What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 19th February 2026.

The 76th Berlin International Film Festival (The Berlinale) is currently in full swing having opened on Thursday 12th and concluding on Sunday 22nd February. The Berlinale is a unique place of artistic exploration and entertainment. It is one of the largest public film festivals in the world, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from around the globe each year. For the film industry and the media, the eleven days in February are also one of the most important events in the annual calendar and an indispensable trading forum. The Berlin International Film Festival enjoys an eventful history. The festival was created for the Berlin public in 1951, at the beginning of the Cold War, as a 'showcase of the free world'. Shaped by the turbulent post-war period and the unique situation of a divided city, the Berlinale has developed into a place of intercultural exchange and a platform for the critical cinematic exploration of social issues. To this day it is considered the most political of all the major film festivals . . . .  so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night film presentation was 'No Good Men' from Germany, France, Norway, Denmark and Afghanistan and is Directed by Shahrbanoo Sadat. Afghanistan, 2021, shortly before the Taliban’s return to power. Naru, the only camerawoman at Kabul’s main TV station, is struggling to retain custody of her three-year-old son. After leaving her serially cheating husband, she has become convinced that no good men exist in her country. Naru is therefore caught off guard when Qodrat, Kabul TV’s most important journalist, offers her a career opportunity. As the two criss-cross the city reporting on its last days of freedom, sparks fly between them and Naru starts to doubt her conviction. World Premiere.

During the Opening Ceremony, Malaysian Actress Michelle Yeoh was awarded the Honorary Golden Bear.

The following films were selected for the Main Competition for the Golden Bear to be announced on 20th January, overseen by this years Jury President, German filmmaker Wim Wenders :-

* 'At the Sea' - from the USA and Hungary and this drama film is Co-Produced and Directed by Kornel Mundruczo, and starring Amy Adams, Murray Bartlett, Chloe East, Dan Levy and Rainn Wilson.

* 'Dao' - from France, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal, this drama film is Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Alain Gomis.

* 'Dust' - from Belgium, Greece, Poland and the UK, this drama offering is Directed by Anke Blonde.

* 'Everybody Digs Bill Evans' - from Ireland and the UK, this biographical drama film is Directed by Grant Gee and stars Anders Danielsen, Bill Pullman, Barry Ward and Laurie Metcalf.

* 'Home Stories' - from Germany, this coming of age family drama film is Written and Directed by Eva Trobisch.

* 'In a Whisper' - from France and Tunisia, this drama film is Written and Directed by Leyla Bouzid.

* 'The Loneliest Man in Town' - from Austria, this docufiction drama film is Co-Produced and Directed by Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, is Written by and Co-Edited by Tizza Covi and photographed by Rainer Frimmel. 

* 'Josephine' - from the USA, this thriller drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Beth de Araujo, and stars Gemma Chan, Channing Tatum and Mason Reeves.

* 'Flies' - from Mexico, and this comedy drama film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Fernando Elmbcke.

* 'My Wife Cries' - from Germany and France, this drama film is Written, Directed and Edited by Angela Schanelec.

* 'A New Dawn' - from France and Japan, this animated drama film is Written and Directed by Yoshitoshi Shinomiya.

* 'Nightborn' - from Finland, France, Lithuania and the UK, this fantasy horror film is Co-Written and Directed by Hannah Bergholm and stars Seidi Haarla, Rupert Grint, Rebecca Lacey and John Thomson.

* 'Nina Roza' - from Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada and Italy, this drama offering is Written and Directed by Genevieve Dulude-De Celles.

* 'Queen at Sea' - from the UK and the USA, this drama film is Written, Directed and Edited by Lance Hammer, and stars Juliette Binoche, Tom Courtenay, Anna Calder-Marshall, Florence Hunt and Steven Cree.

* 'Rose' - from Austria and Germany, this drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Markus Schleinzer and stars Sandra Huller.

* 'Rosebush Pruning' - from Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, this satirical tragicomedy thriller film is Directed by Karim Ainouz, and stars Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Elle Fanning, Jamie Bell, Tracy Letts, Pamela Anderson, Elena Anaya and Lukas Gage.

* 'Soumsoum : The Night of the Stars' - from Chad and France, this drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun.

* 'Salvation' - from France, Greece, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and Turkey, this drama offering is Written and Directed by Emin Alper.

* 'Yellow Letters' - from Germany, France and Turkey, this political drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Ilker Catak.

