We've got a knock-out double feature in store this week with the monster hit (pun fully intended) GODZILLA followed by boxing legends Rocky Balboa and Jake LaMotta (or at least the actors who play them) facing off in GRUDGE MATCH.
• Sat 21 June @ **7 PM**: GODZILLA + GRUDGE MATCH
In GODZILLA, the world's most famous monster makes a devastating return to the big screen in this powerful story of human courage in the face of titanic forces of nature. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe, and Elizabeth Olsen.
Then, from giant lizards to old dinosaurs, GRUDGE MATCH (at approx. 9:15 PM) stars Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone as two aging boxing rivals who are coaxed out of retirement to fight one final bout 30 years after their last match.
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COUNTDOWN TO SEMESTER TWO PROGRAMME
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We’re very excited to announce that our Semester Two 2014 programme will kick off on Thursday 24 July with THE ROVER, the acclaimed Australian post-apocalyptic thriller starring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson.
Our programme will be revealed in its entirety on Monday 30 June, delivered right here to your email inboxes as well as on our website.
In the meantime, join us in counting down on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ANUFG) where we’ll be previewing more of the new programme over the next ten days in the lead-up to the big reveal.
With Semester One winding down and Semester Two drawing ever closer, we’re discounting Annual Memberships to just $55 for the remainder of June!
If you aren’t already a member -- or know someone who isn’t, and should be -- you can join up in person at any screening from this week onwards, or anytime online via our website at www.anufg.org.au/joining. It’s incredible value for entry into over 90 films between now and the end of November. These include our remaining Semester One screenings, including GODZILLA, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, EDGE OF TOMORROW and X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST, as well as over 80 more films on our yet-to-be-announced Semester Two programme.
Speaking of Semester Two, we’re currently in the process of finalising bookings and will announce our new and exciting line-up to you all as soon as we can. In the meantime, make sure you ‘Like’ and keep an eye on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ANUFG) as we’ll be previewing some highlights there in the lead-up to the big reveal. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, here’s what’s on this week:
• Sat 14 June @ **7 PM**: THE GREAT BEAUTY + THE GILDED CAGE
In THE GREAT BEAUTY, this year’s Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, an ageing lothario who has charmed his way through Rome for decades begins to look past the lavish nightlife to discover a city of exquisite beauty.
Then, in cross-cultural comedy THE GILDED CAGE (at approx. 9:30 PM), when a hard-working Portuguese couple living in Paris get news of a sizable inheritance and make preparations to return home, their neighbours and friends scramble to prevent them from leaving.
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WANTED: DOOR PERSON FOR SEMESTER TWO 2014
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Are you keen to help out the Film Group by being a door person for our upcoming semester?
All you have to do is show up 30 minutes before rostered screenings and scan people in at the door. Best of all, if you complete the required number of sessions in a single semester, we’ll shout you a free membership for Semester One 2015!
The only prerequisites are that you need to be a current member of the group and can master the skill of pressing a button. Interested? Email us at info@anufg.org.au ASAP.
We kick off the month of June (and the university non-teaching period) with a double feature of two highly acclaimed documentaries. Plus, read on for your chance to win tickets to British musical drama GOOD VIBRATIONS.
• Sat 7 June @ **7 PM**: BLACKFISH + THE ACT OF KILLING
Take an eye-opening look at a majestic-yet-deadly creature in BLACKFISH, a controversial documentary that examines orca whales and their extraordinary nature, and the species' cruel treatment by the sea-park industry.
Then, check out THE ACT OF KILLING (at approx. 8:30), a powerful Oscar-nominated documentary that challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to re-enact their mass killings in the cinematic genres of their choice, including gangster flicks, westerns and lavish musicals.
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NO CANTEEN ON SATURDAY 7 JUNE
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Please note that our canteen will NOT be operating at this Saturday’s session due to the long weekend holiday. The canteen will resume service as normal from next week. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
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COMPETITION: WIN TICKETS TO ‘GOOD VIBRATIONS’!
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Thanks to Curious Distribution, we have tickets to give away to the feel-good British musical drama GOOD VIBRATIONS, which will be screening at Palace Electric Cinemas from June 12.
