Frequently Asked Questions
General
When purchasing tickets online, over the phone or at the box-office, you will be asked to choose your seat. While online & phone booking will be preferred and prioritised, you can still purchase tickets at the bar and box office, but please note that due to limited capacity we may not be able to accommodate you into a session. Contact information will also be mandatory as part of the transaction – and you must remain in your allocated seats (friends and families can book to sit next to each other).
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Currently, our website does allow for multiple tickets to be purchased for the same cinema site but does not allow for multiple sessions to be booked across multiple cinema locations. You will need to checkout when you have completed the booking for each cinema site to begin a new order.
Palace Cinemas complimentary member tickets, and passes are not valid at the festival.
Yes, gift cards are valid for you to use when purchasing tickets as a payment option.
Festival tickets are available to purchase online, over-phone or at the cinema box-office.
Our website is now mobile and tablet responsive and can be saved like an app to your phone. To do this, simply go to your phone’s menu when browsing our website and select ‘add to home’ or ‘home screen’. Once you’ve completed this the Festival icon will appear near your other apps for easy access.
Along with many other booking services in the entertainment industry, we charge a booking fee. Booking online means that you can avoid the queue and go straight to your cinema. Booking fees cover the costs associated with administration, as well as software development and maintenance. Booking fees do not apply when you buy tickets at the box office.
They open 15 minutes before the first session of the day.
Click on the Group Bookings tab in the navigation bar.
Our printed programmes are available at all cinema sites two weeks prior to the festival opening. We will also have a PDF version available for download on our website, see the download programme’ tab on the menu.
All films are played in their native language with English subtitles unless specified.
All tickets are non-refundable as set out in the terms and conditions when purchasing tickets. If you booked for the incorrect cinema, you will need to contact the cinema location you booked for and explain what occurred. Cinema venue contact details are listed on the venue information page for each city.
Sydney | Melbourne | Canberra | Adelaide | Perth | Brisbane | Byron Bay
You can only purchase and redeem multi-film passes from the cinema box office. Multi-film passes are only available in Adelaide at Palace Nova and Perth at Luna Leederville, Windsor and Luna on SX. There are 5 or 10 film passes available, they are valid for one person and only the festival you purchase the pass for. Multi-film pass prices and purchase details are listed on the venue information page for Adelaide and Perth.
Within the full-line up most films will have restrictions on whether you can attend with a child. The restrictions are set out by Australian Classifications guidelines.
Classification Information Festival classification exemptions Due to the time taken to process a classification, the Classification Board recognises that it is not possible for film festivals to only screen films that have been officially classified. Therefore, special exemptions apply to festivals. Unclassified festival ratings are as follows:
18+: Restricted to Adults
The majority of films at Palace festivals are Unclassified 18+. This is not the same as an R18+ rating, but it acts in a similar way – nobody under 18 (including infants) can legally attend a session with this exemption, even with a parent or adult guardian. One of the key differences between R and Unclassified 18+ is that the content will not be as per an R movie - it is only that it hasn’t yet been classified as suitable for anyone other than an adult audience.
15+: Mature Audiences
Some screenings are Unclassified 15+ including films that have been secured to screen in a festival’s kids or family sections. This is not the same as an MA 15+ rating, but it acts in the same way – nobody under 15 can legally attend such a session unless they are with a parent or reasonable adult guardian. In terms of content, the age range for these films varies, but generally the content includes mature themes. Please see the age recommendations each festival has listed on the film in its program as guidance. If there is no specific recommendation we strongly advise for only children aged 15+ to attend with their parent or adult guardian.
Entry into all festival screenings is at the discretion of Front of House at each venue.
Regular Classifications
The Classification Board generally classifies all films screened in a cinema for a public audience. This is the process that gives films the classification rating that most people are familiar with:
G : General Viewing
No legal restrictions.
PG: Parental Guidance Recommended
No legal restrictions, but parents are encouraged to make a judgement call.
M: Mature Audience Recommended
Not recommended for people below 15-years-old but no legal restrictions apply.
MA 15+: Mature Audiences Only
Not suitable for people below 15-years-old and people under 15 cannot legally attend unless accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.
R 18+: Restricted to Adults
Not suitable for people below 18-years-old and people under 18 cannot legally attend even if with a parent or adult guardian.
CTC: Check the Classification/ Restricted to Adults While a film is getting officially classified by the Classification Board the film will be listed as CTC until it receives its classification. Unfortunately, until it receives official classification the festival will require that these films remain restricted to adult-only audiences.
Please note: All classifications and exemptions are age restrictions that are set by the Classification Board and the festival must legally adhere to them.
If you have a film which you believe should be considered for next year's festival please contact us via germanfilmfestival@palacecinemas.com.au - Please note to be considered the film must be an Australian premiere film.
If we require volunteers we will announce it on our Facebook prior to the festival beginning. Please be sure to follow our Facebook page if you would like to be considered if the chance arises.
The Festival is screening in cinemas only, at Palace Cinemas, Luna Palace Cinemas, and Palace Nova Cinemas. The Festival is not available to stream online.
eTicket Bundle
When booking online, find your purchased eTickets loaded under the Member Tickets Tab on film ticketing pages. Alternatively, you can use your tickets at the box office, simply provide your Membership card, and request the use of your Member eTicket.
The HSBC German Film Festival eTicket Bundles must be redeemed throughout the duration of the 2025 Festival in each state. Please note that the offer is not available to SA residents and eTickets are valid for Palace Cinemas only, not partner cinemas such as Palace Nova (SA) or Luna Palace (WA).
The booking fee exists to cover various incremental costs incurred by providing online and I.T. services. Purchases at the box office do not incur a booking fee, but credit card surcharges may apply.
When booking online, find your purchased eTickets loaded under the Member Tickets Tab on film ticketing pages. Alternatively, you can use your tickets at the box office, simply provide your Membership card, and request the use of your Member eTicket.
You can check how many you have left via the Member Portal.
Currently, our website does allow for multiple tickets to be purchased for the same cinema site but does not allow for multiple sessions to be booked across multiple cinema locations. You will need to checkout when you have completed the booking for each cinema site to begin a new order.
If you have any other queries or issues please contact germanfilmfestival@palacecinemas.com.au
