing and culture. Bringing light to a relatively unknown community based in Sydney, NSW. Viewing insights into the personal lives of individuals who partake in this thrilling sport.

Life in Australia: Mount Gambier(en)

Made by the Department of Immigration to entice immigrants from Great Britain, this film shows an idyllic picture of life in the South Australian regional town of Mount Gambier in the mid 1960s.

Fatbelly: Chopper...Unchopped(en)

"I’ve done 23 years 9 months in Jail. I’ve done 10 ½ years in H Division. I’ve been stabbed 13 times in 7 difference episodes. I’ve been hit on the head with iron bars. I’ve been hit on the head with claw hammers, shot once, I’ve been run over. I’ve survived 60 serves of shock treatment in 6 months, 1 serve 3 days… I’ve had everything done to me… I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody." Fatbelly is a raw, unique and gritty portrait of Mark ‘Chopper’ Read’s life in his own words. Fatbelly recounts the most graphic and brutal stories of violence, blood, love and survival from Australia’s most notorious gangster. From mental hospitals to the infamous Pentridge division, this jaw dropping film will leave you with a different understanding of the man that is ‘Chopper’.

Cronulla Riots: The Day That Shocked the Nation(en)

On Sunday December 4, 2005, 3 Cronulla lifesavers were coming off duty when they passed a group of 8 Lebanese young men. They stared at each other, a heated verbal exchange turned quickly into a violent brawl, resulting in 3 lifesavers being beaten up. This event was to spark 10 days of violent mob attacks and retaliations, the likes of which Australia had never witnessed. This is the story of the dramatic events covering the lead up to and the 10 days between 4th and 13th December 2005 known as the Cronulla Riots.

Carlos Sainz: The Operator(es)

God's Girls(en)

God's Girls describes life in a Sisters of Mercy convent in country New South Wales from the 1940's to present day. This courageous and clever film investigates the subtle complexities of change within a society that has been surrounded by mystery for hundreds of years. The stories from the women in the film reflect the often intricate paths of social, political and religious history, not only in Australia but also in the rest of the world.

40,000 Years of Dreaming(en)

Australian-born filmmaker George Miller offers a personal view of Australian films. He suggests that they can be regarded as visual music, public dreaming, mythology, and song-lines. In extrapolating the idea of movies as song-lines he examines feature films under the following categories: songs of the land; the bushman; the convicts; the bush-rangers; mates and larrikins; the digger; pommy bashing; the sheilas; gays; the wogs; blackfellas; and urban subversion. He then concludes that these films can be thought of as "Hymns that sing of Australia."

Wonders of the Monsoon(en)

The wildlife and cultures of southern Asia have been shaped by one of the greatest phenomena on Earth: the mighty monsoon winds that sweep across this vast region, turning drought into deluge. All life – human and animal – is dominated by this rampaging weather system. From the northern shores of Australia to the highest peaks of the Himalayas and the wind-blown deserts of northern India to the lush equatorial forests of Borneo, this series makes an exhilarating journey through the lands of the monsoon. Along the way, it offers a taste of the variety and colour of the different regions’ most extraordinary wildlife and cultures and the way they cope with the tumultuous weather. This is the story of a relationship between humans and nature that has grown across thousands of years – all living in the shadow of the monsoon.

Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line(en)

Across a 45-year career ‘The Oils’ helped shape modern Australia with anthems like “US Forces”, “Beds Are Burning” and “Redneck Wonderland”. Featuring unseen footage and interviews with every band member, alongside signature moments including the outback tour with Warumpi Band, their Exxon protest gig in New York and those famous “Sorry” suits at the Sydney Olympics, Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line traces the journey of Australia’s quintessential rock band.

The Day Australia Became a Football Nation(en)

Copa90's Eli Mengem meets some of his biggest heroes in this look at the moment Australia truly embraced the beautiful game, featuring interviews with Fox Sports' Adam Peacock and penalty taking legend John Aloisi amongst other amazing Socceroos.

The Family(en)

Anne Hamilton-Byrne was beautiful, charismatic and delusional. She was also incredibly dangerous. Convinced she was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, Hamilton-Byrne headed an apocalyptic sect called The Family, which was prominent in Melbourne from the 1960s through to the 1990s. With her husband Bill, she acquired numerous children – some through adoption scams, some born to cult members – and raised them as her own. Isolated from the outside world, the children were dressed in matching outfits, had identical dyed blonde hair, and were allegedly beaten, starved and injected with LSD. Taught that Hamilton-Byrne was both their mother and the messiah, the children were eventually rescued during a police raid in 1987, but their trauma had only just begun.