The Best Australian and New Zealand Cinema in 2023

This year, with the slight shift in how we format the awards, we added in a touch more flexibility. While that is mainly in the backend, I did want to take the opportunity to expand one of the awards we covered during this period.

It was a fantastic year for Australian and New Zealand Cinema, with each film I saw knocking it out of the park. There were intimate documentaries, films that held up a mirror to society, and those that brought the action to a new level.

This list will look more at the locally made Australian and New Zealand productions/co-productions and not just films filmed in those countries.

Our Highly Commended in 2023 are Bring Him to Me, The Portable Door & True Spirit
Our Best Australian/New Zealand TV in 2023 are The Artful Dodger, Aunty Donna’s Coffee Café, Deadloch, & NCIS: Sydney



So, without further ado, these are the best of Australian and New Zealand Cinema in 2023. Be warned that there will be significant spoilers for the films in question.

The Nominees Are –

Continue reading

The Portable Door – Movie Review

TL;DR – A delightful romp through a world where coincidence can be bought and manipulated.     

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid and post-credit scene

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film

The portable door.

The Portable Door Review

Few things get me into the cinema as quickly as ‘made by The Jim Henson Company’. No matter what they are involved in, you know it will be fascinating to watch. But add in some lovely Magical Realism and a cast of zany characters, and you have a must-watch.

So to set the scene, Paul Carpenter (Patrick Gibson) is down on his luck and trying to find a job to pay the bills before he gets kicked out of his flat. All he has to do is get to the café. What could go wrong? Well, everything, apparently. Both shoelaces might break, the trousers might have a stain, and a dog might run off with your scarf. But what if, coincidentally, running after the dog, you find a small door for applicants, and what if you find yourself in the company JW Wells and Co that is expecting you even though you never applied for something? But what if, in that interview, you notice that the cracks in the wall remarkably resemble a map of London? You might find yourself employed by a company that believes that coincidence can be manipulated and controlled.   

Continue reading