The 2023 Cunard British Film Festival, presented by Palace, will feature the best of British cinema in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, and Byron Bay at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova Cinemas, and Luna Palace Cinemas this November. The lineup includes renowned British actors like Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Spall, Olivia Colman, Helena Bonham Carter, Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren, Michael Caine, and Glenda Jackson in her final film.

The festival’s opening night will feature the premiere of One Life, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, a moving true story of Sir Nicholas Winton, the “British Schindler,” who saved children from Europe on the brink of World War II. The festival centerpiece is The Critic, a mischievous reimagining of Anthony Quinn’s novel Curtain Call, with Sir Ian McKellen and Gemma Arterton in the lead roles.

Closing the festival is the Australian premiere of Wicked Little Letters, starring Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley, based on a scandal from the 1920s. Sir Michael Caine and the late Glenda Jackson star in The Great Escaper, depicting a war veteran’s remarkable escape from his care home.

The festival also includes Ken Loach’s final film, The Old Oak, exploring social and human rights issues. Director Marcus Markou of The Wife and Her House Husband will host Q&A sessions in Sydney and Melbourne. Additionally, there are engaging films like Dance First, The Lesson, Pretty Red Dress, Northern Comfort, Sweet Sue, and The Trouble with Jessica.

Dame Helen Mirren portrays Israel’s Prime Minister Golda Meir in Golda, focusing on the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The festival retrospective, Britain’s Finest Leading Ladies, includes films like Caligula, Howards End, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Remains of the Day, Women in Love, and Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment.

The Festival Special Presentation is a 4K restoration of Ken Russell’s Tommy, a rock opera based on The Who’s album. The festival also features outstanding documentaries, including My Name is Alfred Hitchcock, Jackie Stewart, Mad About the Boy, and Squaring the Circle – The Story of Hipgnosis.

Other films like In the Land of Saints and Sinners, Kindling, and The Fence offer compelling stories set in various contexts. Greatest Days features the hit songs of Take That in an epic musical.

The festival is delighted to partner with Cunard, returning as the Naming Rights Partner for the second year. The festival opens in November and continues throughout the month in various cities. For more information and details about the festival, visit www.britishfilmfestival.com.au.