GOOD VIBRATIONS follows Terri Hooley, a music lover who unwillingly gets caught up in the chaos of 1970s Belfast and Northern Ireland’s violent nationalist conflicts. In an effort to bring his damaged city back to life, he opens up a record store and in the process inadvertently discovers the new music genre of punk rock.
To view the film’s trailer, head over to http://curiousdistribution.com/coming-soon/good-vibrations.aspx
For your chance to win one of ten in-season double passes to the film, simply reply to this message -- or email info@anufg.org.au -- with your name, membership number (located underneath the barcode on your card) and the answer to the following question: ‘What musical genre does Terri Hooley discover in GOOD VIBRATIONS?’
Entries close on Friday 13 June at 5 PM. Winners will be drawn from all correct entries received, with winners to be contacted via email and prizes to be collected at ANU Film Group screenings.
Johnny Depp turns into a computer and Russell Crowe builds a boat in just two of this week’s many and varied screenings at the ANU Film Group. Here’s what’s on:
• Thu 29 May @ 7:30 PM: TRANSCENDENCE
A dying scientist’s (Johnny Depp) drive for artificial intelligence takes on dangerous implications when his consciousness is uploaded into a sentient machine with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
• Fri 30 May @ 7:30 PM: SHORT TERM 12 + A HIJACKING
In the critically acclaimed SHORT TERM 12, a young woman (Brie Larson) who has dedicated her life to helping disadvantaged children must contend with some unexpected life developments while working at a home for at-risk teens.
Then, Danish thriller A HIJACKING (at approx. 9:15 PM) finds the crew of a cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates, who then proceed to engage in escalating and increasingly tense negotiations with authorities in Copenhagen.
• Sat 31 May @ **7 PM**: NOAH + LE WEEK-END
In NOAH, Russell Crowe plays a man is chosen by his world’s creator to undertake a momentous mission before an apocalyptic flood cleanses the world. Directed by Darren Aronofsky (BLACK SWAN, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM).
Then, in candid comedy LE-WEEKEND, a British couple (Jim Broadbent, Lindsay Duncan) return to Paris many years after their honeymoon there in an attempt to rejuvenate their marriage. Directed by Roger Michell (NOTTING HILL).
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ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS FOR 2013/14 EXPIRE ON SUNDAY!
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Just a reminder that last year’s 2013/14 Entertainment Books will be expiring this Sunday on June 1st. Only a few days left to make the most of your $20,000 in offers!
And if you haven’t already picked up a new Entertainment Book for 2014/15 -- or signed up for the handy new Entertainment Digital Membership -- be sure to purchase one from the Film Group to help our fundraising efforts.
Speak to the Duty Manager at the door at any screening for more information, or purchase yours directly online here: https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/2e5740
There’s bound to be something for everyone this week, with superheroes, Muppets, fast cars, and award-winning documentaries and foreign films all making an appearance at the Film Group.
We’re also on the lookout for volunteers interested in helping out with our Semester Two 2014 booklet, so read on to find out more, but first, here’s what’s on this week:
• Wed 21 May @ 7:30 PM: BLANCANIEVES
In 1920s Seville, a young female bullfighter is shunned by her evil stepmother and runs away with a troupe of dwarves, eventually becoming a legend in this Spanish twist on the Snow White fairy tale.
** NOTE: This screening has been rescheduled from its originally programmed date **
• Thu 22 May @ 7:30 PM: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) fights to protect New York City from a string of formidable new villains, and comes to realise that all of them have one thing in common: the mysterious corporation Oscorp.
• Fri 23 May @ 7:30 PM: STORIES WE TELL + SISTER
In STORIES WE TELL, writer-director Sarah Polley sets out to make a documentary about her family of storytellers but ends up discovering an unexpected truth about her own life instead.
Then, in SISTER (at approx. 9:30 PM), a young boy works to support his older sister (Léa Seydoux) by stealing from wealthy guests at the Swiss ski resort near where they live, but all is not as it seems.
