Lido Cinemas

George Gerswhin once said, “life is a lot like jazz. It's best when you improvise.” Lido Cinema improvised, and turned its jazz room into a comedy room. You may not have been previously aware that cinemas have jazz rooms… Turns out they don’t, except for this one and no one knows why, but it sure works for stand-up. The small soundproof room makes Lido the best intimate comedy night happening in Melbourne at the moment. Each week features two brackets featuring Melbourne’s best comedians. The cinema serves wine, beer and tapas-style food, which can be taken into the show. The room maxes out at about 60 people and bookings are essential. Coming as a group? Try to book tickets together otherwise you may be seated separately. 

If you're a Europhile or a lover of arthouse films, you're in luck: a new festival showcasing some of the best and latest European films is coming to cinemas across Australia. The festival will run from February 4 to 27, with films premiering at Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick and Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn. The full program schedule will be revealed on January 16 coupled with a screening of Benedetta, a delirious and decidedly unholy new film from Dutch director Paul Verhoeven. Without giving too much away, the film is an erotically charged thriller about a 17th-century Italian nun who plunges into a romantic lesbian love affair. To give you an idea of what to expect, Verhoeven is the same man behind classic erotic films like Showgirls and Basic Instinct. After the launch night and program reveal, the festival resumes on Feb 4 with a selection of dynamic films from all over Europe.  Tickets to the launch night of Benedetta can be purchased through the Classic Cinemas website and start at $24 and include a 'holy water' cocktail and a wafer on arrival. Stay tuned for further announcements on the full program and accompanying ticket sales. 

Jewish people have played an enormously significant role in the history of cinema whether as beloved movie stars, brilliant screenwriters and directors, or powerful studio bosses. It’s little surprise that every year, Australia’s Jewish International Film Festival is able to present great movies from all over the world showcasing stories of Jewish people ranging from the tragic to the hilarious. In 2022, the Festival will screen 55 feature films and a shorts package from 19 countries, including two world premiere screenings of Australian films. Opening night film has been announced as Greener Pastures, an Israeli stoner comedy in which an elderly man (Shlomo Bar-Aba), forced into destitution, hatches a plan to sell marijuana to nursing home residents in order to buy his house back.  More films will be announced soon, as well as an accompanying series of events including live music, comedy and cabaret. The festival is playing at the Ritz Cinemas Randwick (Mar 3-Apr 4) and Roseville Cinemas (Mar 3-23) and tickets are on sale from January 30.