Foxtel viewers will have access to an additional channel from today with confirmation the pay-tv broadcaster has struck a carriage agreement to provide its customers access to the new SBS World Movies channel.
Launched this morning, the new SBS World Movies channel will be available in High Definition on Foxtel channel 432. A standard definition version of the channel will also be provided on Foxtel channel 433.
The carriage agreement between Foxtel and SBS was finalised over the weekend after several weeks of negotiation. The deal comes at the same as the ABC is looking to negotiate a cheaper carriage arrangement for its broadcast channels. The ABC is reportedly paying Foxtel a figure of $4million per year to get its channels distributed by the pay-tv broadcaster.
The Foxtel launch is in addition to the channel now also being available on Free-To-Air Digital channel 32. The Free-TV version of the channel is also broadcast in High Definition.
The first months line up for SBS World Movies will feature Loving Pablo (Spain), Rafiki (Kenya), Studio Ghibli (Japan) and Just A Breath Away (France) are among the titles to headline the first month.
The 24-hour channel will be a celebration of the very best of world cinema – acclaimed arthouse, the best of Bollywood, nail-biting thrillers, romantic comedies, family favourites and anime classics. At least half of all titles will be in a language other than English, and the channel will broadcast over 700 films each year.
The first month of SBS World Movies is a unique mix of titles to help see audiences through winter. Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem unite in Spanish drama Loving Pablo to chronicle the volatile love affair between notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar and journalist Virginia Vallejo, throughout his reign of terror in Colombia.
Controversially banned in its home country of Kenya, Rafiki is the tender story of two women falling in love. Following critical acclaim at Cannes and around the world, filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu has taken on the Kenyan government to overturn their decision to ban the film.
All day, every single weekend in July, SBS World Movies will present cult classics from Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation film studio behind Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle and When Marnie Was There. From 6am – 7.30pm each Saturday and Sunday parents and children alike will be transported to distant, mystical worlds from the comfort of their own home.
Tuesdays are dedicated to French heartthrob and lauded actor Romain Duris. He is known for his versatility, taking on gritty antiheroes, witty romantic interests and sombre dramas. Every Tuesday at 9.30pm, SBS World Movies will showcase his best films, including: Just A Breath Away, Odd Job, The New Girlfriend and Heartbreaker.
Women in film will be celebrated every Thursday, with films featuring strong female characters and creative teams airing back-to-back in prime time. Top picks include The Assassin, Into The Forest with Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood, Pin Cushion and Brick Lane.
SBS Director of Television and Online Content, Marshall Heald said: “SBS World Movies is a celebration of diversity – diversity of ideas, stories, talent and content. It’s a uniquely SBS channel that will bring the very best of world cinema to Australian audiences free of charge. What other network would showcase critically acclaimed international dramas alongside beloved anime from Studio Ghibli? We can’t wait to hear what audiences think of the channel.”
SBS World Movies will also feature curated seasons of special programming to mark cultural events, festivals and celebrations such as NAIDOC, Lunar New Year, International Women’s Day and Mardi Gras. From 6am to 6pm the channel will reprise the classics of cinema drawing on the best of the world’s movies over the decades and educating audiences about the art and history of cinema. SBS World Movies will broadcast in HD on free-to-air channel 32 alongside SBS’s existing channels: SBS, SBS VICELAND, SBS Food and NITV. SBS World Movies will be SBS’s third HD channel.
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