Skip to main content

Sunburnt Screens: An Australian Film Odyssey The Empty Beach

30 June 2024

In the Playhouse

Cinema

Australia | 1985 | English | Film Noir

This powerful ‘beach noir’ film based on the novel by Peter Corris is screening in the World Premiere of it's 4K restoration. Set in Sydney in the 80s, this film tells the story of private investigator Cliff Hardy (Brown) who follows the trail of a missing husband and soon becomes entangled in murder, drug addiction, gangsters, fraud and a shootout on Bondi Beach. 

World premiere of a new 4K restoration

Cliff Hardy, sardonic private investigator, is hired by a wealthy woman who wants to find out if her tycoon husband is still alive after mysteriously disappearing off Bondi Beach. What begins as a routine investigation turns quickly into a suspicious drowning. Hardy soon finds himself running for his life in the seedy, violent underworld of Sydney’s playground. An involving journey into the corrupt underworld of Sydney, The Empty Beach also stars Anna Maria Monticelli, Ray Barrett, Nick Tate and Belinda Giblin.

Presented by Sydney Opera House with Umbrella Entertainment and hosted by Alexei Toliopoulos

Trailer

Watch a clip from the film

Cast and credits

Credits

Director 
Chris Thomson

Producer 
John Edwards, Tim Read

Cinematography 
John Seale

Cast

Bryan Brown 
as Cliff Hardy

Anna Maria Monticelli 
as Anne Winter

Belinda Giblin 
as Marion Singer

Ray Barrett 
as McLean

Peter Collingwood 
as Ward

Other information

You may also like

SFF: Fwends + Q&A

7 Jun 2025

Two besties reunite over a weekend in Melbourne in this freewheeling, fast-talking buddy comedy about modern female friendship. A buoyant, Berlinale prize winning feature debut.

  • Cinema

SFF: Lesbian Space Princess + Q&A

7 Jun 2025

Introverted lesbian space princess Saira goes on an inter-gay-lactic mission to rescue her ex from evil incel aliens in this riotous, Berlin Teddy Award-winning Aussie animation.

  • Cinema

SFF: Once Upon A Time Michel Legrand (Il Était une Fois Michel Legrand)

8 Jun 2025

The Oscar-winning composer and close collaborator of Jacques Demy is vividly evoked in never-before-seen archives and interviews with admirers and friends including Barbra Streisand.

  • Cinema

Checking availability