Grab the popcorn and brush up on your Britishisms, because the first slate of films for the Russell Hobbs British Film Festival has landed.
Presented by Palace, the 2026 edition of the Russell Hobbs British Film Festival is packed with dramas, documentaries and romantic comedies, screening across Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova and Luna Palace Cinemas from 28 October.
Leading the charge is Wicker, a romantic comedy starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård as an ostracised fisherwoman and the impossibly charming husband she conjures up…expect plenty of raunchy laughs.
Russell Hobbs British Film Festival
- Sydney: 28 Oct – 29 Nov, Palace Norton Street, Palace Moore Park, Palace Central
- Melbourne: 28 Oct – 29 Nov, The Astor Theatre, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema, Palace Church St
- Ballarat: 28 Oct – 29 Nov, Palace Regent Ballarat
- Byron Bay: 28 Oct – 29 Nov, Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas
- Canberra: 28 Oct – 29 Nov, Palace Electric Cinemas
- Adelaide: 28 Oct – 29 Nov, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas
- Brisbane: 29 Oct – 29 Nov, Palace Barracks, Palace James Street
- Perth: 5 Nov – 6 Dec, Palace Raine Square, Luna on SX, Leederville and Windsor
- Full program to be announced, tickets on sale here in October
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
View this post on Instagram
On the more serious end, The Uprising sees Andrew Garfield play a grief-stricken labourer who sparks a peasants’ revolt in the 14th century, with Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane and Katherine Waterston rounding out the cast.
Documentary fans are also well catered for, with Parky offering an intimate look at legendary broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson, whose five-decade career saw him sit down with everyone from Muhammad Ali to Madonna and Sir David Attenborough.
Meanwhile Richard E. Grant and Claire Foy headline Savage House, a darkly comedic period piece about two social climbers who’ll do anything to throw the perfect 18th century dinner party.
The heartfelt stuff hasn’t been forgotten either. Bill Nighy stars in 500 Miles, following two young brothers on a journey across Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula and Dublin to reunite with their estranged grandfather, in a film that digs into what really holds families together.
And from writer-director Nick Moorcraft comes Mother’s Pride, a warm comedy starring Jonno Davies as a man who returns to his small hometown to save his family’s struggling pub from closing its doors for good.
The Russell Hobbs British Film Festival kicks off on 28 October in Sydney, Melbourne, Ballarat, Byron Bay, Canberra and Adelaide, followed by 29 October in Brisbane and 5 November in Perth.
The full programme and tickets will be released in early October.
For more information, head here.
