2024 Saxo Scandinavian Film Festival

Go north this winter with the best new Nordic films at the 2024 Saxo Scandinavian Film Festival.

Now screening at Palace cinemas in Australia until August, the festival showcases films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

I especially enjoyed When the Light Breaks, a poignant drama, directed by Rúnar Rúnarrson.

St Ali Italian film festival 2023

The St Ali Italian film festival 2023 starts on September 20 to mid October in Australia and there is a fantastic line-up of movies to appeal to everyone's tastes, whether you love drama, comedies, documentaries and more.

The films are presented by Palace cinemas and talented Italian-Australian food writer, TV producer and host Silvia Colloca is the 2023 Festival Ambassador.
Opening the festival is the exciting drama, The Last Night of Amore (L'ultima notte di Amore) led by Italian superstar Pierfrancesco Favino.

Film review: The Miracle Club.

A film I thoroughly enjoyed recently was The Miracle Club.

Set in 1967, it is a heartwarming film that follows the story of three generations of close friends.

Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates) and Dolly (Agnes O'Casey) live in Ballygar, a working class village in Dublin.

They have one tantalising dream: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, a place that promises miracles and draws millions of visitors each year.

2023 Spanish Film Festival

Viva la fiesta!

The 2023 HSBC Spanish film festival promises to spice up the winter season with award-winning dramas, comedies, thrillers and documentaries.

Presented by Palace Cinemas, this an annual celebration of film and culture from Spain and Latin America will screen in June and July.

Celebrating 25 years, the festival will present 32 films in total, highlighting women in film making, delicious comedies and gripping dramas.

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

If your knowledge of Indian cinema is limited to Bollywood musicals, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, which runs from 1 to 11 May, will give you a broader view. The festival includes recent mainstream and independent films from across India and the subcontinent and screens at HOYTS cinemas in Melbourne and Chadstone.

Movie Review: Cloudburst

Movie review: Cloudburst

Cloudburst is a wonderful movie, starring Academy award winners Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker and directed by Thom Fitzgerald.

The movie is a touching romantic comedy that deals with some of life's biggest issues.

Stella and Dot are lovers who have been together for 31 years and looked after each other through life's ups and downs.

Now in their seventies and forced to make a brave decision when Dot's granddaughter Molly intervenes in their lives, the pair hit the road and become outlaws on the run.

A Wok on the Wild Side

Film Reviews