* 'We Are All Strangers' - from Singapore, this drama film is Written, Produced and Directed by Anthony Chen. It's the final film in Chen's 'Growing Up' trilogy, following 2013's 'Ilo Ilo' and 2019's 'Wet Season'.

* 'Wolfram' - from Australia, this Western drama film is Directed by Warwick Thornton, and is the sequel to his 2017 film 'Sweet Country'. Starring Deborah Mailman, John Howard and Matt Nable. 

* 'Yo (Love Is a Rebellious Bird)' - from the USA, this documentary film is Co-Produced and Co-Directed by Anna Fitch and Banker White, with Banker White also lensing the film and Editing.

For the descriptors of the above named films in the Main Competition section, plus the other award categories, and a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : http://www.berline.de

Looking ahead then to this weeks seven new release movies coming to a big screen Odeon close to you, we kick off with a documentary featuring long-lost footage from Elvis Presley's legendary Las Vegas residency in the 1970's, woven together with rare 16mm footage from Elvis on Tour. This is followed by a British slapstick comedy parody set in 1931 in which a new porter forms an odd bond with the youngest daughter of a well-known UK family, and as the Davenport family, headed by Lord and Lady Davenport, deals with the epic disaster of the wedding of their eldest daughter to her caddish cousin. Then we turn to a drama offering that tells the story of a mother and her non-binary teenager, as they visit the teenagers gay grandfather in Amsterdam. Next up we have an erotic comedy drama about a timid man, who meets a confident biker gang leader, who initiates him into a submissive relationship, challenging his mundane existence and prompting personal growth through their unconventional dynamic. Following on, there is a Canadian mockumentary about a pair of hapless non-musicians and their plan to book a show at the Rivoli, a famed Toronto bar and restaurant, that goes horribly wrong, and they wind up accidentally travelling back to the year 2008. Up next is a documentary that chronicles Paul McCartney’s life and career during the 1970's following the breakup of 'The Beatles'; before closing out the week with a survival thriller film which follows two friends who become trapped in a remote lagoon with a vengeful orca. 

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the seven latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'EPiC : ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT' (Rated PG) - is a documentary film about Elvis Presley that is Co-Produced and Directed by Baz Luhrmann, and is a follow-up to his 2022 biographical film 'Elvis'. Baz Luhrmann's previous feature film making credits include his debut 'Strictly Ballroom' in 1992 which he would follow up with 'Romeo + Juliet' in 1996, 'Moulin Rouge!' in 2001, 'Australia' in 2008, 'The Great Gatsby' in 2013 and the aforementioned 'Elvis' in 2022. 

The film features long-lost footage from Presley's legendary Las Vegas residency in the 1970's, woven together with rare 16mm footage from Elvis on Tour, and precious 8mm from the Graceland archive, plus recordings of Elvis telling 'his side of the story' rediscovered during Luhrmann's research for his Best Picture Oscar-nominated 2022 film 'Elvis'. It Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September last year, and had its first advanced US screenings at Presley's former mansion, Graceland, on 8th January this year on what would have been his 91st birthday. It will then be released exclusively in IMAX theatres from 20th February before being released wide to the general public one week later on 27th February. It has generated universal critical acclaim.

'FACKHAM HALL' (Rated M) - this UK and US period slapstick comedy parody film is is Directed by Jim O'Hanlon and is Co-Written by British comedian, screenwriter and TV personality Jimmy Carr. Here, a new porter Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) forms an odd bond with the youngest daughter, Rose Davenport (Thomasin McKenzie) of a well-known UK family. As the Davenport family, headed by Lord and Lady Davenport (Damien Lewis and Katherine Waterston respectively), deals with the epic disaster of the wedding of their eldest daughter to her caddish cousin. Also starring Emma Laird, Lizzie Hopley, Tom Felton, Tom Goodman-Hill and Jimmy Carr. The film was released in the US in early December, in the UK in mid-December and is released here in Australia this week having so far grossed US$2M and garnered mixed or average reviews. 

'JIMPA' (Rated MA15+) - is an Australian, Finland and Netherlands Co-Produced drama film that is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sophie Hyde, who made her feature film Directorial debut with '52 Tuesdays' in 2014 and which she would follow up with 'Animals' in 2019 and 'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande' in 2022. Here, Hannah (Olivia Colman), together with her nonbinary teenager, Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde), travel to Amsterdam to visit her gay father Jim, known as Jimpa (John Lithgow). When Frances wishes to stay with their grandfather for a year, Hannah is forced to re-examine her parenting and her past. Also starring Daniel Henshall. The film saw its World Premiere showcasing at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, has generated mixed or average reviews and has so far grossed just US$24K.

