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Friday 9 May, 3 to 6 pm

WELLNEST – LOCAL SUPPORT NETWORKS

Showcase of local mental health and wellness related services, a free BBQ and more

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3:00 PM – WELLNEST – Local Support Networks – Find out what services are available in our local area and enjoy an afternoon snack or free BBQ.
Learn how to make healthy food with demonstrations by NOURISH.

This pre event to THE PROMISE has been organised by Sarah Crawford in conjunction with the Dungog Shire Community Centre

If you are a local service provider in the space of Mental Health and or wellness and would like to participate please submit a stall application

6:00 PM – DOORS OPEN TO THE PROMISE

Friday 9 May, 6 pm

THE PROMISE (M)

Documentary and community event

FREE IMPACT SCREENING

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3:00 PM – WELLNEST – Local Service Networks – Find out what services are available our local area and enjoy an afternoon snack or free BBQ or Learn how to make healthy food with demonstrations by NOURISH.
6:00 PM – Doors open
6:30 PM – Film introduction by Jye Currie director (approx. 5 mins)
6:35 PM – Craig Hamilton speaks (approx. 20 mins)
6:55 PM – THE PROMISE Film screening (60 mins)
7:55 PM – Q&A session (approx. 20 mins)
8:15 PM – Event concludes

The Promise is an inspiring documentary that delves into the transformative power of hope. It follows Craig Hamilton’s battle with suicidal depression and his journey toward healing. Through raw storytelling and compelling insights, the film aims to break the stigma around mental health and encourage meaningful conversations.

This free community screening is designed to give back to the community by raising awareness of mental health issues and providing a space for open discussion. Audiences will have the opportunity to hear from Craig Hamilton himself and director Jye Currie and participate in a live Q&A session.

Saturday 10 May, 7 pm

THE CORRESPONDENT (M)

1h 59m • Biographical Thriller

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Richard Roxburgh, Rahel Romahn, Julian Maroun, Mojean Aria, Fayssal Bazzi, and Yael Stone.

Based on the incredible true story of Australian war correspondent Peter Greste’s arrest and imprisonment in Egypt in 2013, THE CORRESPONDENT is a gripping biographical thriller about the relentless defence of the truth and triumph of the human spirit.

Saturday 17 May, 7 pm

THE PENGUIN LESSONS (M)

1h 50m • Drama

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Based on a true story. From the Director of The Full Monty and the Writer of Philomena.

Starring Oscar nominee Steve Coogan, this poignant dramedy from director Peter Cattaneo follows an Englishman’s personal and political awakening after he adopts a penguin during a cataclysmic period in Argentine history.

Saturday 24 May, 7 pm

SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE (M)

1h 39m • Drama

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Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) and Oscar-nominees Emily Watson (Punch-Drunk Love) and Ciarán Hinds (Belfast) star in this adaptation of Irish author Claire Keegan’s novella.It is 1985 in the run-up to Christmas in a small town in County Wexford, Ireland. Bill Furlong toils as a coal merchant to support himself, his wife and his five daughters. Early one morning while out delivering coal at the local convent, he makes a discovery that forces him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a town controlled by the Catholic Church.

Saturday 31 May, 7 pm

VOICE (M)

1h 32m • Documentary

SPECIAL EVENT TICKET PRICE $20
Presented by Reconciliation DUNGOG

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An inspirational insider’s look at a youth-led cross-country road trip to gather grassroots support for the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum.

Cairns in Far North Queensland is the traditional home of the Yidinji and Yirrganydji peoples. From there, a group of volunteers – the Indigenous-run collective Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good (DIYDG) – decide to mount a grassroots campaign advocating for the ‘Yes’ vote to parliament. They set out in a minibus to commemorate a historic 1966 civil rights victory and partake in an annual pilgrimage to the Freedom Day festival some 3000 kilometres away; en route, they share yarns about their lives and those of their families with the folks they encounter. But while they seek to inspire a new future, the resulting votes seemingly bring another fight for recognition to a close.

