Heart of the Sea

An openly gay filmmaker goes on a conservative religious pilgrimage to Haifa, Israel with his family.

Migrating by sea from Holland as an eight-year-old, Dirk de Bruyn went on to be a doyen of Australian experimental cinema. But as this intimate film reveals, his work is suffused with the trauma of migration, and the struggle to recognise himself as a ‘new Australian'. In conversation with documentarian Steven McIntyre, Dirk guides us through more than 40 years of his filmmaking: the early years exploring technique and technology, a subsequent phase of unflinching self-examination brought on by upheaval and overseas travel, and more recent projects where he attempts a fusion of personal, cultural, and historical identity. What emerges is an inspiring, rugged, and at times poignant portrait of an artist committed to self-expression and self-discovery through the medium of film.

Stephen Cummings is one of Australia's most revered rock 'n' roll icons. Rising to fame as frontman of ‘70s legends The Sports, he has spent more than 30 years at the forefront of the local music scene, forging a reputation both as one of Australian rock's greatest lyrical storytellers and also one of its most incendiary critics. Based on his scathing tell-all memoir Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy?, Don't Throw Stones tells Cummings' story in his own words – as well as the words of those he has so gleefully skewered. Featuring interviews with Michael Gudinski, Steve Kilbey, Joe Camilleri and many more, Don't Throw Stones is a revealing portrait of three decades of rock-world gossip, larger-than-life personalities and good, old-fashioned artistic beef.

Sally: Behind the Smile gives a fly-on-the-wall insight into one of Australia's most beloved athletes as she attempts to overcome some of the biggest hurdles of her burgeoning career in pursuit of that all-encompassing goal, a surfing world title. A Red Bull Media House production realized by Milkmoney, Sally: Behind the Smile is a definitive compilation of all things Sally Fitzgibbons that every aspiring and professional athlete can take something away from.

Frackman tells the story of accidental activist Dayne Pratzky and his struggle against international gas companies. Australia will soon become the world's biggest gas exporter as more than 30,000 'fracked' wells are sunk in the state of Queensland where Dayne lives. He and his neighbours have unwittingly become the centre of a massive industrial landscape and they have no legal right to stop mining on their land. Dayne embarks on a journey that transforms him from conservative pig-shooter to sophisticated global activist as the Frackman. He meets the people drawn into a battle that is crossing the ideological divide, bringing together a peculiar alliance of farmers, activists and political conservatives. Along the way Dayne encounters love, tragedy and triumph.

The film chronicles Nina Simone's journey from child piano prodigy to iconic musician and passionate activist, told in her own words.

The Dreamtime is the Aboriginal worldview. It consists of many different dreaming's. If you look long enough at a bird, stone or a wave, you'll be surprised at what you will find. A surfing journey throughout Australia like never before. Featuring Luke Egan, Munga Barry, and Mark Occhilupo. The music of Not Drowning Waving, Schnell- Fenster, Yothu Yindi, The Woodentops, Concrete Blonde and INXS.

For almost a century the town of Grafton, NSW, has celebrated the magnificence of its jacaranda trees with an inspired festival.In the 1880s a German immigrant planted imported Jacaranda tree seeds along the avenues of Grafton in northern NSW. In 1935 the tree-lined avenues were of such splendour that the council of the day decided to hold a festival to celebrate the blossoming of the trees and the arrival of spring. This program shows how this festival has become an annual event that includes the crowing of The Jacaranda Queen.

The ideal of youth is at the centre of this eloquent film, mixing documentary and fiction, art and experimentation. Demonstrating both formal and narrative freedom, Bélanger weaves a deliberately loose weave in which the initiatory journey of two young people, wandering through Montreal in search of a job, unfolds. But not just any job. The two idealists want a job that will satisfy their desire for freedom, peace and respect. Of course, even though the breath of renewal from Expo 67 still floats here and there, the world they encounter does not correspond - by far - to their aspirations. Strangers in this country that tells them nothing, they come across brutally, materialism, violence, and egocentrism.

Set in a social housing estate in central Sydney, 57 Lawson preserves the disparate voices of the tenants at a time when these communities are becoming increasingly marginalised by the city around them. A patient observation of the daily lives of the area’s inhabitants over the course of one evening, 57 Lawson is a hybrid drama-documentary film about a specific place at a specific time.

Kintaro Walks Japan is a documentary film produced and directed by Tyler MacNiven. It is an account of MacNiven's journey walking and backpacking the entire length of Japan from Kyūshū to Hokkaidō, more than 2000 miles in 145 days.

Australiens Nationalparks - Der Regenwald

Australiens Nationalparks - Die Insel der Teufel

Australiens Nationalparks - Die Küste der Walhaie

A retrospective documentary on filmmaker Andrew Leavold's debut feature, 'Lesbo-A-Go-Go' (2003). This is the tale of a man with big ideas but no budget who assembled a crew and set out to make a faux sixties exploitation film, the kind of film he would want to see though sadly at the time due to the niche nature of the subject matter very few else did. Despite its entrapment in distribution limbo for over a decade, 'Lesbo-A-Go-Go' has garnered a minor cult reputation internationally and this documentary explores the film's sordid production history as well as its enduring legacy. A no-holds-barred tell-all tale with interviews from cast, crew and industry professionals interspersed with never-before-seen alternate takes, bloopers and behind-the-scenes footage from the film.

Loïs Boisson : Résilience

Newbie professional wrestling trainee Thom overcomes personal struggles and undergoes a mental and physical transformation through his dedication to the sport in this moving documentary film.

Four teens from around the world step off the path they were told to follow — and take the road less travelled.

MERAKI follows, an ordinary man with an incredible dream, as he overcomes money hardships, skepticism, and personal challenges to build a 19ft boat and sail solo across the Atlantic, discovering strength and transformation along the way.

A film about Men At Work, their hit single Down Under, and the Kookaburra controversy. The band were sued for copyright infringement and faced the label of 'plagiarists', 35 years after their success. An examination of the organic development of the song, its commercial success and cultural significance and questions the relationship between art and law, influence and copyright.