Winter is coming, and so too is the 2025 Hurtigruten Scandinavian Film Festival, presenting the best new cinema from the Nordic region this July until August at Palace Cinemas.

Keep your eyes to the skies, something super is soaring your way... The legendary Man of Steel crashes back to earth in Warner Bros' spectacular reimagining of the most popular superhero of all time: SUPERMAN, starring David Corenswet (Twisters). The beginning of a whole new adventure... From celebrated auteur James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise), comes Superman, DC Studios’ first feature in a new series of films based on the enduring DC comic book universe. The high-flying spectacle follows the iconic titular superhero as he reconciles his alien Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as reporter Clark Kent. In his glorious signature style - a singular blend of epic action, humour and heart - Gunn pays homage to previous eras of Superman while also forging a new exciting path, introducing a new kind of Supe who embodies truth, justice and believes in the goodness of humankind in a cynical world that considers these values to be old-fashioned. Also starring Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult (The Favourite, Nosferatu) as supervillain Lex Luthor, and introducing the "Justice Gang" - Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific and Green Lantern - prepare to see Superman blast into a thrilling new era!

“You’re going to feel like you’re in the seat” From the visionary director behind Top Gun: Maverick, Joseph Kosinski, comes the high-octane, action-packed sports drama, F1: THE MOVIE, starring Oscar winner Brad Pitt and rising talent Damson Idris (Snowfall series). Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” racing legend Sonny Hayes (Pitt) is coaxed out of retirement to lead “APXGP”, a struggling Formula One team that’s on the verge of collapse. Convinced by his former teammate to return to the sport he once loved, save the failing team and chase one more chance at glory, he sets out to mentor and drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) – the team's hotshot rookie intent on setting his own pace. As the engines roar, Sonny finds his past catching up with him and soon discovers that in Formula One racing, your teammate is your fiercest competition – and the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone. With unprecedented access to real F1 Grand Prix circuits and cutting-edge camera technology, F1: THE MOVIE delivers an electrifying, inside-the-cockpit perspective of Formula One racing like never before. One of 2025’s most anticipated cinematic powerhouses, this adrenaline-fuelled spectacle goes beyond the track to tell a feel-good, visceral story of triumph, heartbreak, and the sheer drama of the world’s most iconic motorsport. Featuring real F1 drivers from all ten teams, with full support from world champion driver and producer Lewis Hamilton, the FIA and race promoters, F1: THE MOVIE offers an unparalleled and truly immersive moviegoing experience.

A new era is born. This July, three years after the Jurassic World trilogy concluded, the enduring Jurassic series evolves in an ingenious new direction with Jurassic World Rebirth. Anchored by iconic action superstar Scarlett Johansson, Emmy and SAG nominee Jonathan Bailey and two-time Oscar® winner Mahershala Ali, this action-packed new chapter sees an extraction team race to the most dangerous place on Earth, an island research facility for the original Jurassic Park, inhabited by the worst of the worst that were left behind. Also starring acclaimed international stars Rupert Friend and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, the film is directed by dynamic visualist Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) from a script by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp. Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind. Academy Award® nominee Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure the genetic material. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on a forbidden island that had once housed an undisclosed research facility for Jurassic Park. There, in a terrain populated by dinosaurs of vastly different species, they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that has been hidden from the world for decades. Ali is Duncan Kincaid, Zora’s most trusted team member; Critics Choice and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey (Wicked, Bridgerton) plays paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis; Emmy nominee Rupert Friend (Homeland, Obi-Wan Kenobi) appears as Big Pharma representative Martin Krebs and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer, Murder on the Orient Express) plays Reuben Delgado, the father of the shipwrecked civilian family.

