We’re delighted to bring the Australia & New Zealand Film Festival back to London for its second edition — a three-day celebration of bold, distinctive screen stories from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific.
Presented in partnership with the London Australia Film Society, the 2026 festival returns to Finsbury Park Picturehouse from Friday 30 January to Sunday 1 February, landing perfectly between Australia Day and Waitangi Day. Across the weekend, audiences can expect a vibrant mix of feature films, documentaries, shorts and special previews, alongside filmmaker Q&As and opportunities to connect with fellow film lovers and creatives.
This year’s programme spans moving documentaries, powerful dramas, sharp comedies and genre films — from intimate personal stories to big-screen premieres. We’re especially proud to open the festival with the UK premiere of Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke, a heartfelt tribute to one of the great Antipodean comic voices, and to showcase new work from filmmakers based both at home and across the UK and Europe.
As always, there’ll be Australian and New Zealand snacks, sweets and gifts, plus informal moments to gather, chat and celebrate the stories that connect us.
Festival Programme
Friday 30 January
Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke
UK Premiere
8pm | Documentary | Australia | 93 mins | Age guidance: 15+
A warm, funny and deeply moving portrait of legendary New Zealand–Australian satirist John Clarke, directed by his daughter Lorin Clarke. Blending family archive footage with iconic clips and interviews from across Australia and New Zealand, the film traces Clarke’s life from Fred Dagg to his razor-sharp political satire with Brian Dawe.
Plus short film: Cordelia, Daughter of the Sea (Maddie Grammatopolous, 2024)
Saturday 31 January
Kangaroo
2pm | Family Comedy | Australia | 107 mins | BBFC: PG
A heart-warming family comedy inspired by the true story behind Kangaroo Dundee. When a disgraced TV personality becomes stranded in the Australian outback, he teams up with a young Indigenous girl to rescue orphaned joeys — with unexpected consequences for them both.
Pike River
4.30pm | Drama | New Zealand | 131 mins | BBFC: 15
Based on the true story of the Pike River Mine disaster, this powerful New Zealand drama follows two women searching for truth and accountability after the deaths of 29 miners. A sensitive, gripping and deeply affecting film anchored by outstanding performances.
We Bury the Dead
London Premiere
7.30pm | Horror-Thriller | Australia | 94 mins | BBFC: 15
Daisy Ridley stars in this tense dystopian thriller from director Zak Hilditch. Set in the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment in Tasmania, the film follows a woman’s desperate search for her husband — and her reckoning with what survival really means.
Sunday 1 February
Short Film Showcase + Q&A
2pm | Short Films | Australia / New Zealand / UK | 50 mins | Age guidance: 15+
A curated programme of short films by Australian and New Zealand filmmakers based in the UK and Europe. The session includes drama, comedy, documentary and experimental work, followed by a filmmaker Q&A exploring Antipodean storytelling abroad.
Kōkā
5pm | Drama | New Zealand | 90 mins | Age guidance: 15+
A tender and powerful road movie set in Aotearoa New Zealand. When a Māori elder leaves hospital against medical advice, she unexpectedly teams up with a young woman estranged from her heritage. Together they embark on a journey filled with humour, grief and hard truths.
Head South
7.30pm | Comedy-Drama | New Zealand | 98 mins | Age guidance: 15+
Closing the festival is this magnetic coming-of-age drama set in late-1970s Christchurch. Starring Ed Oxenbould, Head South captures first love, music, loss and self-discovery against the backdrop of New Zealand’s post-punk scene.
Industry Networking Drinks
Sunday 1 February | 4–5pm | Finsbury Park Picturehouse
Do you work in film and television in the UK and looking to network with other ANZ ex-pats or UK industry folk? FANZA and the London Australian Film Society are holding informal networking drinks between screenings at the ANZ Film Festival.
Booking essential - click here to register your interest & we look forward to seeing you on the day!