SBS World Movies


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. Its library of movies is currently available on the SVOD service Stan, 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 Foxtel. 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 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:
  1. Seven Samurai
  2. The Rules of the Game
  3. Metropolis
  4. Dersu Uzala
  5. Blowup
  6. The Seventh Seal
  7. The Battleship Potemkin
  8. 8½
  9. Un Chien Andalou
  10. Kes
  11. Breathless
  12. Mon Oncle
  13. Raise the Red Lantern
  14. Modern Times
  15. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
  16. Boudu Saved from Drowning
  17. Solaris
  18. City of God
  19. Breaking the Waves
  20. Last Tango in Paris
  21. Nosferatu, a Symphony of Terror
  22. Umberto D.
  24. The Battle of Algiers
  25. Les Enfants du Paradis

    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.
  1. Triumph of the Will
  2. Grey Gardens
  3. To Be and to Have
  4. Dont Look Back
  5. I Was a Fireman
  6. In the Year of the Pig
  7. The Thin Blue Line
  8. The Last Waltz
  9. Brother's Keeper
  10. Hoop Dreams
  11. The Man with a Movie Camera
  12. For All Mankind
  13. The Times of Harvey Milk
  14. Häxan
  15. Spellbound
  16. The Gleaners and I
  17. Murder on a Sunday Morning
  18. When We Were Kings
  19. Fast, Cheap & Out of Control
  20. Best Boy
  21. The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara
  22. The Sorrow and the Pity
  24. My Flesh and Blood
  25. Hearts and Minds

    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 Amelie.