A24 reteams up with newly crowned queen of love triangles, writer/director Celine Song - the mind behind 2023’s Oscar-nominated breakout indie hit, Past Lives - for the star-studded and stylish matchmaking rom-com, MATERIALISTS. Following her masterfully melancholic and quietly devastating portrayal of enduring love in Past Lives, Song finds a lighter and wittier note in MATERIALISTS, but similarly delivers a divinely executed exploration of the human condition. Featuring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal entangled in an epic love triangle, MATERIALISTS sees a young, ambitious matchmaker Lucy (Johnson), torn between the perfect match (Pascal) and her imperfect ex (Evans). With magnetic chemistry between the A-list leading trio, and a sharp but playful script from Song, this rom-com is incredibly easy to love.

The apocalypse is upon us… Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) and Oscar-nominated writer Alex Garland (Civil War, Ex Machina) reunite for 28 YEARS LATER, a terrifying new “auteur horror” set in the same devastated world they created in post-apocalyptic horror, 28 Days Later. It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one member of the group (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well. The highly anticipated next instalment in the genre-defining zombie thriller franchise features an all-star lineup including Golden Globe winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nosferatu), Emmy winner Jodie Comer (Prima Facie), Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes (Conclave) and BAFTA rising star Jack O’Connell (Sinners), introducing Alfie Williams. Executive produced by OG 28 Days Later survivor, Cillian Murphy, 28 YEARS LATER is merely the first in a new planned trilogy of films from the brilliant minds of Boyle and Garland. 

Get ready to laugh, swoon, and shed a tear with the heartfelt crowd-pleaser, A NICE INDIAN BOY, executive produced by Comedy Queen Mindy Kaling. Premiering to critical acclaim at SXSW 2024, this surprise hit has been hailed as "One of the funniest, most heartfelt rom-coms in years" (Collider). Tired of being labelled “single” at cousin’s weddings, Naveen (Karan Soni; 'Deadpool') suddenly meets Jay (Jonathan Groff; 'Glee') in a strange turn of events that Jay puts down to “fate”. White, orphaned, free-spirited and an artist, Jay is everything Naveen is not and everything he’s ever wanted at the same time. Though as time passes and the two get engaged, Naveen must gravel with one terrifying, world-ending scenario! That Jay will have to meet his family. His traditional Indian family. With Soni and Groff’s chemistry made in the stars and a stellar cast of comedy film regulars including Sunita Mani (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Harish Patel (Run Fatboy Run) and force-of-nature stand-up comedian Zarna Garg, A NICE INDIAN BOY is a story of love, culture and identity, celebrated by audiences as one of the most beautiful, feel-good rom-coms of 2025.

One of the year’s finest and most vital French films, and the winner of three prestigious awards at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, writer/director Boris Lojkine’s vivid and compassionate new drama follows a young courier as he races across Paris whilst preparing for a life-changing residency interview. Food delivery workers have become an indispensable part of city life, especially since the pandemic. Among them is Souleymane (Abou Sangaré, in a commanding debut), who criss-crosses the frenetic Parisian streets morning to night, in a constant race against the clock. He, like many around him, is working without permission, ‘renting’ his identity from a friend with legal status. But in just two days, Souleymane will learn whether his own asylum application will be approved or not. So whilst striving to meet his delivery platform’s demands, he nervously practices for his interview, trying to keep his growing anxiety at bay… A social-realist thriller as humanist as it is propulsive, former philosophy professor Lojkine’s masterfully-crafted drama echoes not only Bicycle Thievesand the best films of the Dardennes, but also edge-of-your-seat thrillers such as Uncut Gems and Full Time. Only adding to the film’s immense power is the real-life situation of its remarkable lead, who has already been denied citizenship by French authorities. Three times. A major word of mouth hit at the French box office that became a national talking point, THE STORY OF SOULEYMANE is essential viewing.

When Papa Smurf (John Goodman) is mysteriously taken by evil wizards, Razamel and Gargamel, Smurfette (Rihanna) leads the Smurfs on a mission into the real world to save him. With the help of new friends, the Smurfs must discover what defines their destiny to save the universe. SMURFS features an all-star voice cast including Rihanna, James Corden, Nick Offerman, JP Karliak, Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Billie Lourd, Xolo Maridueña with Kurt Russell and John Goodman.

