Ab Film Review & The Last New Wave

Filmmaker David Robinson-Smith is one of the major voices of the new Australian film industry. His films include Mud Crab, We Used to Own Houses, and his latest effort, The Shirt Off Your Back, each an essential entry in an increasingly vital filmography.When we talk about this 'new wave of Australian filmmakers', a term which I'm starting to lean towards calling 'the rising swell of modern Australian cinema' - it doesn't role off the tongue, it's at least distinct from the last Australian new wave that we had, - we then think of people like David Robinson-Smith, cinematography Jaclyn Paterson, actor-writer Laneikka Denne, actor-director Frazer Bull-Clark, or actor Josh Mehmet.Over the coming months, this notion of the rising swell of Australian cinema is one that I'll explore at length via conversations like this one with David Robinson-Smith, or essays about the creatives I'm spotlighting. Look out for upcoming chats with filmmakers like Lucy Coleman and Kate Fitzgerald.To find out more about David's work,

When Nadine Whitney interviewed actor Frank Mosley, she started their chat with a game akin to Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Want to know how to get to Meryl Streep from Frank? Easier than even Frank probably thinks. Frank starred in Geoff Marslett’s Quantum Cowboys which also featured Alex Cox. Alex Cox directed Ed Harris in Walker. Ed also features in Stephen Daldry’s adaptation of The Hours.Frank is usually a supporting or character actor, but when given the chance to lead a film such as Cameron Bruce Nelson’s award-winning 2015 film Some Beasts there is a particular grace to his performance which proves he can (and should) carry a film.Originally from Texas and now living in Los Angeles, Frank has been in three films with Lily Gladstone, Chained for Life directed by Aaron Schimberg, and is an accomplished director in his own right.Frank has the incredible ability to create and sustain community within his artistic practice. He’s open to the absurd, the heartfelt, the just plain weird, and the full dramatic

In their first conversation Nadine and Virat speak about two films which are pilgrimages of a sort. Kasimir Burgess’ Iron Winter, a documentary that takes the viewer into a land rarely seen — that of the nomadic Mongolian horse herders. An immersive and intimate piece of cinema which invites people to see a dying ancient tradition undertaken on the Mongolian Steppes during a five month journey herding horses to viable snow covered pastures. Transcendentally lensed by Benjamin Bryan Iron Winter is almost elegiac. The ravages of the climate crisis are making extreme conditions significantly more brutal and two young herders have to come to terms not only with the elements but also their futures.Romería by Carla Simón translates to Pilgramage in English. An autobiographical fiction about Simón’s parents and the quest for an orphaned 18 year old woman to find remnants and memories about her father and his family in Vigo, Galicia. Simón’s avatar Marina (Llúcia Garcia) needs documentation for a university scholarsh

'Art is labour'. This is a statement from composer Jung Jae-il, the man behind the iconic scores to Bong Joon-ho's Parasite, Okja, and Mickey 17, the Netflix smash hit Squid Game, and Hirokazu Kore-eda's Broker, amongst other works. For Jung Jae-il, the art of composing a score is work.For Jung Jae-il, artists like Roxette, Metallica and Björk are notable influences on his work, with Pina Bausch's dancing leaving a lingering mark on his mind. It's these kinds of artists who influenced Jung Jae-il on his solo album, Listen, released in 2023.For Jung Jae-il, there is a clear delineation between art for the self and art for a job, and it's with his work on Parasite that the distinction is felt, while his passion for his album Listen shows an artist in harmony with his craft.These are just some of the things discussed in the above interview with Jung Jae-il, recorded ahead of his performance of the live score for Parasite at the 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival.Jung Jae-il participates in a conversation

