This May, Palace Cinemas once again are bringing the best of American independent film to Australian screens with American Essentials. Prepare for some hot Australian premieres as the three-week festival tours five cities, celebrating the latest indie treasures in narrative feature and documentary, together with newly restored American classics.

Straddling styles from thriller to melodrama, comedy to body horror, symphonic documentary to visual art, American Essentials’ world-class program of thirty-one films curated by Artistic Director Richard Sowada reflects the remarkable breadth of contemporary independent cinema produced in the US.

Highlights of the fifteen new American Essentials narrative features include opening night film The Boy Downstairs, premiere screenings of 55 Steps, American Folk, Mom and Dad and loads more, plus just hours after its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival a screening of Gotti.