From three-time Oscar® nominee and Golden Globe winner Dean DeBlois, the creative visionary behind DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, comes a stunning live-action reimagining of the film that launched the beloved franchise. On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames; The Black Phone, For All Mankind) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society. With the fierce and ambitious Astrid (BAFTA nominee Nico Parker) and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost) by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding. As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Together, they must navigate the delicate path toward peace, soaring beyond the boundaries of their worlds and redefining what it means to be a hero and a leader. The film also stars Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), Gabriel Howell (Bodies), Bronwyn James (Wicked), Harry Trevaldwyn (Smothered), Ruth Codd (The Midnight Club), BAFTA nominee Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Murray McArthur (Game of Thrones).

Agathe (Camille Rutherford) lives the rom-com dream: she works in the famous Shakespeare & Co bilingual bookstore where customers leave love letters on the mirror quoting Tolstoy, and there’s undeniable chemistry with her colleague, Félix (Pablo Pauly, Murder Party). Beneath the glossy Notting Hill facade, however, she’s an unpublished romance author battling writer’s block, living with her sister and nephew. More akin to Persuasion’s Anne, a perpetual wallflower, than Pride and Prejudice’s confident Elizabeth, Agathe struggles to find her voice. That all changes when Agathe is invited to a Jane Austen Residency in England. Spending two weeks in a manor full of creative nooks and wandering through forests and glades, Agathe struggles daily with imposter syndrome. That is, until she starts to become acquainted with the handsome yet prickly Oliver Lowe (Charlie Anson, Downton Abbey), Jane Austen’s living descendant. Grappling with her demons and her heart, Agathe must decide between what she’s always known, and something – or someone – new. This romantic comedy-drama from writer-director Laura Piani is a touching love letter to the Regency author who still shapes our conversations on love today. Wry, subtle, and with a big heart, JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE asks, would you write the end to your own love story if you could?

Oscar-winning auteur, Wes Anderson, is back with the stylish, star-studded espionage black comedy, THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME; penned by Anderson and dreamed up alongside frequent co-writer and collaborator Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom, Isle of Dogs, The Darjeeling Limited). Promising Anderson’s signature visual style and distinctive storytelling, the oddball journey is an absurdist and action-packed tale of espionage following a complex father-daughter relationship within a family business. Oscar winner Benicio del Toro (Traffic) stars as a derring-do millionaire called Zsa-zsa Korda, who has survived six plane crashes and fathered nine sons and one daughter, a nun called Liesel (Mia Threapleton). With tutor Bjorn Lund (Michael Cera), they embark on a quest to secure the future of Korda’s business ventures, and soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins. Premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Anderson’s thirteenth film boasts a stacked A-list ensemble cast of longtime Anderson favourites and several newcomers, including, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Rupert Friend, Richard Ayoade, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Hope Davis, and a generously hairy Benedict Cumberbatch.

François is a former military man who is making the most of his retirement alongside his wife Annie, the only person who seems to be able to put up with his foultemper and demands! Authoritarian, and uncompromising, he rules his family with an iron fist. When he discovers that his wife, who he always held in high esteem, cheated on him 40 years ago, he sees only one solution: to file for divorce and confront her former lover who now lives in Nice. But at 73 years old, and after 50 years of marriage, is this really a good move? And wouldn’t this risk blowing up the already fragile family balance?

From the studio that brought us timeless tales of friendship, courage, and finding your place in the world comes a brand-new cosmic odyssey that speaks straight to the heart. Disney and Pixar’s ELIO is a vibrant, interstellar coming-of-age story about feeling like an outsider—and realising that sometimes, the very things that set us apart are what make us extraordinary. For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers—in Disney and Pixar’s all-new movie ELIO, the universe calls back! The original feature film introduces Elio, an underdog with an active imagination who finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, and completely unprepared for that kind of pressure, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, survive a series of formidable trials and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be. With heart, humour and that unmistakable Pixar magic, Elio is a celebration of belonging in the unlikeliest of places. A big-screen adventure for the whole family.