When documentarian Shalom Almond received access to document a group of women prisoners training retired greyhounds to become house-friendly pets for her 2017 film Prisoners and Pups, she opened up a door to be able to capture the hidden stories of women prisoners in Australian jails. Prisoners and Pups is a gentle film that shows the power of rehabilitation programs in prisons, not just for the prisoners, but also for the greyhounds.Now, in 2025, she is back with her essential documentary Songs Inside. Here Shalom captures the lives of women in the Adelaide Women's Prison, becoming part of their lives for six-months as she documents their participation in a music program which sees prisoners learn how to play the ukulele, write songs, and sing, all in preparation for a performance with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in front of 200 inmates. The climactic performance became the largest concert staged within an Australian correctional facility.Along the journey, Shalom sits in the cells of the prisoners liste

If we consider who some of the great modern Aussie cinematographers are, we immediately think of names like Michael Latham, Stefan Duscio, Jaclyn Paterson, or the man behind the camera of such films as Of an Age, You Won't Be Alone, Hafekasi, Howl, Blue Bayou, My First Summer, and Sophie Hyde's upcoming film, Jimpa.I'm of course talking about Matthew Chaung.Across his filmography, Matthew has lensed films with a level of empathy, compassion, and understanding that imbues the work with a warmth and tenderness that ensures that the stories linger in your mind long after the credits. When I think of Matthew's work, I think of the golden hour shots in Katie Found's My First Summer, or the discovery of queer identities in Goran Stolevski's intimate Of an Age, or the child level perspective of the world in Annelise Hickey's stunning Hafekasi. With Jimpa, he becomes part of Sophie Hyde's family, shooting the film with inspiration from Nan Goldin's work.In the following interview, recorded at the Sundance Film Festiv

Dogmilk Films is a collective based between Naarm-Melbourne, Makassar Indonesia, and Paris, France. Founded in 2017, Dogmilk brings alternative and ambitious films to life on screen with impactful screenings of world cinema. In addition to their screenings, Dogmilk has also expanded into filmmaking, with their searing short film Faceless being a prime example of risk-tasking Australian cinema that actively pushes boundaries and questions the status quo of this nations history.Faceless is a piece of co-authored cinema, with co-directors William Jaka and Fraser Pemberton working alongside co-writer, producer and editor Chris C.F., cinematographer Alexandra Walton, composer Josh Peters, production designer Anna Ross, and many more all working together to critique, question, and examine the class system that lives on the Birrarung-Ga (the Yarra River).In the film, William plays an Indigenous man through three parallel realities; in one world he's on the banks of the Birrarung-Ga, encountering a rough sleeper who

Suri Chan is a queer artist who pulls from her migrant roots to tell stories about her heritage, her future, and her identity through her poems. In her book But I Don't Feel Empowered, available through all bookstores, Suri uses illustrations and her words to invite readers into her world, often utilising stories of iconic landmarks or food to enrich the senses even more.In the following interview, Suri talks about where her interest in poetry came from, what being a migrant, queer artist means in todays world, and a lot more.To find out more about Suri's work, visit Suri-Chan.com or find her on Instagram at PoemsBySuri.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast lov

'The front fell off.' The 94 metre 100 metre track. Fred Dagg. 24 years of political satire with Bryan Dawe. These are just a handful of the impactful comedic works from the one and only John Clarke.For over 40 years, John Clarke brought an unparalleled level of wit, politically astute comedic understanding, and pitch perfect timing to Australian and New Zealand audiences. John Clarke's work as a comedian wasn't just to entertain, but to also make audiences sit and think. Whether it be utilising the landmark comedy series The Games as a way of presenting an apology to the Stolen Generation of Australia, or by calling out the hypocrisy of the colonial state we live in, John Clarke utilised his comedic genius to masterful effect.In 2017, the world lost John Clarke, and Lorin Clarke lost her father.Now, after having explored over 200 boxes of John Clarke's work and letters, having written about book about her relationship with her dad, and having interviewed countless fellow comedic masters like Sam Neill, Rhys

