Awards Season

Nagasaki, 1964. After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, gifted Kikuo (rising star Ryō Yoshizawa) is taken under the wing of famed Kabuki actor Hanjirō Hanai (played by the iconic Ken Watanabe, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Last Samurai). Alongside the great performer’s only son, Shunsuke (Ryūsei Yokohama), he dedicates his life to the artform – a centuries-old Japanese theatrical tradition known for its costumes, elaborate makeup and innovative stagecraft. Over the ensuing decades, against the backdrop of stunning stagings of classic Kabuki tales, the destiny of the two young disciples entwines and twists - from acting school to the most prestigious stages - and their hearts suffer as much yearning, scandal and glory as their on-stage alter-egos. Only one of them will become the master of the art. Based on the best-selling novel by Shūichi Yoshida, KOKUHŌ (which translates as 'National Treasure') stormed the Japanese box office in mid-2025, with demand escalating for months on the back of word of mouth, becoming the highest grossing live action film in Japanese box office history with over 12.3 million admissions, a true cultural phenomenon.

Following the spellbinding success of last year's gravity-defying musical phenomenon, Wicked - now the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time - Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande return to bring Elphaba and Glinda to life once more, reprising their career-defining, Oscar nominated performances. Directed once again by award-winning director Jon M. Chu and featuring the spectacular returning ensemble cast including Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh, the final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices. Elphaba (Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Goldblum). Glinda, meanwhile, has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. Under the instruction of Madame Morrible (Yeoh), Glinda is deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard. As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba will need to come together one final time.

Oscar-nominated provocateur Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favourite) reunites with stars Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons for the bold and absurdist sci-fi dark comedy-thriller, BUGONIA. The twisted social satire follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men (Plemons and rising newcomer Aidan Delbis) who team up to abduct a high-powered American CEO (Stone), convinced she is an alien bent on destroying Earth. What unfolds is a darkly twisted journey that blurs the lines between paranoia, power, and survival. Debuting to a lengthy standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, the film has been hailed as a "masterclass in directorial control", boldly challenging audiences both emotionally and intellectually. Written by 'The Menu' co-writer Will Tracy, BUGONIA is an English-language reimagining of Jang Joon-hwan’s acclaimed 2003 Korean cult classic, 'Save the Green Planet!' - now reinterpreted through Lanthimos’ uniquely off-kilter vision.

Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at this year’s Berlinale Film Festival, Rose Byrne delivers a tour de force in A24’s visceral IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU – writer-director Mary Bronstein’s darkly comic and unflinchingly honest portrait of modern motherhood. Linda (Byrne) is a therapist who can barely help herself, let alone anyone else. With her life crashing down around her, Linda attempts to navigate her child's mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing patient, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her own therapist (played by funnyman Conan O’Brien in his dramatic film debut). When her bedroom ceiling collapses, forcing her and her daughter into a sterile hotel room, Linda’s fragile sense of control begins to slip completely. Chaotic, bitingly funny, and laced with surreal dread, IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU is a nerve-shredding yet profoundly human exploration of anxiety, identity, and the impossible expectations of motherhood. The psychological black comedy also features standout performances from A$AP Rocky, Christian Slater and fellow Australian Danielle Macdonald.

From Scott Cooper, director of the Oscar-winning music-drama Crazy Heart, comes the gritty, soul-searching biopic, SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE. Based on Warren Zanes' 2023 book and starring Golden Globe winner Jeremy Allen White (The Bear, The Iron Claw), the highly anticipated biopic follows Bruce Springsteen's journey crafting his hauntingly raw 1982 album “Nebraska”, which emerged as he recorded Born in the USA with the E Street Band. In the early 80s, Bruce Springsteen (Allen White) is a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom. As the E Street Band rides the high of The River tour, Bruce finds himself increasingly disillusioned by the expectations of stardom. Retreating into solitude in his modest New Jersey home with nothing but a four-track recorder and his guitar, he lays bare a collection of dark, deeply personal songs that will ultimately redefine his legacy. Told through a mix of intimate moments, flashbacks, and stark Americana visuals, SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE explores Bruce’s fraught relationship with his father, his lifelong struggle with mental health, and his refusal to conform to the commercial demands of the music industry. Peeling back the layers of a rock icon at a crossroad, the film sees Springsteen confront his own demons in pursuit of truth through music, leading to an album that is widely considered to be one of his most enduring works. Co-starring Oscar nominee Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice, Succession) as music critic Jon Landau, SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE is helmed by a crew of biopic familiars, creating a real and rare visionary wonder set to be as powerful as the work it is based on.

Some search for battle, others are born into it.  Academy Award-nominated, BAFTA-winning filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood) and Academy Award and BAFTA winner Leonardo DiCaprio join forces for one of the most anticipated cinema events of the year with the darkly comedic action thriller, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. Loosely inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel 'Vineland', Anderson has concocted an explosive combination of cutting black comedy, whip-smart political satire and edge-of-your-seat action blockbuster. When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunites to rescue one of their own's daughter. Anderson's bold visual style and evocative character explorations are perfectly matched by powerhouse performances from DiCaprio and the fully-loaded all-star ensemble cast, including Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Wood Harris, Alana Haim, and Oscar and BAFTA winners Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn.