Upcoming film festivals in Melbourne

Some films just don’t hit the same when you’re watching at home on the small screen, minus the cinema atmosphere and surround sound – Oppenheimer, anyone? We reckon true cinematic masterpieces deserve the proper big screen treatment, which is why we were excited to learn that IMAX Melbourne is bringing back its new film festival for a second edition, after a popular 2024 debut season. The Best Biggest IMAX Film Festival is focused on films that look best of the big(gest) screen.  This year’s festival is happening now and runs until early March, with a program curated to please everyone from Nolan die-hards to the Sci-Fi obsessed. If you’re in the mood to tick off multiple flicks on one go, you can catch Dune and Dune 2 or Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water as double features.  Other program highlights include 2001: A Space Odyssey, Inception, Interstellar, The Matrix and THe Dark Knight Trilogy.  It’s not often Melburians get the chance to revisit cult films on such a humongous screen, so visit the IMAX Melbourne website for more information, session times and tickets. Prefer some fresh air? Here are the best outdoor cinemas in Melbourne.

The Peninsula Film Festival is a three-day festival of film events founded by actor and Rosebud local Steve Bastoni, and the largest outdoor film festival in Victoria. The 14th edition will take place from January 17-19, and according to Bastoni, you can expect “a rich program featuring incredible screenings, panel discussions and networking opportunities designed to celebrate the art of cinema”.  The event kicks off at Rosebud Cinema on the Friday with a screening of Unbreakable, the story of tennis star Jelena Dokic’s ascension to the world number four ranking against extraordinary odds. Stay afterwards for a chat with Ivan O’Mahoney, one of the film’s directors.  On the Saturday, the short film festival takes place under the stars near the shores of Rosebud Beach. A stellar judging panel of Aussie film and TV names will assess the shorts, including Michala Banas (Upper Middle Bogan, McLeod’s Daughters), Gary Sweet (Police Rescue, Stingers), Doris Younane (Five Bedrooms, Heartbreak High), Simone Buchanan (Neighbours, Hey Dad) and Stephen Curry (The Castle, Mr Black). General admission for the short film festival event starts from $10, or $7 for group tickets. Get yours at the Peninsula Film Festival website, or at the gate pending availability. For those wanting to learn more about filmmaking, the last day of the festival offers a workshop with experts sharing their insights into the industry. Visit the website for a detailed festival program and to purchase tickets to...

Hold onto your eyeballs – Scienceworks is hosting the latest edition of its captivating Dome Under Film Festival this summer. For the fifth consecutive year, the festival will showcase new release fulldome films from around the world across. The program spans three days, from January 31 until February 2. Wondering what on earth a ‘fulldome film' is? Naturally, it’s a film that’s been specifically made to be screened on a planetarium’s huge domed ceiling. The Melbourne Planetarium dome stretches an impressive 16 metres with a state-of-the-art surround sound system, creating an AR-like experience. Now you know!  The festival is the only one of its kind in Australia and the 32 films featured promise to be the cream of the crop, hailing from 15 countries. The weekend will be split into multiple themed sessions including ‘astronomy’, ‘mind blowing art’, ‘future visions’ and ‘family’.  Tickets are $20 per session for adults, $17 for concession, $12 for children and $10-15 for members. Find out more and get tickets here. Looking for more things to do in Melbourne? Here's our guide to what's on right now.