After having its world premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2024, and having screened at SXSW and Sydney Film Festival, Kate Blackmore's essential documentary Make it Look Real is now available to view on Netflix. I've followed the journey of this documentary with keen interest, having discussed the film at length in conversations with Kate, co-star Albert Mwangi, and now, bringing the conversation full circle, producer Bethany Bruce.In this deep conversation, Bethany talks about her journey into the arts, what her interest in producing has been, how her work with Staple Fiction is changing storytelling on Australian screens, and what it was like to work with Kate on this powerful documentary.If this is the first time you're hearing of Make it Look Real, then welcome. This is a documentary that lifts the veil on intimacy coordinators, following their journey in film from the initial phases to the day of the shoot. In between scenes of working through the intimacy coordinator process, the film explores ho

Writer-director Domini Marshall is a talent on the rise. With short films like Go with Grace, Slap, and now her finest work yet, Howl, under her belt, Marshall is a force to be reckoned with. Her work is deeply personal, written from a perspective that invites audiences to engage with the internal mindset of her characters, and through that process, we're able to see the world differently.Guiding Domini's creative output is producer Josie Baynes, a equally impressive talent on the rise. Alongside Domini, Josie has worked with emerging talents like Annelise Hickey on her films Stranger, Brother. and Hafekasi, while also allowing cinematographer Matthew Chuang to build a body of work that is also reshaping how Australian stories are seen on screen.I highly recommend you seek out Domini's work on her website, DominiMarshall.com, where you can also seek out her web series her words, released during 2017-2019. It's a deeply informative series, one that pairs well with books like Taboo by Hannah Ferguson.In the fol

Grant Hardie is the co-founder of Monster Pictures, one of Australia and New Zealand's leading distributors of horror and genre films. In 2011, Monster Pictures birthed the darkly delightful Monster Fest, which has quickly become Australia's flagship horror and genre film festival.Now, in 2025, Monster Pictures, in partnership with Head Gear Films and White Hot Productions, have morphed into their next stage of evolution, launching Monster Pictures Studios, a full-service genre film studio which aims to work with Aussie creatives to bring genre films to life with the intention of becoming a defining force of Australian genre cinema.There's a giddy level of delight when you read a press release like this one, as if we're honouring the scrappy genre-roots of Aussie cinema, splashing back to the era of Ozploitation where anything was possible. While the Age of Ozploitation is over, that doesn't mean Aussie filmmakers can't birth a new movement, and hopefully Monster Pictures Studios is going to do just that.Fir

Eya’s (Safa Gharbaoui) world as a 12-year-old Belgian Tunisian is filled with warmth and humour. She’s considered the welcome extension of her older brother Younès (Mehdi Bouziane) whose friends treat her like a part of their family. She loves viral dance moves, French rap, football, and riding on the back of Younès’ motorcycle. She’s bright and happy, especially when she’s included in Younès circle.When Younès becomes “collateral damage” in a shooting incident, everything Eya thought was her life becomes turned upside down. Maja Ajmia Yde Zellama’s debut feature is a beautiful and powerful representation of the Tunisian community in Brussels as Eya’s family and extended family mourn and honour Younès and Eya finds strength in the gentle young men around her: and the spirit of Younès and what he meant to his community opening up a profound understanding of the importance of one life.Nadine Whitney spoke to Maja Ajmia Yde Zellama about creating examples of healthy masculinity and how her own upbringing influen

Debut Australian director Amy Wang’s twisted satire Slanted sees an aspiring prom queen undergo radical surgery to change her race. This is a film that's been called Mean Girls by way of The Substance. Nadine Whitney caught up with Amy Wang to talk about the process of getting her feature film debut off the ground, what it means to be an Australian filmmaker working right now, and the themes of the film, and more.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We’d also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva

Dreams, imagination and sobering realities meld in this absolutely magical debut, in which a young girl must decide whether to leave her volcanic island home.The island of Fogo, Cape Verde is singular in its beauty. Drylands give way to black-sand beaches, while villagers gather in intimately cluttered homes. Director Denise Fernandes’ attention to lyrical detail highlights the profound love that young Nana (Dailma Mendes as a child, Sanaya Andrade as a teen) has for her home. But for all its visual poetry, many residents seek to escape the island’s hard living. When her mother returns after decades away, Nana is faced with an impossible decision. Seamlessly moving between realism and the surreal – including a journey to a reality-warping volcano – Fernandes entwines myth and hard truths to tell a unique coming-of-age tale about what it means to belong to a place.Nadine Whitney interview director Denise Fernandes about her film Hanami. This interview was recorded ahead of the films screening at the Sydney Fil

Abebe Butterfly Song is a documentary that starts as a narrative exploration of Melbourne musician David Bridie, best known for his work in bands like Not Drowning, Waving and My Friend the Chocolate Cake, but then folds in his life-changing experience of travelling to Papua New Guinea and meeting musician George Telek and the Moab Stringband.The film then takes audiences through a journey of discovering Papua New Guinea culture and how Australia's past is intertwined with Papua New Guinea's future. This includes explorations of the engagements during WW2, the devastating volcano eruption in 1994, and the music the emerges from these histories. Abebe Butterfly Song arrives as Papua New Guinea prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary of independence.Andrew interviewed director Rosie Jones about bringing this story to life. It screens at Perth's Revelation Film Festival on July 5 and 10. Visit RevelationFilmFestival.org for tickets.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We ar

Co-directors Richard Moore and John Doggett Williams invite audiences into the space of pain, discomfort, and body exploration with their searing, curiously tender, and wonderfully life-enriching documentary Stelarc Suspending Disbelief. This occasionally profound experience follows performance artist Stelarc, a Cyprus-born Australian artist who was raised in the suburbs of Melbourne and found a path towards exploring mortality, death, and what it means to be alive through artwork that many might consider extreme or provocative, but for this pain-experiencing audience member, I found his artwork all embracing in its presentation of discomfort and finding peace within that space.Those things, and many more, sit behind this conversation with Richard Moore, recorded ahead of the documentaries screenings at Perth's Revelation Film Festival on 9th and 11th of July, and the Castlemaine Documentary Festival on 4 July 2025. Links are in the show notes for both festivals.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and

On this episode of physical media reviews, Nadine Whitney & Andrew F Peirce delve into some of the major releases from Umbrella Entertainment. They kick off the discussion looking at Jamie Blanks Ozploitation throw back gorno flick Storm Warning, before taking a darker dive into the mammoth New Extremity Collection which features High Tension, Anatomy of Hell, Frontier(s), and Martyrs. Finally, they dive into one of the must have physical releases of the year, Tarsem's The Fall.Physical media copies were provided by Umbrella Entertainment for honest reviews.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We’d also love it if you could rate and review u

On this episode of the Curb review podcast, Nadine Whitney takes us deep into the realm of fighting flamethrowers with the oddly titled From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, before whisking us away into the land of dragon fantasy with the live-action spin on How to Train Your Dragon, before she takes Andrew to a remote shark expedition in Queensland with Dangerous Animals.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We’d also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Bibby's short film Half Past Midnight follows two strangers - Harper (Miah Madden) and Marcus (Mitchell Bourke) - who meet in a cinema and decide to head out for drinks after the screening. In the bar, their relationship is revealed to be something more, something where romance once flourished, a romance that is now withering, yet for both Harper and Marcus, it feels as if it's still in reach.There's a tenderness to Half Past Midnight, one that underpins the films understanding of two adults growing to realise that the person they thought was 'the one' is not exactly that anymore. It's written by Daniel Bibby and Kelly Holden, and comes from Daniel's own experiences with a partner he had when he was living in the UK.This episode features two conversations; the first is an extensive dive into Daniel's work, his influences, what it was like working with producer Luisa Martiri, and how he navigated the deeply personal narrative and worked his way alongside Kelly to bring it to life on screen. The second c