Our lives are the sum of our choices. Tom Cruise is back and risking it all once again as Ethan Hunt in the epic eighth instalment of the legendary action-espionage series, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING, directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Christopher McQuarrie (Top Gun: Maverick). One last time... Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands... The electrifying sequel picks up from the cliffhanger ending of 2023’s 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning' and promises to be another action-packed thrill ride, with epic stunts, belief-defying action sequences and ever-increasing suspense that fans of the franchise know and love. Set to premiere Out of Competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the highly anticipated (rumoured) final instalment in the beloved action franchise also features an all-star returning supporting cast including, Golden Globe nominee Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Esai Morales, Simon Pegg, Oscar nominee Vanessa Kirby, Pom Klementieff, and Oscar nominee Angela Bassett.

THE SALT PATH is the profound true story of husband and wife, Raynor (Gillian Anderson) and Moth Winn’s (Jason Isaacs) 630-mile trek along the beautiful but rugged Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline. After being forcibly removed from their home, they make the desperate decision to walk in the hope that, in nature, they will find solace and a sense of acceptance. With depleted resources, only a tent and some essentials between them, every step along the path is a testament to their growing strength and determination. THE SALT PATH is a journey that is exhilarating, challenging, and liberating in equal measure. A portrayal of home, how it can be lost and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.

In Karate Kid: Legends, after a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn't want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren't enough. Li's kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.

From Disney Studios and director Dean Fleischer Camp, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind 2022’s acclaimed animated feature film “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”, comes the live-action reimagining of Disney’s 2002 animated classic, LILO & STITCH. In this wildly funny and touching story, a lonely Hawaiian girl named Lilo adopts a dog-like alien named Stitch to mend her fractured family. Lilo is unaware that Stitch has been genetically engineered to be a force of destruction and is a runaway fugitive being actively pursued by aliens and social workers, all while she teaches Stitch the meaning of family. A timeless and heartfelt tale of friendship, the feel-good adventure is bound to resonate with fans who grew up knowing "Ohana means family” and new audiences alike. The delightful sci-fi comedy-drama stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis, introducing Maia Kealoha in the titular role of Lilo.

How far would you go to bring someone back that you love? The acclaimed Australian filmmakers behind smash-hit 2022 horror film Talk To Me, twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, are re-teaming up with indie powerhouse A24 on their latest buzzy supernatural horror-thriller, BRING HER BACK, starring two-time Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water). A soul-shaking possession horror that cannot be unseen… A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother. With their impressively disturbing breakout Talk to Me releasing to rave reviews, premiering at Sundance and coming in as A24’s highest-grossing horror film ever, the highly anticipated follow-up, BRING HER BACK, promises to be its “spiritual successor”, delivering another genuinely hair-raising and haunting experience while also leaning even further into the psychological. Chilling, eerie and visually stunning, the horror possesses a visceral rawness informed by the directors’ own personal loss and grief. BRING HER BACK features young actors Billy Barratt (Responsible Child), Sora Wong and Jonah Wren Phillips (How to Make Gravy), and was shot in the Philippous’ home city of Adelaide with support from the South Australian Film Corporation. 

A #1 NZ smash hit, Tinā (Mother) is a powerful, inspirational crowd pleaser about the healing power of music. Samoan teacher Mareta Percival is struggling following a huge personal loss in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Reluctantly taking on the role of substitute teacher at an elite, wealthy private school - she is surprised to find children crying out for guidance, inspiration and love. Using the symphony of her culture to empower her students, she forms a choir, bringing them together while unexpectedly rediscovering her passion again for being a teacher and mother.

Starring two-time Oscar nominee Steve Coogan (Philomena), this poignant dramedy from Oscar-nominated director Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty) explores an Englishman’s personal and political awakening after he adopts a penguin during a cataclysmic period in Argentine history. Based on the memoir and true story of a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976, Tom (Coogan), expecting an easy ride, discovers a divided nation and a class of unteachable students. However, after he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach, his life is turned upside-down. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, this uplifting story about mutual human-animal healing is full of wit, warmth and humour, counterintuitive discoveries and cute penguin antics. It’s a heartwarming tear-jerker for the whole family.

