SBS World Movies is an Australian free-to-air television channel showing international movies. The channel features foreign language films, documentaries, independent and mainstream cinema and interviews with international movie stars. It was previously known simply as World Movies and was available on

Foxtel Foxtel is an Australian pay television company—operating in cable television, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April 2018, superseding an earlier company from 1995. The service was establi ...

. Its library of movies is currently available on the SVOD service

Stan Stan or STAN may refer to: People * Stan (given name), a list of people with the given name ** Stan Laurel (1890–1965), English comic actor, part of duo Laurel and Hardy * Stan (surname), a Romanian surname * Stan! (born 1964), American author ...

and Netflix, and it was revived on Channel 32 as a free-to-air channel, on 1 July 2019.

History

Original channel (1995–2018)

The channel began broadcasting in October 1995, coinciding with the launch of

. It launched on Optus TV in May 1998. World Movies was created by its founding CEO Laurie Patton on behalf of a syndicate that included the private company of Seven Network chairman Kerry Stokes, the Australian Radio Network (ARN) and public broadcaster SBS. SBS provided access to its inventory of English language subtitles and the other shareholders funded the setup costs. In October 2009, SBS announced its intention to buy out the other shareholders, giving it full ownership of the channel. World Movies was owned and operated by SBS Subscription TV, a subsidiary of SBS. The two have a close working relationship, with films premiering on World Movies 12 months before becoming available on the SBS free-to-air channels. On 3 November 2014, World Movies launched a HD simulcast on Foxtel. On 31 January 2018, World Movies ceased broadcasting on Foxtel but movies can be seen On Demand in a section called "World Movies".

Revival channel (2019–present)

The channel was revived on free-to-air television on 1 July 2019. It is available on channel 32 in high definition, replacing the standard definition broadcast of SBS Viceland, which will continue to be broadcast on channel 31 in HD. A promo loop started broadcasting in some areas on 18 June 2019, and in the rest of Australia on 23 June 2019. The channel launched on 1 July 2019 at 10am with the 2018 French film '' Remi Nobody's Boy''.

Programming

World Movies broadcasts foreign films spoken in over 200 languages and covers all genres of film, including action, adult, horror, vintage foreign film, as well as independent cinema. The channel also broadcasts documentaries and interviews with high-profile members of the foreign film community. Past interviews have included German Director Wim Wenders, Spanish actress Paz Vega, and French star Clotilde Hesme.

25 Films You Must See Before You Die

In 2005, World Movies and SBS ran their program ''25 Films You Must See Before You Die'', which showcased one film per week from 1 March to 16 August 2005. The films chosen were: # ''

Seven Samurai is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai drama film co-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The story takes place in 1586 during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. It follows the story of a village of desperate farmers who hire seven ...

'' (1954) # '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) # '' Metropolis'' (1927) # '' Dersu Uzala'' (1975) # '' Blowup'' (1966) # '' The Seventh Seal'' (1957) # '' The Battleship Potemkin'' (1925) # '' 8½'' (1963) # '' Un Chien Andalou'' (1928) # '' Kes'' (1969) # ''

Breathless Breathless may refer to: Aircraft *Paradelta Breathless, an Italian paraglider design Film and television * Breathless (1960 film), ''Breathless'' (1960 film) (''À bout de souffle''), a French film directed by Jean-Luc Godard * Breathless (1982 ...

'' (1960) # '' Mon Oncle'' (1958) # '' Raise the Red Lantern'' (1991) # '' Modern Times'' (1936) # '' Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown'' (1988) # ''

Boudu Saved from Drowning ''Boudu Saved from Drowning'' (french: Boudu sauvé des eaux, "Boudu saved from the waters") is a 1932 French social satire comedy of manners film directed by Jean Renoir. Renoir wrote the film's screenplay, from the 1919 play by René Fauchoi ...

'' (1932) # '' Solaris'' (1972) # '' City of God'' (2002) # '' Breaking the Waves'' (1996) # '' Last Tango in Paris'' (1972) # '' Nosferatu, a Symphony of Terror'' (1922) # ''

Umberto D. ''Umberto D.'' () is a 1952 Cinema of Italy, Italian Italian neorealism, neorealist film directed by Vittorio De Sica. Most of the actors were non-professional, including Carlo Battisti who plays the title role of Umberto Domenico Ferrari, a poor ...

'' (1952) # '' Three Colours: Blue'' (1993) # '' The Battle of Algiers'' (1965) # ''

Les Enfants du Paradis ''Children of Paradise'' (original French title: ''Les Enfants du Paradis'') is a two-part French romantic drama film by Marcel Carné, produced under war conditions in 1943, 1944, and early 1945 in both Vichy France and Occupied France. Set in ...

'' (1945)

25 Docs You Must See Before You Die

From 3 April to 18 September 2007, the World Movies channel showed ''25 Docs You Must See Before You Die''.World Movies'
25 Docs You Must See Before You Die
' microsite # '' Triumph of the Will'' (1935) # '' Grey Gardens'' (1975) # ''

To Be and to Have ''To Be and To Have'' (french: Être et avoir; also the UK title) is a 2002 French documentary film directed by Nicolas Philibert about a small rural school. It was screened as an "Out of Competition" film at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and achi ...

'' (2002) # '' Dont Look Back'' ic(1967) # '' I Was a Fireman'' (1943) # '' In the Year of the Pig'' (1968) # '' The Thin Blue Line'' (1988) # '' The Last Waltz'' (1978) # '' Brother's Keeper'' (1992) # '' Hoop Dreams'' (1994) # ''

The Man with a Movie Camera ''Man with a Movie Camera'' (russian: Человек с киноаппаратом, translit=Chelovek s kinoapparatom) is an experimental 1929 Soviet silent documentary film, directed by Dziga Vertov, filmed by his brother Mikhail Kaufman, an ...

'' (1929) # '' For All Mankind'' (1988) # '' The Times of Harvey Milk'' (1984) # '' Häxan'' (1922) # '' Spellbound'' (2002) # '' The Gleaners and I'' (2000) # ''

Murder on a Sunday Morning ''Murder on a Sunday Morning'' (french: Un coupable idéal, lit. ''An Ideal Culprit'') is a 2001 documentary film directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. Its subject is the Brenton Butler case, a criminal case in which a fifteen-year-old African-Ame ...

'' (2001) # '' When We Were Kings'' (1996) # '' Fast, Cheap & Out of Control'' (1997) # ''

Best Boy In a film crew there are two kinds of best boy: best boy electric and best boy grip. They are assistants to their department heads, the gaffer (in charge of electricals) and the key grip (lighting and rigging), respectively. In short, the best ...

'' (1979) # '' The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara'' (2003) # '' The Sorrow and the Pity'' (1969) # '' Silverlake Life: The View from Here'' (1993) # '' My Flesh and Blood'' (2003) # '' Hearts and Minds'' (1974)

Community Involvement

World Movies aims to promote the importance of foreign film in Australia through partnerships and events. The channel works closely with local foreign film festivals, including the Italian Film Festival, French Film Festival and German Film Festival. In September 2011, World Movies launched a free foreign marathon event at Palace Verona Cinema in Sydney. The event invited guests to attend a marathon of free foreign films at the cinema including the French comedy '' Amélie''.

References

External links

* * {{Free-to-air television channels in Australia Movie channels in Australia Special Broadcasting Service Television channels and stations established in 1995 English-language television stations in Australia Television channels and stations disestablished in 2018 Television channels and stations established in 2019 1995 establishments in Australia 2018 disestablishments in Australia 2019 establishments in Australia