New Australian Films in Cinemas: Our Complete List of Aussie Movies Being Released in Oct-Dec 2026
Looking for new Australian films in cinemas? Here are the Aussie movies landing before the end of 2026, with dates and Q&A event details.
good.film
18 days ago
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We all love Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Muriel’s Wedding, The Castle, Strictly Ballroom, Rabbit Proof Fence and more recently, Leviticus. And according to Screen Australia’s (first in a decade!) Screen Currency report, 75% of us want to watch more Australian stories. But, unfortunately, Aussie films are struggling for discoverability: social algorithms don’t seem to be doing us any favours, and marketing dollars from Hollywood outstrip what we’re able to muster for our own films.
Given this, we resolved to be more proactive: how about we just go and look at a straightforward, no-nonsense list of new Australian feature films coming to cinemas before the end of the year, and put them in our calendar to go and see.
A list. All we wanted was a simple list… A way to put those good intentions into action.
But we couldn't find one!
So, we decided to create it. Below you'll find a zombie comedy about kombucha, a pickpocket caper feat. Tim Minchin, a Blue Mountains family drama about krump dance, an underdog documentary about Perth’s only para ice hockey club, and many more.
We’ve listed these in date order, and included any films we can find getting a general cinema release or doing a Q&A tour. We haven’t included film festival schedules, but it’s worth noting that festivals can be a great way to catch new Aussie films too.
Is there anything we’ve missed? Reach out! [email protected]
So here it is: a no-nonsense list of every new Aussie film you can catch in cinemas, from late September until the end of 2026.
What Australian films are coming up in cinemas?
1. Sukundimi Walks Before Me. (Watch the trailer)
A river, a mine and a very big David versus Goliath story.
The Sepik River in Papua New Guinea is one of the last remaining great rivers. It runs for more than 1100 kilometres through lush rainforest, and acts as a spiritual lifeblood for local communities. But a mining scheme proposes a new dam, holding more toxic waste than 17 Sydney Harbours. This gorgeous documentary from Matasila Freshwater and Lachlan McLeod takes us inside an existential fight for the river led by Manu Peni, as he uses ancestral knowledge to lead local clans in an Indigenous resistance campaign. The film won the $40,000 Sustainable Future Award at the Sydney Film Festival, the world's largest environmental film prize.
Release date: There’s a Q&A tour happening right now!
Q&A screenings (some with Manu Peni): 21 September to 1 October in Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney, plus Morayfield, Ipswich and Campbelltown. Full session times and tickets are on the film's website.
2. Jebediah: Are We OK? (Watch the trailer)
Thirty years, four mates and a huge legacy.
Jebediah formed in suburban Perth in 1994, and their double platinum debut album Slightly Odway made them one of the defining names of 90s alternative rock, and featured earworms like Leaving Home and Harpoon. But this music documentary from Arlo Dean Cook isn't just a nostalgia trip. It took 11 years to make, and mixes personal archives and home videos with present day access to the band, asking how four people keep a genuine friendship going for three decades.
Release date: 8 October
Q&A screenings: There’s a lot of Q&A events happening from 2nd Oct-19th Oct, in most capital cities plus Freo and Newy. The WA dates have band performances! Details here.
3. Invisible Injuries (Watch the trailer)
A film about what happens after the uniform comes off.
Kelly Bergsma's documentary follows Australian veteran Andy Fermo as he faces the invisible wounds of military service. Rather than the battlefield, it looks at what PTSD does to identity, parenting and the long road back to family and community. It was filmed across Australia and the Netherlands over almost two years.
Bonus content: one of the first films we worked on at good.film was The Healing, which also explores how veterans can recover from PTSD, by working with horses.
Q&A Screening: Invisible Injuries has already had a short run of community screenings, but there’s another Q&A screening listed for 26 October, Lido Cinemas Hawthorn (Melbourne) - tickets here
4. Hard as Puck (Watch the trailer)
Perth's only para ice hockey club. In a state with barely any ice.
Think Cool Runnings, but on skates. Isaac Elliott's sports documentary follows the Garden Island Pirates, who have no money, no sponsors and barely enough players. When their founder prepares to step away, the club is thrown into turmoil, until a shot at the first ever Women's World Championships in Slovakia comes along. This quirky true underdog story won the Intrepid Audience Award at MIFF.
Release date: 4 November
Q&A screenings: Wed 4 Nov, Luna Leederville, Perth; Fri 6 Nov, The Piccadilly, Adelaide; Sat 7 Nov, Lido Cinema, Hawthorn; Fri 13 Nov, Dendy Newtown, Sydney; Sun 15 Nov, The Elizabeth Picture Theatre, Brisbane; Fri 20 Nov, Newcastle (with Ice Hockey Australia and World Para Ice Hockey). More info & tickets at hardaspuck.com
5. Love on Deck (Watch the trailer)
Hallmark comes to the Gold Coast. It’s enemies to lovers… On a boat.
