The 2024 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival, returning to the Brisbane from 6 Nov – 8 Dec, has unveiled its spectacular programme. Featuring a star-studded lineup of tender dramas, action-packed thrillers, comedies, documentaries, and retrospectives, starring some of Britain’s most well-known faces including Saoirse Ronan, Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh, Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, and Tim Roth.
Playing at Palace Cinemas, opening this year’s festival is the Premiere of BLITZ, Steve McQueen’s visually stunning period drama depicting pivotal moments of World War II in London and starring Saoirse Ronan, Paul Weller and brilliant newcomer Elliot Heffernan. Closing the festival is another exciting exclusive, the premiere of the highly anticipated WE LIVE IN TIME. With beautifully nuanced performances from Oscar nominees Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, this heart rendering romance delves into the profound question of how to make the most of the time we have in this world.
The 2024 Festival Centrepiece is Mike Leigh’s latest film HARD TRUTHS, which reunites him
with the brilliant Marianne Jean-Baptiste in a darkly humorous and insightful exploration of
family dynamics. The film examines a hypersensitive woman’s impact on her family, blending
compassion with Leigh’s signature attention to detail.
Fresh from its UK release comes THE OUTRUN with Saoirse Ronan once again in the lead
role. After a turbulent life in London, Rona returns to the untamed beauty of Scotland’s
Orkney Islands, her childhood home, seeking to reconcile with her troubled past and find
healing.
Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche star in THE RETURN, an adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey.
Exuding the classical essence of the Greek epic with a distinctly British spin, The Return
offers a meticulously measured classical work with an all-star cast. The film premieres in the
festival ahead of the UK release.
British/French co-production WIDOW CLICQUOT tells a rousing true story offering an
effervescent portrait of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin, the “Grande Dame of Champagne,”
otherwise known as Veuve Clicquot.
Another Australian Premiere is Aylin Tezel’s directorial debut FALLING INTO PLACE. This
tender drama follows Kira (played by Tezel) and Ian, each fleeing their own personal
struggles, who cross paths during a winter weekend on the Isle of Skye. Their connection is
profound but when they return to London, they must confront their past. We are delighted to
announce that Tezel will be joining audiences in person in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane
for a series of Q&A events.
Plunging audiences into Tudor times is the historical drama FIREBRAND. Set during the final
months of King Henry VIII’s reign, his sixth wife, Katherine Parr, faces the perilous challenges
of the Tudor court. Alicia Vikander and Jude Law lead a gripping historical drama about
power and survival.
In special screenings the adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name,
CONCLAVE, stars Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence who is entrusted with the secretive
task of selecting a new Pope, but in the Vatican’s sacred halls, uncovers secrets that could
destabilize the Roman Catholic Church.
Pierce Brosnan and Helena Bonham Carter lead a commanding ensemble cast in FOUR
LETTERS OF LOVE, Polly Steele’s tender story follows Nicholas and Isabel who are destined
for each other, but their path to true love is anything but straightforward.
Other romantic dramas include THE SALT PATH starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs
in career best performances as a couple who embark on a 630-mile coastal walk after losing
their home and facing a terminal diagnosis. And THIS TIME NEXT YEAR about Minnie and
Quinn who are born just one minute apart on the same day, yet their lives take completely
different paths. Years later, a chance encounter offers the perfect moment to take a chance
on love.
Andrea Arnold’s latest film BIRD follows 12-year-old Bailey, who seeks solace in nature as
her distracted father remarries. Through a mysterious encounter, Bailey gains strength to
confront her mother’s abusive partner, exploring themes of identity and resilience. The film
stars Barry Keoghan.
In a special music themed sidebar ‘Brit Rock to Brit Pop’, renowned documentarian Nick
Broomfield uncovers the true story of Brian Jones, the creative force and heartbreaker
behind what would become the world’s greatest rock band The Rolling Stones in THE
STONES AND BRIAN JONES; Iconic rock band Led Zeppelin’s electrifying 1973 Madison
Square Garden performances are captured in THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME, interwoven
with surreal fantasy sequences reflecting the band members’ personas. Fast forward to the
Brit Pop era with BLUR: LIVE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM, an epic two-hour concert film
immortalising Blur’s historic 2023 show at Wembley Stadium which saw the band perform
their iconic and much-loved songs for 150,000 adoring fans plus doco BLUR: TO THE END,
depicting the most recent chapter in the band’s story, captured during the period in which
they made a surprise – and emotional – return with their first record in 8 years, the critically
acclaimed #1 album The Ballad of Darren.
