Click on the title to find out more about the film. The Starbox rating by CFS members is shown at right.
Feb 4 Breath (Australia) 3.98
Feb 18 Wajib (Palestine)
Mar 4 Leave No Trace (USA) 4.26
Mar 18 The Insult (Lebanon) 4.38
Apr 1 The Death of Stalin (UK) 3.22
Apr 29 Shoplifters (Japan) 3.53
May 6 Ladies in Black (Australia) 4.49
May 20 A Fantastic Woman (Chile) 3.85
June 3 The Shape of Water (USA) 3.74
Betty Jope Tribute Screening
July 22 Cold War (Poland) 3.83
July 29 Sweet Country (Australia) 4.02
Aug 5 Faces, Places (France) 3.80
Aug 19 Lean on Pete (UK) 3.73
Sep 2 Woman at War (Iceland) 4.16
Sep 15 Paddington 2 (UK)
Kids' screening
Sep 16 Gurrumul (Australia) 4.45
Oct 14 Call Me By Your Name (Italy) 3.09
Oct 28 The Kindergarten Teacher (USA) 3.04
Nov 11 1945 (Hungary) 3.85
Nov 18 Isle of Dogs (USA) 3.48
Dec 2 C'est la Vie (France) 4.21
Australia 2017 M 115 mins director: Simon Baker distributor: Roadshow
Palestine 2017 M 96 mins. director: Annemarie Jacir distributor: Potential
Belgium/Canada/France 2017 M 116 mins directors: Olivier Nakache, Eric Tolédano
Australia 2017 M 115 mins director: Simon Baker distributor: Roadshow
Film-makers are a brave and determined set of people. It takes a lot to get a film financed, cast, set up, made and marketed to the world. This is particularly so if the film-maker has something he or she feels is important to be said or shown. And we hope that in some way, even the light-hearted films on our list have something to say about life, the universe and everything. They are not blockbuster action films.
An unwavering gaze - what can that mean? Yes the slogan is derived from these two wonderful stills from two wonderful films - A Fantastic Woman and Faces, Places - in our program this year. But, as the above slide show demonstrates there are plenty of other unwavering gazes on display this year. That gaze may be a glance of determination, defiance, obsession, passion , love or focus on a job to be done, but they are all arresting, compelling. What we see may be down to the actors and documentary subjects - amazing chameleons, all of them - but the whole effect of a film is down to the director and his determination to get his message out there. We have directors and actors old and new from all over the world and so the range of cultures, issues and dramas is huge. So much to learn, and so much to enjoy.
The audience's gaze is perhaps less unwavering. We may look away in horror or disgust. In extreme circumstances we may walk out - we hope not too often. We have a choice. The film-makers do not - they have something to say and they are determined to say it.
We are very pleased with our selection of films for 2019. They come from all over the world, are sad, funny, thought-provoking and focussed. We hope you will find them the best selection yet.