Alfred Hitchcock's convention breaking masterpiece, PSYCHO was created with tact, grace and art. Hitchcock didn't just create modern horror, he validated it.

Director Hayao Miyazaki’s surreal Alice in Wonderland-like tale about a lost little girl in a holiday resort for the supernatural. Dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeously drawn, this fairy tale that will leave you a little more curious and fascinated by the world.

The touching story of Stelios Kazantzidis, a child of a refugee family from Pontus, who managed to survived and grew up thanks to his enormous talent and against all social and personal difficulties. Music, love, family, friends, fishing, creativity, night bouncers, fanatics, and great conflicts, create the mosaic of his life. A tribute film to a great singer, whose voice “spoke” to the hearts of all Greeks around the world, Stelios Kazantzidis – for those who loved him, and those who would like to get to know him.

Men shouldn’t have friends. Mastermind of the sketch-comedy, ‘I Think You Should Leave’, Tim Robinson and universally beloved funnyman, Paul Rudd, are seeking FRIENDSHIP in Andrew DeYoung and A24’s hilariously unhinged male bonding nightmare comedy. Dubbed by critics and audiences as ‘the funniest film of the year’, Robinson delivers his perfectly honed style of cringe-comedy alongside an effortlessly comedic Rudd, to discomfiting yet belly-laugh-inducing effect. Suburban dad Craig (Robinson) falls hard for his charismatic new neighbour Austin (Rudd), but Craig’s attempts to make an adult male friend threaten to ruin both of their lives. DeYoung’s surreal, satirical debut feature playfully pokes the beast that is the ‘male-loneliness epidemic’, creating an ideal playground for the side-splittingly funny duo of Rudd and Robinson to form the gleefully awkward and high key obsessive friendship we never knew we needed (no, but actually may this kind of friendship never find me).

When Alexander, a happy family man, learns that World War III has erupted, he strikes a bargain with God, promising that he will abandon his content life in exchange for world peace.

Get ready for a killer time… Franchise favourites Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. return to the scene of the crime in I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, the highly anticipated fourth instalment in the iconic '90s slasher series. The OG cult classic stars will be joined by an all-new cast of up-and-comers including, Madelyn Cline (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Outer Banks), Chase Sui Wonders (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid), Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeo (The Wilds), and Gen Z "it girl" and model Gabbriette Bechtel in her feature debut. When five friends inadvertently cause a deadly car accident, they cover up their involvement and make a pact to keep it a secret rather than face the consequences. A year later, their past comes back to haunt them and they’re forced to confront a horrifying truth: someone knows what they did last summer…and is hell-bent on revenge. As one by one the friends are stalked by a killer, they discover this has happened before, and they turn to two survivors of the legendary Southport Massacre of 1997 for help. With fresh faces, another ugly secret looming below the surface and plenty of glorious blood-soaked horror thrills, prepare to be hooked in all over again.

Sumptuous, rapturous, and full of drama, Sarah Bernhardt’s life is here to be experienced in all its theatrical glory – just as La Divine intended. Sarah Bernhardt (Sandrine Kiberlain, November, AF FFF23) is larger than life and a cyclone of contradictions. The original theatre diva, her world is blinding stage lights, opulent wealth, and delicious scandals. Ruled by fleeting fancies and sweeping emotions, she even holds court from her sickbed. And what better time to revisit her groundbreaking 19th-century stardom than in recovery from surgery? Guillaume Nicloux’s decadent biopic is an experience like no other: from exotic menageries to consuming affairs, La Divine is as showstopping as she is capricious. Patron to Alphonse Mucha, friend to Victor Hugo, and “little star” to Alexandre Dumas, Sarah Bernhardt defied societal expectations, adored dramatic death scenes and scandalised her convent with a lizard’s funeral. Nicloux’s film vividly recounts Bernhardt’s tempestuous story and is a dazzling chronicle of a chameleonic actress who defined her generation. Uncover the life of the world’s first celebrity in THE DIVINE SARAH BERNHARDT.