• Sat 24 May @ **7 PM**: MUPPETS MOST WANTED + NEED FOR SPEED
In MUPPETS MOST WANTED, The Muppets embarks on a grand world tour but soon find themselves caught up in a sinister jewel-heist caper headed by a criminal mastermind impersonating Kermit the Frog.
Then, in NEED FOR SPEED (at approx. 9 PM), a street racer who was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit takes part in a cross-country race in order to take revenge on the man who betrayed him.
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WANTED: REVIEW WRITERS FOR SEMESTER TWO 2014
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Do you like movies? Do you like writing? Do you like writing about movies? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you might be interested to know that we’re currently seeking review writers for our Semester Two 2014 booklet.
All reviews will be published in our 64-page booklet that all members receive at the beginning of each semester, as well as on our website. Reviews will need to be approximately 200-250 words in length and completed over a period of 7-10 days in early June, so please only volunteer if you think you’ll have time around then to contribute.
Successful volunteers will be sent a list of films from which they can nominate the ones they’d like to write reviews for, and you’re welcome to write just one review or as many as you’d like.
Please also note that:
1. The ANU Film Group does not provide reviewers with tickets to, or a copy of, films that they have been assigned to review.
2. Unsolicited reviews will not be accepted.
So if you love movies or writing -- or both -- and are keen to contribute to the Film Group, be sure to write to us at info@anufg.org.au by SUNDAY 25 MAY.
P.S. Film suggestions also close on Sunday, so don’t forget to suggest films that you’d like to see on our upcoming programme by heading to www.anufg.org.au/suggestions
Due to a technical difficulty, last Wednesday’s screening of BLANCANIEVES had to be postponed to a later date.
We have now confirmed that the film will instead be screened on WEDNESDAY 21 MAY at the usual time of 7:30 PM.
Set in 1920s Seville, BLANCANIEVES follows a young girl who is shunned by her evil stepmother and runs away with a troupe of dwarves. She eventually discovers a natural talent as a bullfighter and becomes a legend in this uniquely Spanish twist on the Snow White fairy tale.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the postponement and hope that you will be able to make the new screening date.
This week, check out the last of this semester’s Best Picture nominees, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, along with star-studded ensembles, an acclaimed indie and more. Plus, your chance to win tickets to see award-winning Polish drama IDA.
• Tue 13 May @ 7:30 PM: FRUITVALE STATION
On January 31st, 2008, a young man (Michael B. Jordan) sets about getting a head start on his New Year's resolutions, only to discover that the last day of the year is also the last day of his life.
• Thu 15 May @ 7:30 PM: DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
In 1985, an electrician (Matthew McConaughey) works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he himself is diagnosed with the disease. Winner of three Academy Awards, including Best Actor.
• Fri 16 May @ 7:30 PM: THE TURNING
A collection of seventeen short films based on stories by Tim Winton, each exploring various turning points in life. The films are directed by and feature some of Australia’s finest filmmakers, including Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne and Hugo Weaving.
• Sat 17 May @ **7 PM**: THE MONUMENTS MEN followed by THE SPRIT OF ‘45
In THE MONUMENTS MEN, an unlikely WWII platoon is tasked with recovering culturally important items from Nazi thieves before their destruction. Starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray and Cate Blanchett.
Then, in THE SPIRIT OF ’45 (at approx. 9 PM), take a look back at the radical changes -- including the founding of the welfare state -- made in Britain following the end of WWII in this documentary from director Ken Loach.
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COMPETITION: WIN TICKETS TO ‘IDA’!
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Thanks to Curious Distribution, we have tickets to give away to the award-winning Polish drama IDA, which will be screening at Greater Union Manuka from May 22.
The film follows a young woman living in Poland in 1962, who is preparing to become a nun at the convent where she has lived since being orphaned as a child. Before taking her vows, she first sets out to visit her only living relative, an aunt, who embarks with her on a journey to uncover her roots.
To view the film’s trailer, head over to http://www.curiousdistribution.com/coming-soon/ida.aspx
For your chance to win one of ten in-season double passes to the film, simply reply to this message -- or email info@anufg.org.au -- with your name, membership number (located underneath the barcode on your card) and the answer to the following question: ‘In what country does IDA take place?’