Unconventional rom-com AND MRS tells the tale of a hesitant bride-to-be who loses her
fiancé unexpectedly. She is determined to proceed with the wedding, pledging to defy public
opinion, legal barriers, and the objections of her loved ones; offbeat comedy, THE
RADLEYS, depicts the family of the same name who appear to be an ordinary family, but are
hiding a dark secret: they’re vampires. And in CHUCK CHUCK BABY, Helen’s dull life takes
an unexpected romantic twist when her charismatic childhood friend Joanne returns.
Moving, funny, and charming, this musical rom-com set in a Welsh chicken processing plant
is delightfully unexpected.
Guaranteed to deliver a chuckle is THE PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE. Festival favourite Colm
Meaney and US comedian Paul Reiser star as estranged cousins who, despite never having
met, must resolve a generation’s worth of family disputes – before they start another one!
Time-bending dark comedy TIMESTALKER follows a woman’s obsession with the same bad
boy spanning six centuries offering a razor-sharp commentary on obsession and desire;
whilst in TUESDAY, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a mother and daughter are forced to face
Death when it appears in an unexpected form.
POISON is an intimate exploration of grief and healing, featuring powerful performances by
Tim Roth and Trine Dyrholm. Focusing on Lucas and Edith, a once-married couple estranged
for ten years who reunite under unexpected circumstances.
In EDGE OF SUMMER, two 11-year-olds, drawn together during a summer holiday, embark
on an adventure to uncover the mystery of who or what is calling to them from the depths of
an abandoned tin mine, inspired by an old folk tale; GREY MATTER is a drama based on true
events following troubled teen Chloe Isles as she becomes her grandmother Peg’s carer and
in LIES WE TELL, an orphaned heiress battles her sinister uncle’s schemes to claim her
inheritance. As danger mounts, she defies Gothic conventions, seizing control of her fate in a
feminist reimagining of Uncle Silas.
Marking its 25th anniversary and presented in a new 4K restoration is Lynne Ramsay’s
stunning and confident debut feature RATCATCHER, a haunting portrayal of a troubled
childhood.
In tribute to the late Dame Maggie Smith, James Ivory’s classic melodrama A ROOM WITH
A VIEW will be screened in the festival. The film follows Lucy, a young Englishwoman on a
tour of Florence (played by Helena Bonham Carter) who is chaperoned by her cousin
(played by Smith), as a series of events challenge her societal expectations.
A newly released documentary MERCHANT IVORY focuses on the 44-film collaboration of
Ismail Merchant and James Ivory who delivered decades of acclaimed dramas to audiences.
Now, at 95, Ivory and key collaborators reflect on the production company’s lasting impact
on arthouse cinema.
THE SHAMROCK SPITFIRE follows Brendan “Paddy” Finucane, an Irishman who rises from
eager RAF recruit to legendary fighter ace and the youngest Wing Commander during WWII,
leading his squadron to historic fame.
A retrospective entitled ‘History Restored’ features a selection of British classics that are all
historic dramas. Presented in a new 4K restoration, iconic work A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS
examines Sir Thomas More’s moral stand against King Henry VIII’s divorce, and won six
Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor; based on the novel by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala,
James Ivory’s epic melodrama HEAT AND DUST explores two parallel stories of love and
cultural clash in 1920’s India; Kenneth Branagh’s 1989 rendition of HENRY V is a gritty
adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, acclaimed for his direction and performance; THE LION IN
WINTER starring Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn in a tale of King Henry II’s family
power struggles and THE MUSIC LOVERS, a bold exploration of classical composer
Tchaikovsky’s tumultuous life, with intense performances from Richard Chamberlain and
Glenda Jackson.
We’re very excited to be giving away five in-season double passes to the festival. To be in the running to win one- follow ‘timeoff’ on instagram at “timeoffmagazine” then send an email to with “Blitz” in the subject line. Winners will be notified by return email. QLD addresses only. One entry per person. No entries via third party sites.
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