OBSERVER: Russell Hobbs British Film Festival
From November 5 to December 7, the 2025 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival, will open in cities across Australia, screening at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova and Luna Palace Cinemas.
Opening the festival is the Australian premiere of The Choral, a wartime drama with a cast led by Ralph Fiennes, and directed by Nicholas Hytner.
As a group of choralists discover the joys of singing, the young male members must also come to terms with their imminent conscription into the army.
Exploring humour and humanity at the heart of a community facing an uncertain future, the film also stars Roger Allam, Mark Addy and Amara Okereke.
The Special Presentation is Oliver Hermanus’ The History of Sound, a period drama starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor. A decade spanning romance centered around the power of music.
Marking the return to the screen of Daniel Day-Lewis, Anemone is this year’s Festival Centrepiece. Heralding the directorial debut of son Ronan Day-Lewis, with whom Daniel Day-Lewis co-wrote the script, Anemone also features performances from Sean Bean and Samantha Morton. The film explores the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons.
Closing the festival is Oscar winner Chloé Zhao’s (Nomadland,The Rider) adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet, starring Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakes-peare and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare.
This tale about the complexities of love and the healing power of art and creativity, sets the stage for the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.
A selection of real-life stories feature in this year’s lineup profiling iconic British identities including John Cleese, Twiggy and John Lennon.
In what might be his final European tour, John Cleese Packs It In is a wry, behind-the-scenes portrait of a comedy legend on the road, battling various ailments, chaotic travel, and his own stubborn refusal to stop.
Exploring the final decade in the life of John Lennon, the documentary Borrowed Time – Lennon’s Last Decade charts Lennon’s turbulent post-Beatles years of art, activism, and reinvention.
Evolving beyond the Beatles, he created music and stood at the forefront of anti-war protests that would make him one of the most influential pop culture icons of all time.
In documentary Twiggy, the meteoric rise of the 1960s style icon is explored. The film showcases the fashion, fame, and fearless individuality of Twiggy, during a culturally significant period of British history.
To complement the documentary, Ken Russell’s The Boy Friend (1971), Twiggy’s first film role, also features in this year’s festival.
Twiggy shines as an understudy turned star in this tap-dancing love letter to 1920s musicals.
The Australian premiere of Grow is a tale full of giant pumpkins, madcap characters, and a little girl who just might be a pumpkin-growing savant starring Nick Frost, Alan Carr and Jane Horr-ocks.
Bookings: palacecinemas.
com.au
Cheryl Threadgold