'PILLION' (Rated R18+) - this UK and Irish Co-Produced erotic comedy drama film is Written and Directed by Harry Lighton in his feature film making debut, and is based on the 2020 novel 'Box Hill' by Adam Mars-Jones. Colin (Harry Melling) is an introverted gay man living with his parents in Bromley, London, letting life pass him by. That is, until Ray (Alexander Skarsgard), the impossibly handsome leader of a motorcycle club, takes him on as his submissive. Ray uproots Colin from his dreary suburban life, introducing him to a community of kinky, queer bikers and taking all sorts of virginities along the way. But as Colin steps deeper into Ray’s world of rules and mysteries, he begins to question whether the life of a 24/7 submissive is for him. Has he found his calling, or has he simply swapped one form of suffocation for another? Also starring Douglas Hodge and Lesley Sharp. The film saw its Premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at last years Cannes Film Festival, where it won the section's Best Screenplay prize, alongside nominations for the Camera d'Or and the Queer Palm. It was released in the UK at the end of November last year, has received wide spread critical acclaim so far collecting fourteen award wins and a further 29 nominations from around the awards and festival circuit, and has so far recovered US$2M from its US$1M production budget. 

'NIRVANNA : THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE' (Rated M) - is a 2025 Canadian time travel mockumentary-adventure film Directed by Matt Johnson from a screenplay by Johnson and Jay McCarrol. The film is based on Johnson and McCarrol's 2007–2009 web series 'Nirvana the Band the Show', as well as its 2017–2018 sequel television series 'Nirvanna the Band the Show'. The film stars Johnson and McCarrol as fictionalised versions of themselves in a band called 'Nirvanna the Band' as they attempt to book a gig at the Rivoli, a bar and restaurant in Toronto, despite the fact that they have never actually written or recorded a single song, nor taken any steps to contact the Rivoli's management about booking a show. A new plan to play the Rivoli gone wrong and accidentally sends Matt, Jay, and their friend/cameraman Jared back in time to the year 2008, leaving them stranded unless they can find a way to get back to the future. The film Premiered at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival in early March last year, and had its Canadian Premiere in the Midnight Madness programme at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People's Choice Award, Midnight Madness. It has garnered generally favourable critical reviews.

'PAUL MCCARTNEY : MAN ON THE RUN' (Rated M) - this UK and US Co-Produced documentary film is Co-Produced and Directed by Morgan Neville whose previous documentary output includes his Academy Award winning '20 Feet from Stardom' in 2013, 'Best of Enemies : Buckley vs. Vidal' in 2015, 'Won't You Be My Neighbour' in 2018, 'Roadrunner : A Film About Anthony Bourdain' in 2021, and 'Piece by Piece' in 2024. This film charts Paul McCartney's extraordinary life following the breakup of 'The Beatles' in 1970 and how the love he shared with Linda became his foundation and influenced a journey that resulted in the formation of 'Wings' and a second decade's musical catalogue of timeless classics. With access to never-before-seen footage of Paul and Linda's home videos and photos, as well as new interviews, and featuring archival interviews with his Beatles and Wings bandmates, Linda McCartney, Mick Jagger, Chrissie Hynde, Sean Ono Lennon and Mary and Stella McCartney. The film Premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in late August last year, and has a limited cinematic release for one night only this week before moving to streaming on Prime Video on the 27th of this month. The film coincides with the 2025 album, 'Wings', and the book 'Wings : The Story of a Band on the Run'.

'KILLER WHALE' (Rated M) - this Australian and US Co-Produced survival thriller film is Co-Written and Directed by Jo-Anne Brechin who helmed her first feature film 'Zelos' in 2017 and would follow this up with 'Paper Champions' in 2020. After a life-shattering tragedy, Trish (Mel Jarnson) tries to comfort her best friend, Maddie (Virginia Gardner), by taking her on a spectacular adventure to a secluded lagoon while holidaying in Thailand. Their peaceful retreat soon becomes a terrifying fight to stay alive when the ocean's most bloodthirsty predator, a killer whale, seeks vengeance for a brutal life in captivity having only recently been released into the wild. The film was released in mid-January and has generated less than positive reviews.

With seven new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-