No. 015 - 'Future Council' by Damon Gameau (2024)

A dreary Sunday evening in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs but still a balmy 18 degrees for July. Winter in Sydney has been pleasantly warm and sunny for the most part, but maybe that's because I lived in Canberra for seven years. Only recently has the cold set in but even then, it’s been contained to the night. This ‘comfortable’ weather though is ringing internal alarm bells.

"Climate change has it’s upsides" I think facetiously as I enter the crowded lobby of the Ritz cinemas. The doors aren't open yet but the red carpet is already laid. Fresh off three appearances in the Hottest 100, Jimmy Barnes stands for photos with director Damon Gameau. Is he one of the surprise appearances mentioned in the promo for this premiere? (Spoilers: he wasn't, it was actually Gina Chick). The lobby is buzzing with energy. Kids carry popcorn buckets larger than their heads. Parents try to act calm around Barnesy. And I wonder if I really needed to watch this film again?

Okay, so confession time. I watched Future Council at MIFF last year. My session there was a peculiar one. The first ten rows of the ACMI theatre were filled with school children and their teachers. The row directly in front of me held the eight starring children of the film. And the seats next to me were reserved for their parents. It made for an energetic and interactive viewing experience I'll cherish for a long time. But having been a year and a hundred movies ago, I had forgotten the film itself, so here I was seeing it for a second time, again with a full crowd of families.

Before the film began, Alone Australia winner, Gina Chick, introduced the film in a style akin to amateur slam poetry with the profundity of a fortune cookie. Perhaps I hadn't touched enough grass but I did not tap into the 'wisdom' contained in her effort to turn 'tree' into the verb 'treeing' before unrelentingly deploying it in her speech.

The film itself is fairly traditional in style and structure. Damon introduces each member of the council's Bumble-bus before launching on a road-trip across Europe, lobbying companies to introduce the Future Council programme. This initiative argues that children should have a say in corporate decisions as they represent the future consumers and inheritors of the climate. The Council meets with ING Bank and Nestle, as well as eco-friendly organisations such as Pachaland, using each interaction as a learning and reflection exercise. Embedded throughout the film are lessons and teaching moments for the audience, giving plenty of space to consider the interaction of capitalism, consumerism and environmental destruction.

The film's main hook is the incredible energy brought on by the eight young stars; Ruby, Skye, Hiva, Joseph, Karla, CC, Joaquin and Aurvi. Each kid has an inspiring background in climate initiatives, campaigns and environmental passions which they bring fully to the screen. Their joy in nature, anger at corporations, intellect in the world's problems and drive to make things better is infectious. They are the bright rays of sun and the birdsongs of the forest. For other kids, they are an inspiration and guide for how to make change. For adults, they are a reminder of who is being affected the most by our actions. They're also a reminder that we too were children, when the most important thing was our own future, our hopes and dreams for the world.

Future Council is a refreshing and energising documentary. I see it becoming a valuable tool in classrooms to spark inspiration and change.

Future Council is out in most cinemas today.

Fleapit Pick of the Week

This is your final chance to see one of the best new releases from 2025, Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier. A stunning and moving feature, the film is playing at Palace as part of the Scandinavian Film Festival. Final sessions are this week before its wide release in 2026.

Screenings: Thursday 7 August - Wednesday 13 August

Astro’s Arcade Bar
Armour of God (1986, Jackie Chan & Eric Tsang)
Tuesday

Cinema Astragale
The Ladies Man (1961, Jerry Lewis)
Thursday

Liberation Cinema
Dream of Silk (2003, Nahid Rezai) & I for Iran (2014, Sanaz Azari)
Tuesday

Inner West Libraries Film Club
At the Fork (2016, John Papola)
Friday

Buñuel: A Surrealist Filmmaker (2021, Javier Espada)
Wednesday

Scandinavian Film Festival | 17 July - 10 August
Sentimental Value (2025, Joachim Trier)
Saturday

Grand Finale (2024, Sigurjon Kjartansson)
Closing Night Event
Sunday

Hayden Orpheum | selected highlights
Future Council (2024, Damon Gameau)
Saturday & Sunday

Together (2025, Michael Shanks)
Daily

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984, Hayao Miyazaki)
Thursday

Sense & Sensibility (1995, Ang Lee)
30th Anniversary 4K
Sunday

No Country For Old Men (2007, Ethan & Joel Coen)
4K Restoration
Sunday

Golden Age Cinema | selected highlights
The Extraordinary Miss Flower (2024, Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard)
Sydney Exclusive
Friday & Monday

Mullet (2001, David Caesar)
4K Restoration
Sunday

Viet and Nam (2024, Trương Minh Quý)
Presented by This Long Century
Sunday

Ritz Cinemas, Randwick | selected highlights

Future Council (2024, Damon Gameau)
Daily

Together (2025, Michael Shanks)
Daily

Robert Altman Retrospective (link)
Secret Honor (1984, Robert Altman)
Thursday

Cult Classics (link)
This is Spinal Tap (1984, Rob Reiner)
Saturday & Monday

Celluloid Film (link)
The Matrix (1999, Lana & Lily Wachowski)
Friday

Classic Matinees (link)
Grand Illusion (1937, Jean Renoir)
Saturday & Monday

Make It Musical (link)
Mamma Mia! (2008, Phyllida Lloyd)
Sunday & Wednesday

Meet Cute (link)
Notting Hill (1999, Roger Michell)
Tuesday

Dendy Newtown | selected highlights

Together (2025, Michael Shanks)
Daily

Future Council (2024, Damon Gameau)
Saturday & Sunday

Night Shift (link)
Run Lola Run (1998, Tom Tykwer)
Daily

Palace Cinemas | selected highlights

Future Council (2024, Damon Gameau)
Daily

Together (2025, Michael Shanks)
Daily

NYTimes Top 10 Films of the 21st Century
Get Out (2017, Jordan Peele)
Saturday

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004, Michel Gondry)
Sunday

Cult Vault (link)
Ran (1985, Akira Kurosawa)
Monday

Matinee Memories (link)
Roman Holiday (1953, William Wyler)
Saturday

Art Gallery of NSW
Film Series: Nouvelle Vague - A Short History of the French New Wave
October in Paris (1962, Jacques Panijel)
Sunday

Jules and Jim (1962, Francois Truffaut)
Wednesday