Produced by Ben Lawrence – who won the Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Ghosthunter (MIFF 2018) and the 2022 AWGIE Award for Documentary – Public Broadcast for the Julian Assange biography Ithaka (MIFF 2021) – this heart-filling portrait of a generation of young Indigenous leaders is also the first major Australian documentary to chronicle the journey of the Voice referendum. Co-directed by Krunal Padhiar and DIYDG co-founder and chair Semara Jose, this observational film lets its subjects offer building blocks for ongoing conversation and envisage the path ahead for First Nations people.

Friday 20 June, 8 pm

Wilding (PG)

1h 15m • Documentary

SPECIAL EVENT TICKET PRICE $70.00+ $2.25 fee
Dinner and a Movie | Partner & Public Ticket
Presented by VITAL: Questions of Resilience & Regional Architecture Association

Tickets for film screening only are available for
$15 from the James Theatre ticket office on June 20

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Based on Isabella Tree’s best-selling book by the same title, #Wilding tells the incredible story of a young couple that bets on nature for the future of their failing, four-hundred-year-old estate. They set to work with their groundbreaking vision, battling entrenched tradition and major forces along the way, daring to place the fate of their farm in the hands of nature. Ripping down the fences, they set the land back to the wild and entrust its recovery to a motley mix of animals both tame and wild. It is the beginning of a grand experiment that will become one of the most significant rewilding experiments in Europe and beyond.

VITAL: Questions of ResilienceJune 19-21 2025

The screening of Wilding is part of the VITAL Questions of Resilience festival hosted by the Regional Architecture Association


Saturday 28 June, 5:30 pm

TREADING THE BOARDS OF BROADWAY

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Step into the spotlight for a night of vintage elegance, delicious dining, live music, and a powerful cinematic experience – all in support of the Dungog Shire Community Centre.
🍽️ Two-course meal indulged in a beautifully catered entrée and main by Mezzo Catering Newcastle – crowned #1 Wedding Caterer 2023.
🍷 Wine by Boydell’s Wines Enjoy sparkling wine on arrival, plus your choice of red or white during dinner – all included.
🎸 Live Guitar Performance Dine to the soothing sounds of an accomplished guitarist (artist TBA).
🎬 Feature Film – The Great Lillian Hall At 7:00pm, guests will move into the theatre for a special screening of this new HBO Original Movie, starring Jessica Lange.
🍦 Choc Tops with a Twist For dessert, enjoy your pick of vanilla, boysenberry, or salted caramel choc tops
🎟️ All proceeds go to the Dungog Shire Community Centre. It’s more than a movie night – it’s a community celebration wrapped in sequins, soul, and support.

At the James Theatre 6 Brown Street, Dungog NSW 2420


Tuesdays during school term, 6–7pm

EXPERIMENTAL MOVEMENT

free form dance ‧ intergenerational ‧ mental wellness

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Shake out that dance party in your head. Join us each week when the lights go out and the beats take over at our unique experimental uninhibited dance party in the dark. Unleash your inner Dancing Queen at James Theatre for just one hour 6-7 PM on Tuesdays ($5).

Presented by Paterson Allyn Williams Science and Ideas Hub – Tuesday nights during school term.


HIRE THE ICONIC JAMES THEATRE

The James Theatre is available for hire for film, music or dramatic events or for weddings, parties, dances, educational uses or meetings. The auditorium of the James Theatre is large and can be divided up for more intimate performances or to provide a separate refreshment area.

For enquiries and inspections of the Theatre, please use the form on the Contact Us page

May 2025

  • WELLNEST – LOCAL SERVICE NETWORKS
    Showcase of local mental health and wellness related services, a free BBQ and more
    9 Fri, 3–6 pm
  • THE PROMISE (M)
    Documentary and community event
    9 Fri, 7 pm
  • THE CORRESPONDENT (M)
    Biographical Thriller
    10 Sat, 7 pm
  • THE PENGUIN LESSONS (M)
    Drama
    17 Sat, 7 pm
  • SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE (M)
    Drama
    24 Sat, 7 pm
  • VOICE (M)
    Documentary
    31 Sat, 7 pm