The Blind Sea is an inspiring and thrilling documentary that tells the story of how champion para-surfer Matt Formston’s defiance in the face of adversity has led to a life of overcoming obstacles and preconceptions of what it is to live with a disability.

Born with macular dystrophy, Formston would win an Olympic gold medal for paracycling and later become a para-surfing world champion, with The Blind Sea chronicling Formston’s quest to ride the big waves of Nazare, Portugal.

Directed by Daniel Fenech, The Blind Sea is not only an exploration of a life untethered by a disability, but it also has the feel of a heist movie as Formston assembles an international crew to help find that perfect big wave.

An Australian made indie slasher of tense atmosphere, dense subject matter, and bloody kills, Bliss of Evil proves to be a great addition to a thriving Australian horror scene.

Set in 1997, Bliss of Evil tells the story of a local grunge band who find themselves locked inside a music studio and preyed upon by a demented killer (Corrie Hinschen) who smears the blood of his victims on his face.

The brainchild of star/producer Hinschen and director/producer Josh Morris, Bliss of Evil utilises its micro-budget to create an intimate and thrilling slasher while also delving into themes of trauma and abuse.

With Hinckley, Australian filmmaker Neil McGregor fixed his gaze upon the life, crime, and attempted redemption of notorious American figure John Hinckley Jr. who in 1981 attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan.

Featuring exclusive access to John Hinckley Jr. himself (who was released from psychiatric care in 2016) and an impressive use of archive footage, Hinckley proves to be an absorbing and unsparing profile of a man whose shocking act of political violence still resonates today, while also asking if redemption is possible for a man who committed one of the most shocking crimes of the 21st century.

Based on the biography written by journalist and author Andrew Rule (who also narrates the film), the Janine Hosking directed A Horse Named Winx tells the story of the worlds greatest racehorse who captivated racing pundits worldwide during her epic 33 race winning streak.

A captivating exploration into the triumphs and struggles of managing the success and livelihood of a once-in-a-generation thoroughbred, A Horse Named Winx successfully portrays the stakes at play behind-the-stables, with that thin line between fairytale finish and tragedy toed with every nail bitting race.

During a time when the ethics of horse racing has increased in scrutiny, A Horse Named Winx reminds of the grounded character and energetic spirit found in the horse-racing community.

Australia has a long history of movies about “the little dog that could” and the family friendly Runt proves to be a barking good addition to the pack.

Directed by John Sheedy, Runt tells the story of young Annie (Lily LaTorre) and her mischievous dog Runt, who enter an agility course competition where the winnings will be enough to help her battler family save their drought-stricken farm from the clutches of an evil land baron (Jack Thompson.)

Also starring Jai Courtney and Celeste Barber, Runt brings that patented quirky Aussie charm to an energetic and entertaining family flick that also knows how to pull on the heart strings.   

Prolific director Robert Connolly returned to the world of author Jane Harper with Force of Nature: The Dry 2, a sequel to the 2021 hit movie The Dry that stars Eric Bana as a federal police detective who investigates the disappearance of an informant (Anna Torv) in the dense Victorian mountain ranges.

An engrossing crime thriller that features much in the way of dramatic and genre stakes along with engrossing performances from Bana, Torv, and Richard Roxborough, Force of Nature: The Dry 2 also wows with its filmed on-location setting of Victoria’s National Park which cinematographer Andrew Comis captures in all its dense and eerie atmosphere.

Sequels are a rarity in Australian film, which only makes Force of Nature: The Dry that much better.

Rapid-fire action sequences and high-stakes thrills are delivered in Life After Fighting, an impressively made indie action thriller starring and directed by martial arts superstar Bren Foster.

Set and shot in Western Sydney, Life After Fighting stars Foster as Alex Faulkner, a recently retired MMA champion who takes pride in his new role as a martial arts instructor at his training centre. When Alex strikes up a relationship with single mother Samantha (Cassie Howarth) he is unexpectedly thrust into the fight of his life when Samantha’s ex-husband Viktor (Luke Ford) reveals his sinister side, leading to a criminal conspiracy involving child trafficking.

With its blend of old-school action movie storytelling and advanced fight sequences, Life After Fighting will win over action fans new and old. It is also refreshing to watch an action movie where you know the star can kick your arse in real life, especially in these costume-padded superhero times.

Memoir of a Snail – Adam Elliot’s follow-up to his award-winning feature film Mary and Max – is a wonderfully crafted and suitably quirky stop-motion odyssey of one young woman’s hard-knocks life that is as sad as it is charming.

Memoir of a Snail isn’t for the faint-hearted with its themes of death, loneliness, and mental and spiritual abuse sure to be a downer for some. Elliot, however, compliments those moments of darkness with heart lifting reminders that the dawn does indeed follow the night, even when the rays of the sun fall upon the slums of poor class Australia.

George Miller expands the wasteland in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, a rip-roaring prequel that blends high-octane action sequences with a story of a warrior’s quest in a sun-scorched world gone mad.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga stars Anya Taylor-Joy as the title character, an adventurous child abducted by savage warlord Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) who murders her mother Mary (Charlee Fraser) and later trades Furiosa to powerful cult leader Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). It is in his citadel where Furiosa rises to become a feared warrior whose fiery need for revenge against Dementus grows.

At two hours and 28 minutes there is a lot to take on with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, yet so enthralling is this story of love and hate in a world of blood, sand, and chrome that this latest chapter in the Mad Max series is worth every gear-crunching minute and then some. Where Mad Max: Fury Road was a full-faucet heavy metal thrasher, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the prog-metal equivalent with its epic structure spanning 15 years and presented in several chapters allowing moments of respite and even tenderness alongside the Mad Max calling cards to vehicular mayhem and human savagery.

Presented as a lost recording of the “live TV event that shocked a nation!”, Late Night with the Devil is a unique horror movie experience in which scares are delivered under the bright lights of prime time. It is a feat that Australian directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes pull off with impressive flair, with the transparent nature of the late-night TV format restricting the usual horror cheat-codes of dark lighting and jump-scare sound trickery.

Late Night with the Devil stars David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy, the struggling late-night host of Night Owls who after time away to grieve the death of his wife returns with a special Halloween episode in which the feature guest is a teenage girl named Lilly (Ingrid Torelli) who was recently saved from a satanic cult. It turns out, though, that Lily has a demon inside of her, a frightening fact that Jack and his audience will soon have to reckon with.

Set during the late 1970s, the Cairnes brothers tap into strong psychological and spiritual effect the fear, violence, and paranoia of that decade had a upon the American people, especially when scenes of chaos and war were displayed on TV sets across the nation while Charles Manson and Anton Lafey jockey for screen time against Johnny Carlson.

In a rare leading turn, Dastmalchian delivers one of his best performances as a man whose desire to ascend his status as a mid-tier talk show host results in ramifications sinister and deadly, yet sure to boost those slagging ratings. Great too is Ingrid Torelli as a wide-eyed teen dealing with demon’s literal and metaphoric, and Fayssal Bazzi who delivers a scene-stealing turn as a medium plagued by a nefarious spirit.