Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)
Directors Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson join forces with the Jim Henson Company and ShadowMachine to reinvent the classic tale of the wooden marionette who is magically brought to life to mend the heart of the grieving woodcarver Geppetto.
Why you should see it: del Toro's macabre stop-motion marvel relocates Carlo Collodi's 19th century children's story to Italy's interwar period under the fascist rule of Benito Mussolini; it's darker in tone than previous adaptations but still emotionally resonant. It also features a stellar cast, including Ewan McGregor, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton and Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard.
Also screening
Pinocchio screens with Jonathan Daw's & Tjunkaya Tapaya OAM's short film Tangki (Donkey) (2022). Interweaving live action conversations with beautiful stop motion animation, three women have a yarn about donkeys and how they've helped their desert community.
Check session times for Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio + Tangki and read more
Komaneko: The Curious Cat (2009)
The imagination of a lonely cat can be a wonderful place. Komaneko is a promising young filmmaker who creates her own puppets and shoots stop-motion animation films. One day, while having a picnic with her cast and crew – her two handmade puppets – she encounters a Bigfoot and sets forth on a curious adventure towards unexpected friendship.
Why you should see it: Komaneko features an array of gorgeous animation styles, including hand-drawn animation and stop-animation. The fluffy cat's journey has surprising depth for big and small kids alike, touching on a wide spectrum of emotions.
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Paddington (2014)
Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, a young bear from Darkest Peru soon realises that city life is not all he had imagined until he meets the kindly Brown family who offer him a temporary home. It looks as though his luck has changed until this rarest of bears catches the eye of a museum taxidermist.
Why you should see it: Paddington brims with compassion and kindhearted concern, features stunning CGI and animatronics, and terrific performances from its cast, including Sally Hawkins and Hugh Bonneville.
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Astro Boy and the Greatest Robots in the World (1980)
Astro Boy, a robot designed with human emotions becomes the superhero and protector of a city coming to terms with equal rights for humans and robots. Across four episodes selected from the adored 1980 television series, Astro encounters some of the greatest robots in the world: The Light Ray Robot, Bruton and Robio.
Schedule
1pm: The Light Ray Robot
1.30pm: Robio & Robiette
1.50pm: The Greatest Robot in the World (Part 1)
2.15pm: The Greatest Robot in the World (Part 2)
2.35pm: Event concludes
Astro Boy and Friends (1980)
Astro's a little robot with a big heart; but when you're newly built, it's not always easy to make new friends. Through four episodes selected from the 1980 television series, Astro sets out to find his place in the wider world.
Schedule
10.30am: Save the Classmate
11am: The Transformation Robot
11.20am: Speeding Through the Storm
11.45am: Astro's First Love
12.05pm: Event concludes
Astro Boy vs Atlas (1980)
Throughout his adventures, Astro Boy encounters one robot time and time again: Atlas, a robot built with the mysterious omega factor which gives him maximum power and a rebellious streak. Now, Atlas wants to end humanity, either teaming up with Astro to do so or by destroying him in the process.
Schedule
1pm: The Crystal of the Desert
1.30pm: The Runaway Subway Train
1.50pm: The Anti-Proton Gun
2.15pm: Atlas Forever
2.35pm: Event concludes
Why you should see this Astro Boy trifecta: Disarmingly emotional, Astro's story takes viewers to unexpected places and feelings while reinforcing the theme underpinning the whole series: no robot is truly bad, and there is goodness in us all.
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Only Yesterday (1991)
27-year-old Taeko, a single woman living in Tokyo, decides to take a much-needed holiday from her desk job and travel to the countryside. While enjoying the simple pleasures of farm work amidst beautiful scenery, Taeko begins to recall memories of her schoolgirl days in the 1960s. Formative childhood experiences intertwine with present-day pressures, causing Taeko to re-examine her life and the choices she’s made.
Why you should see it: Managing to feel quintessentially Japanese yet universally relatable, Isao Takahata's Only Yesterday has developed a cult following among grown-up Studio Ghibli fans for its empathetic portrayal of adolescence and the lasting effect it can have on us as adults. Let the idyllic mountainous scenery wash over you before the inevitable Ghibli wave of emotion hits.