Entries close on Tuesday 20 May at 5 PM. Winners will be drawn from all correct entries received, with winners to be contacted via email and prizes to be collected at ANU Film Group screenings.
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ROTARY CLUB FUNDRAISER: ‘SUNSHINE ON LEITH’
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For those of you who don’t know, our canteen is run by the Rotary Club of Woden Daybreak, with all proceeds from any purchases made there going towards charitable initiatives.
Next week, the Rotary Club is hosting a charity fundraising preview screening of the upcoming feel-good musical film SUNSHINE ON LEITH at Limelight Cinemas Tuggeranong. Tickets are $25, with all proceeds going to MS Australia, to be used to assist people in Canberra who have Multiple Sclerosis.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, speak to anyone at the canteen at an upcoming Film Group screenings, or book your tickets online here: http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=81787
It’s a blockbuster-filled week this week as two of the year’s biggest films -- as well as a couple of smaller-but-equally-awesome films -- screen at everyone’s favourite Film Group. Plus, your chance to win tickets to Australian drama HEALING, starring Hugo Weaving. But first, here’s what’s on:
• Wed 7 May @ 7:30 PM: BLANCANIEVES
In 1920s Seville, a young female bullfighter is shunned by her evil stepmother and runs away with a troupe of dwarves, eventually becoming a legend in this Spanish twist on the Snow White fairy tale.
• Fri 9 May @ 7:30 PM: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER followed by LONE SURVIVOR
In Marvel’s acclaimed superhero sequel, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) struggles to embrace his role in the modern world while exposing a conspiracy and battling an unexpected enemy from the past.
Then, in LONE SURVIVOR (at approx. 10 PM), four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralise a high-level Taliban operative are ambushed by enemy forces in Afghanistan, and are left to fight for their lives in this heroic true story.
• Sat 10 May @ **7 PM**: THE LEGO MOVIE followed by THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
Everything is awesome in THE LEGO MOVIE when a perfectly ordinary construction worker is mistakenly identified to be a prophesised saviour and is recruited into an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant and save the world.
Then, in THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST (at approx. 8:45 PM), a young Pakistani man chasing corporate success in America finds himself embroiled in a conflict between his American Dream and the enduring call of his homeland and his religion.
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WIN TICKETS TO 'HEALING', STARRING HUGO WEAVING!
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Thanks to Pinnacle Films, we have tickets to give away to Australian drama HEALING, starring Hugo Weaving and Don Hany.
The film tells the story of Viktor (Hany) who has almost given up on life after 18 years in prison. Near the end of his sentence, he is sent to a low-security prison farm in regional Victoria where a case worker (Weaving) has established a unique program that aims to rehabilitate broken men by tasking them with caring for injured animals. There, Viktor is introduced to a majestic Wedge-Tailed Eagle and so begins a powerful true story of redemption, hope and the healing of the human spirit.
HEALING will be screening at Dendy Canberra, Palace Electric and Greater Union Manuka from May 8. Find out more about the film, and check out its trailer, here: http://www.healingthemovie.com.
For your chance to win one of five in-season double passes to the film, simply reply to this message -- or email us at info@anufg.org.au -- with your name, membership number, and your answer to the following question: 'What film on the ANU Film Group's Semester One 2014 programme does Hugo Weaving appear in?'
Entries close on Tuesday 13 May at 5 PM. Winners will be drawn from all correct entries received, with winners to be contacted via email and prizes to be collected at future ANU Film Group screenings.
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ENTERTAINMENT BOOK: GET MUM OVER $20,000 IN OFFERS!
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Don't forget that Mother's Day is this weekend! Still looking for a gift? Entertainment Books are gifts that keep giving all year long and are now available for sale through the ANU Film Group.
For only $60, she'll receive over $20,000 worth of valuable offers that can be used from now until June 1st, 2015. Plus, 20% from every Entertainment Book or Membership we sell contributes to Film Group fundraising, so the more we sell, the more we raise.
To buy one, speak to the laminator at any screening or purchase yours online here: https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/2e5740
This week, Robert Redford drifts at sea, families deal with very different crises, while Greek soldiers and vampires bring blood and gore to the big screen.
