Albany Film Society

09/06/2026

Our 14th July film will be A balloon for Allah-
Bring a plate to share to celebrate Christmas in July
When the Norwegian-Turkish filmmaker Nefise Özkal Lorentzen was little, she used to send letters to Allah by balloon. By following her grandmother's path as a 'sufi', she embarks on a journey to rediscover the Islam of her mother's mother. The film switches between her actual journey and her dreams. She experiences the diversity of Cairo, Istanbul and Oslo by drinking tea with the Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi, finding hope and inspiration in the life of the 90-year-old author Gamal al-Banna.

52m

12/05/2026

Our 9 June screening will now be Egil Haaskjold Larsen's documentary 69 Minutes of 86 Days (69 minutter av 86 dager. This brings home the physical and mental hardships of immigration.. The film has already won prizes at Hot Docs, Nordic, Sheffield and Cpx:Dox.

1h 10m

12/04/2026

Our AGM will be on 12th May just before our screening of Siblings are Forever-
This film is a warm and poetic documentary about a brother and sister. Magnar (73) and Oddny (70) live like many Norwegians did 50 years ago: far from wealthy but close to the nature surrounding them.

1h 15m

14/03/2026

Come and join us for our 14th April screening of the Honk Kong film Happy Together at 7:30 pm at the Vancouver Arts Centre

This film is a melancholy and bleak reflection on love and loneliness from acclaimed director Wong Kar-Wai. At the film's centre is the strained romantic relationship between two men who travel in the hope of a reconciliation to South America. Soon enough they break up, and both men decidto stay on in Buenos Aires. Though they each begin separate lives, the couple retains a powerful, if reluctant connection. The film focuses almost exclusively upon the dance of alienation and togetherness behind a tumultuous relationship. Awards: Cannes Film Festival 1997: best cinematography, best director.

1h 36m | Not Rated

14/03/2026

Our 14th April film is from Honk Kong: Happy Together
A melancholy and bleak reflection on love and loneliness from acclaimed director Wong Kar-Wai. At the film's centre is the strained romantic relationship between two men who travel in the hope of a reconciliation to South America. Soon enough they break up, and both men decide to stay on in Buenos Aires. Though they each begin separate lives, the couple retains a powerful, if reluctant connection. The film focuses almost exclusively upon the dance of alienation and togetherness behind a tumultuous relationship. Awards: Cannes Film Festival 1997: best cinematography, best director.

1h 36m | Not Rated

11/11/2025

Our 9 December film is a German film: Mission Ulja Funk

Bring a plate to share and celebrate Christmas

The film is a comedy about 12 year old Ulja who has discovered an
asteroid on it’s way to earth. With a stolen hearse and a 13-year-old classmate as a driver, she makes her way across Eastern Europe to watch the impact of an asteroid. In doing so, she not only has to shake off her persecutors, but also her pragmatic view of friendship and family.

Luc Feit, Romy Lou Janinhoff, Hildegard Schroedter, and Jonas Oeßel in Mission Ulja Funk (2021)

19/10/2025

Our 11 November film is Blue Jasmine.
Screened from 7:30 pm sharp at the VAC
Visitors are welcome to turn up once to try us out- please arrive 10 minutes early to find a seat.
Blue Jasmine is an American black comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. It stars Cate Blanchett as a New York socialite, Jeanette "Jasmine" French, who falls into poverty and homelessness. Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K., Bobby Canavale, Andrew Dice Clay and Sally Hawkins feature in supporting roles. Blue Jasmine has garnered awards and nominations in a variety of categories with particular praise for Blanchett's portrayal of the titular protagonist.

Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine (2013)

12/08/2025

An animation is our September 9th screening
$9.99 - 78 min
A stop-motion animated drama film written and directed by Tatia Rosenthal, with the screenplay by Etgar Keret. It revolves around the people living in a Sydney apartment complex looking for meaning in their lives. This animation has won critical acclaim at international film festivals and stars the voices of Geoffrey Rush, Claudia Karvan and Anthony La Paglia to name a few.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790799/mediaviewer/rm1892259072/?ref_=tt_ov_i

08/07/2025

We travel to Africa for our August 12th film
Faro - Goddess of the Waters = Faro - La Reine Des Eaux – 96 min
Years after being cast out of a tiny coastal village Zanga leaves his adopted life in a modern city and returns to his native tribe. His arrival fans the flames of cultural tension between tribal elders and the younger generation. When Zanga's reunion with his mother, coincides with the drowning of a young girl, the village chief accuses Zanga of angering the water goddess Faro. The film uses this fateful moment in the history of a village to bring us closer to the changing rural regions of Africa: suddenly, oppressed people are making demands and the local authorities are under pressure. Tradition has to find compromises with modernity so that life can go on.

Faro, la reine des eaux (2007)

03/07/2025

Come and bring a plate to share and celebrate Christmas in July at our next screening