AFTRS Library Presents... The Siege of Pinchgut (1959)

This year’s AFTRS Library Presents... film program screens in conversation with the library’s show-stopping Curated Collections. A drawcard of the library, the Curated Collection is a display that’s designed and developed around a theme, film genre, filmmaker, or in tribute to a specific film. Spectacularly crafted by our movie-mad Librarians, each Curated Collection shines a light on overlooked and underappreciated gems in the library’s collection of physical media, celebrating our knowledge of, and devotion to cinema.

To coincide with our upcoming Prison themed Curated Collection we are very to excited to be screening:

The Siege of Pinchgut (dir: Harry Watt, 1959)

When: Tuesday, 1 September, 2026

Time: Doors open: 6:00pm / Film starts: 6:30pm.

Where: AFTRS Main Theatre

Screenings are free but bookings are essential as seating is limited.

Seating is NOT allocated.

35mm print courtsey of National Film and Sound Archive.

THE SIEGE OF PINCHGUT

The last film produced by the famous British production company Ealing Studios, The Siege of Pinchgut is an entertaining, under-seen Sydney thriller. Beloved character actor Aldo Ray plays Matt Kirk, an escaped convict trying to successfully lead his gang out of the city to freedom. Featuring stunning black & white cinematography primarily shot on location in Sydney Harbour, this is a rare Oz-noir, and a stunning time capsule of our city in the late 1950s. Please join us for a rare screening of this gritty local gem on glorious 35mm!

Summary: Three men break Matt Kirk out of jail, but their escape plan derails after their boat falters near an island, where the caretaker recognizes him. A hostage situation erupts, leading to a tense standoff with authorities.

Director: Harry Watt

Starring: Aldo Ray, Heather Sears, Neil McCallum.

Run time: 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Rating: PG (Mild violence and coarse language)