Yeah, it’s as cheesy as it sounds but it will probably be good fun! Released in the US as “Aussie at Heart”, this romcom sees Rhiannon Fish play a former lawyer turned event planner. She takes on a lavish 40th anniversary party aboard a luxury yacht, only to find that the captain is her old courtroom rival (Aussie Daniel Lissing). Expect banter, misunderstandings, tourism-ad-worthy Gold Coast scenery and a feel-good ending.
Release date: 5 November
6. The Policewoman (Watch the trailer)
You’ve never seen a true crime story like this.
For nearly three decades, former Police Detective Narelle Fraser led investigations into some of the most horrific cases for the Homicide, Rape and Missing Persons Squads in Victoria. Her unorthodox methods raised eyebrows in a predominantly male work culture, but they often had miraculous results. With exclusive access to Narelle, The Policewoman is a true crime story from the perspective of an extraordinary woman, who retells the haunting personal impact of her work through archival footage and (memorably) the use of miniature dioramas.
Release date: 5 November
Q&A screenings: A few with Narelle and director Claire Pasvolsky have been announced so far, inc. 18th October at Bendigo Cinemas and 1st November at Hayden Orpheum Sydney. More events TBA.
7. Pickpockets
Two rival thieves, one very small city.
This romantic crime caper follows Jesse, a lone pickpocket whose turf is threatened by a charming rookie, Robin. Writer/director D.C. Fairhurst stars alongside Lucy Green, with Tim Minchin and Zoe Terakes in the supporting cast. It grew out of an award winning short film, shot mostly without dialogue in black and white, so expect a fun indie screwball romance with style.
Release date: So far we can see a 9th November Sydney premiere at Randwick Ritz, which includes a cast & crew Q&A hosted by Tim Minchin, and a Fremantle Q&A event on 25th November at Luna on SX.
8. Chasing Millions (Watch the trailer)
An Irish heist caper starring an Aussie cop.
This film’s not 100% true blue, but blue-and-green will do! It’s a black comedy heist film inspired by the £26 million robbery of Belfast's Northern Bank in 2004, the biggest bank heist in British and Irish history. Madeleine Madden plays a young Australian detective who is teamed with a grumpy local veteran (Christopher Eccleston) to crack the case.
Release date: In cinemas from 19 November
9. Zombucha! (Watch the trailer)
Wellness culture, meet the undead.
Yes, this is a movie about zombie kombucha and we WISH we were a fly on the wall in the meeting about what to title it. Zombucha! is about a millennial couple struggling to decide between careers or parenthood. They lose their jobs, start their own kombucha brand, only for a contaminated culture to turn their customers… Undead. This comedy horror is clearly going to be satirical, and it started life at Melbourne International Film Festival in 2025. We’ve got our fingers crossed for a character called Scobie-Wan Kenobi.
Release date: 19 November
10. The Fox (Watch the trailer)
Olivia Colman plays a taxidermied fox because of course she does.
This film was the talk of the town when it premiered at Sydney Film Festival (it won the Audience Award for Best Australian Feature), and we’re super excited to see it hit cinemas around the country. Dario Russo, creator of cult TV show Danger 5, makes his feature debut with a black comedy fantasy that feels a little bit like Round the Twist for adults. A hunter (Jai Courtney) discovers his fiancée (Emily Browning) is cheating, and captures a rogue fox who offers to help him save the relationship. NZ’s Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) is in the voice cast alongside Olivia Colman who voices the fox (meaning you’ll get double OC in cinemas, with Wicker also out in November!).
Release date: 26 November. More info here.
11. Boss Cat (Watch the trailer)
A gorgeous family drama about finding your voice.
After her mother dies, Sonja (Olivia Hargroder), a young woman with Down syndrome, fights her old-school grandmother's plan to sell the family home, and learns to express herself through krump dancing. Boss Cat is a family drama that we can’t recommend enough. It’s the first feature from beloved Bus Stop Films, who are a global leader on inclusive filmmaking, and it lands on International Day of People With Disability. We’re part of the team bringing you some special preview screenings around the country, so make sure you’re signed up to our email guide for updates and double pass giveaways.
Release date: 3 December. More info and tix here.
So that’s our list of Australian films hitting cinemas for the rest of the year!
Make sure you pencil them into your calendar and get ready to grab a friend for a dinner date. And as we mentioned earlier, there’s also lots of great Australian films screening at festivals around the country. A special mention goes to Adelaide Film Festival in mid October, where four new Aussie features will premiere.
If you catch any of the above films we’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop us an email or get in touch on Instagram.
P.S. Want to see these for cheaper in cinemas? Good Tix are our discount cinema vouchers that do good - you can get them for Hoyts, Event and Village cinemas. At checkout, you can choose which cause to contribute to, like supporting Indigenous equity, reducing carbon emissions or protecting endangered species.
Pass the popcorn 🍿
the good.film team