Plus, film suggestions are now open for Semester Two 2014, so read on to find out how to have your say on what you’d like to see at the Film Group next semester. But first, here’s what’s on:
• Thu 1 May @ 7:30 PM: ALL IS LOST
After a collision with a shipping container, a man (Robert Redford) sailing in a yacht alone finds himself fighting for survival and staring mortality in the face. One of the most acclaimed films of 2013, featuring a tour de force performance by Redford.
• Fri 2 May @ 7:30 PM: HOW I LIVE NOW followed by ILO ILO
In British post-apocalyptic drama HOW I LIVE NOW, an American teenager (Saorise Ronan) is sent to the English countryside to stay with her relatives, and finds love and purpose while fighting for her survival as war envelops the world around her.
Then, in Singaporean family drama ILO ILO (at approx. 9:15 PM), the poor relationship between a couple and their young son is further strained by the arrival of their new Filipino maid and the struggles of the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997.
• Sat 3 May @ **7 PM**: 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE followed by BYZANTIUM
In 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE, Greek general Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) leads the charge against invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and Artemisia (Eva Green), vengeful commander of the Persian navy.
Then, in BYZANTIUM (at approx. 8:45 PM) two mysterious women (Gemma Arterton and Saorise Ronan) with a lethal secret seek refuge in a run-down coastal town, but knowledge of their true identity quickly spreads as their past catches up on them with deathly consequence.
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SUGGEST FILMS FOR SEMESTER TWO 2014 NOW!
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We’re only half way through Semester One, but it’s never too early to get started on our programme for next semester. And this is your chance to let us know what you’d like to see in Semester Two 2014.
Suggest any film that you’d like to see on our upcoming programme by filling out a suggestion form at www.anufg.org.au/suggestions. Printed forms will also be available from the laminator below the screen at all screenings from this Thursday onwards.
Feel free to suggest upcoming releases, beloved classics or anything in between but please keep in mind that, in order to maintain the variety of films on our programme, we do not screen films that we have shown in the last six semesters. So make sure you check out our Programme Archive (www.anufg.org.au/programme/archive) before suggesting a recent release that we may have screened not too long ago.
Film suggestions will close on Sunday 25 May at 11:59 PM.
Screenings resume at the Film Group after the Easter break this week with a selection of notable foreign films, including the highly-requested, Oscar-nominated Danish drama THE HUNT.
Don’t forget that our competition to win tickets and 2-for-1 passes to the Spanish Film Festival at Palace Electric closes this Sunday (more here: http://www.anufg.org.au/news/84). And read on to find out more about the awesome value of the Entertainment Book and how to purchase or collect yours. But first, here’s what’s on this week:
• Wed 23 Apr @ 7:30 PM: FILL THE VOID
In this award-winning Israeli drama, a young Hasidic Jewish woman is pressured into an arranged marriage to a widower, who happens to be the husband of her older sister who died in childbirth.
• Sat 26 Apr @ **7 PM**: THE HUNT followed by WHITE LIES
In THE HUNT, a recently divorced schoolteacher (Mads Mikkelsen) becomes the target of mass hysteria after an innocent lie turns his town’s close-knit community against him. Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
Then, in New Zealand’s WHITE LIES (at approx. 9 PM), a medicine woman is approached by a wealthy woman to assist her in hiding a secret that has the potential to save a life, but may destroy another in the process.
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NEW ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT SCREENINGS
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The new Entertainment Book for 2014/2015 is now available for purchase at all ANU Film Group screenings from the laminating table beneath the screen.
Get over $20,000 worth of offers for restaurants, cafés, attractions, accommodation, travel and more in Canberra and beyond for just $60. Plus, a portion of proceedings from each book purchased through us goes towards ANUFG fundraising, so it's win-win for all involved. Too good to be true? Check out a sample book in person at screenings, or preview the book online by clicking here: http://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/about/Tell-Me-More/Canberra
To order your Entertainment Book, in either traditional book format, or the all-new digital membership, go here now: https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/2e5740
Pre-purchased books will also be available for collection at all screenings from the laminating table.