London welcomes the Australian Film Festival

For any Australian travellers missing home, or anyone who ever wondered if there is more to Aussie films than former Neighbours actors, London’s Barbican has the ideal event.

Running from March 18th to 28th, the London Australian Film Festival will be showcasing the finest releases from Oz, opening and closing with two premieres.

Highlights include The Balibo Conspiracy, a tense political thriller starring former star of Without a Trace star Anthony LaPaglia as a journalist in pursuit of the truth, whatever the cost.

Cedar Boys focuses on a young Lebanese-Australian who falls into the dark underworld of drugs while waiting for his brother’s release from jail.

The highlight of the festival may well be Bastardy – a documentary about troubled actor Jack Charles, which takes a brutally honest and darkly comical look at a man who launched the first Aboriginal theatre company at the age of 19 and has made a dramatic series of wrong turns ever since.

The opening premiere is Australian Film Institute prize winner Samson & Delilah, while the closing gala features Beautiful Kate, from first-time director Rachel Ward. Times and prices vary, but are available on the Barbican website.

For directions to the Barbican, click here