by FIlmInk Staff
Two Brisbane films made almost 20 years apart will be screened together in London, bringing a story of leaving, returning and friendship in Brisbane to an international audience.
All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane and All My Friends Are Back in Brisbane will be presented as a special double bill at Finsbury Park Picturehouse as part of the 2026 London Australian Film Festival.
The October 4 screening will feature writer-producer Stephen Vagg, who will take part in a question-and-answer session following the films.
Directed by Louise Alston and written by Vagg, the films are linked by their Brisbane setting and their focus on relationships, friendship and the decisions people make about staying or leaving the city.
“The films have never been played together back-to-back for audiences so we’re really excited to see how the screening goes,” says Alston. “London audiences have always been supportive, so it seems fitting they get the world debut of the double-bill.”
The original All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane, released in 2007, follows Anthea, played by Charlotte Gregg, a young Brisbane woman whose friends are gradually leaving the city.
Nearly two decades later, All My Friends Are Back in Brisbane reverses that journey.
The sequel follows Cris, played by Nelle Lee, who returns to Brisbane after 10 years in London following the breakdown of her engagement. She reconnects with former boyfriend Scooter, played by Andrew Steel, who has remained in Brisbane and is now married with a child.
All My Friends Are Back in Brisbane has just completed a 12-week theatrical run in Brisbane — 10 weeks at Five Star Cinemas New Farm followed by two weeks at Regal Graceville.
Its New Farm season was originally scheduled for just three sessions. All three sold out, leading to an extended season. The film has also had sell-out screenings in Sydney and Melbourne.
Both films were shot around Brisbane, including New Farm, West End and the CBD. Both also feature scenes shot in London. “We didn’t have the budget to go there, unfortunately,” laughs Alston. “Maybe if we do a third film…”
The London event will bring the two movies together for the first time as a single programme. The Q&A is being held with Vagg, whose other writing credits include Darby and Joan, Neighbours, Home and Away and Rock Island Mysteries. “The films tell very Brisbane stories but they are also universal ones,” says Vagg. “London is a crucial character in both movies so we are thrilled to be screening there.”
For London audiences, the screening offers a chance to see how the Brisbane of the original 2007 film compares with the city and characters revisited almost 20 years later.
The event is part of the London Australian Film Festival, with the double bill scheduled for October 4 at Finsbury Park Picturehouse.
