14/12/2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Ireland, 2020, 95 min. Written and Directed by Philip Doherty Deadpan Dark Irish Comedy To see out the year 2023, we turn to a pitch-black, irreverent comedy about a troubled young man returning to his fictional Irish hometown of Ballylough, in the real County Cavan. A despairing prodigal son seeking redemption for his sins, he…
08/02/2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm London Housing Estate Comedy Resourceful and bold 12-year-old Georgie secretly lives by herself on the outskirts of Chigwell in East London after the death of her mother. She survives on her wits and the wondrous friendship with her best mate Ali. Young Georgie gets into fights, nicks bikes and pretends to the social services, she lives…
14/03/2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Luscious Moroccan Drama In 2021, BFS screened the well-received film, Adam. This is Touzani ‘s second feature film, described by Sight and Sound as a ‘tender, dignified drama’. A master tailor who owns a caftan shop in Morocco’s oldest medina, falls for his young male apprentice in this nuanced portrait of unconditional love at its most…
11/04/2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Chinese Neo-noir Crime Thriller When small-time mob leader Zhou Zenong (Hu Ge) accidentally kills a cop, a bounty is placed on his head, forcing him on the run from both the police as well as dangerous gangsters out for the reward. Hiding out in China’s densely populated (and deeply divided) Wuhan province, Zhou becomes entangled…
09/05/2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Iranian-Australian Family Story Opening the 2022 Melbourne International Film Festival, Niasari ‘s debut film Shayda was selected by Australia to enter the Best International Feature Film Oscar race in 2023. Iranian-Australian born writer and director Noora Niasari tells the personally inspired story of a young Iranian mother and her 6-year-old daughter who find refuge in…
12/05/2024 @ 7:30 pm - 11:00 pm $25 – $40 Rock 'n' Rolling with Our Stars: Featuring James Bookman Get your dancing shoes out for a night of Rock n Roll feat. music by JAMES BOOKMAN and DJ BOZ. All funds raised towards the Ballarat Foundation Dancing With Our Stars 2024 This Rock n Roll night is getting bigger! If you are free this Saturday…
19/05/2024 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm $55 Australia's biggest and best comedy spectacular is setting off again on its annual road trip around the country! Showcasing the finest talents from the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, we're delivering a dose of laughter right to your doorstep! Featuring a line-up of beloved comedy royalty alongside the freshest sensations from the Festival, all in…
13/06/2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Under the Spanish sun... The Soles are peach farmers who have occupied their land for generations on the basis of a handshake deal with the original owners. The sighting of a looming mechanical crane ushers into their lives an uncertain peach season and future. An ensemble drama with 6 prominent characters is set in a…
11/07/2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Aboriginal Historical Fantasy The New Boy is set on a remote mission for Aboriginal children in the 1940s run by a renegade nun, Sister Eileen. A new charge is delivered in the dead of night – a boy who appears to have special powers - and so begins the interactions between the mission staff, the…
08/08/2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Existential Thriller Classic Jean-Pierre Melville is the ultimate cult auteur in the French cinema, acknowledged as a key influence on directors such as Godard, Scorsese, and Tarantino. With Army of Shadows, the master of the philosophical, gangster film, drops the metaphor of the criminal underworld and deals directly with his experiences as an underground soldier…
12/09/2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Classic Talking Heads Concert Viewing a filmed music concert has been a tradition of the BFS, so this year we are fortunate to have a new remastering of the very famous 1983 concert that Talking Heads did over four live shows at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. Director Jonathan Demme is known for his…
10/10/2024 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Lavish Italian Artist Drama The famous 17th century Italian artist Caravaggio is well known for his intense realism and use of strong contrasts of light and dark. Living in Milan, Naples, Malta and Sicily he was a rebellious man with an eye for beauty, the streets and high drama, and was hugely influential on succeeding…
Trivia Night Fundraiser
26 August Doors open 6.45pm | Tickets also available at the door
$25 per person | $20 BMI members
Minerva's Secrets Night Tours
Tue 19 May with special visit to Lantern Vaults
Tour 1 at 7pm – Tour 2 at 9pm.
Calling for Pre-loved books
These donation assist in our Library Fundraising Activities
We can take delivery during regular Library operating hours. See website footer.
Coming in November…
Stella Day Out, Ballarat, Rachael Johns & Margaret Hickey
Spring Season, History Talks:
Ballarat's Henry Lawson - The Dragon's Den - Gold! Gold! Gold!
Wed 3, 17 & 24 September, 5.30pm.
Bubbly on arrival featuring quality items from our Vintage Shop
Pre-Sale $60 from 6 Aug to 9 Aug - $65 thereafter
The Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute 2026 Calendar
Featuring illustrations from our Heritage Book Collection $40
Your gift will be tax-deductible this financial year if you make it before June 30.
Like many organisations the BMI faces significant funding challenges.
