The 2025 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival, presented by Palace, is set to make its grand return this November — rolling out across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide, Ballarat, Byron Bay and Ballina with one of its strongest programs to date.
Spanning exquisite dramas, gripping documentaries, comedies and retrospectives, the festival will once again take over Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova and Luna Palace Cinemas nationwide from 5 November to 7 December.
Daniel Day-Lewis Leads Festival Centrepiece Anemone
The prestigious Centrepiece film comes with serious pedigree — Anemone, a family drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Bean and Samantha Morton, also marks the directorial debut of Ronan Day-Lewis. Co-written by father and son, the film marks Daniel Day-Lewis’s first screen role in eight years, portraying a former British soldier living off-grid who is forced to confront buried trauma from his past.
Emma Thompson Takes on a Snowbound Thriller
Festival audiences can also expect icy tension in The Dead of Winter, starring Emma Thompson as a lone traveller crossing rural Minnesota who stumbles upon a kidnapping in progress. Stranded in the middle of nowhere without phone reception, she becomes the only lifeline for the abducted teen.
Kate Moss & Lucian Freud Bring the Art World to Life
Biopic Moss & Freud revisits the unlikely friendship between supermodel Kate Moss and iconic painter Lucian Freud. Starring Ellie Bamber and Derek Jacobi, the film charts Moss’s decision to sit nude for Freud while pregnant in 2002 — sparking an intense period of self-reflection for the model as she reconnects with her identity outside the public gaze.
John Cleese Hits the Road — Possibly One Last Time
Comedy royalty John Cleese stars in John Cleese Packs It In, a behind-the-scenes look at what may be his final European tour. The documentary captures the Monty Python legend as he battles airport chaos, ageing limbs and his own stubborn refusal to take it easy — all across five countries, sixteen cities and twenty-three shows.
Scottish Adventure The North Brings Scenic Escapism
The festival also offers a gentler kind of journey in The North, an uplifting adventure following two lifelong friends as they trek more than 600 kilometres through the Scottish Highlands, rediscovering nature, nostalgia and companionship along the way.
Festival Dates & Locations
The Russell Hobbs British Film Festival runs 5 November – 7 December across the following venues:
- Melbourne – The Astor Theatre, Palace Balwyn, Brighton Bay, Cinema Como, Westgarth, Penny Lane, Kino, Pentridge, Church St
- Sydney – Palace Norton Street, Moore Park, Chauvel, Palace Central
- Brisbane – Palace Barracks, Palace James Street
- Adelaide – Palace Nova Eastend & Prospect
- Perth – Palace Raine Square, Luna on SX, Leederville, Windsor
- Canberra – Palace Electric
- Ballarat – Palace Regent
- Byron Bay & Ballina – Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
The full program drops mid-October, with tickets going on sale simultaneously at britishfilmfestival.com.au.
Novastream will keep you updated with highlights and top picks once the full lineup is revealed — stay tuned!
