Faith in divine providence,  miracles from heaven, and saving humanity

Z FOR ZACHARIAH When the world is devastated by a catastrophic nuclear event in the rousing Independent Australian film Z for Zachariah, a solitary young woman (Margot Robbie), thrives on the farm she once shared with her family in a single idyllic valley spared from the radioactive fallout. Living on her own for some time, her fears that she may be the event’s only survivor prove unfounded when she encounters John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a pragmatic scientist, turned refugee, searching for a safe haven. Forming a delicate if powerful bond, their budding relationship – and with it, the tenuous promise of a better life – begins to unravel when a mysterious stranger (Chris Pine), enters their world. Her faith in divine providence is put to the test by the two men who enter her life. Inspired by the posthumously published 1974 novel, “Z for Zachariah”, by award-winning author, Robert C. O’Brien, the film is written by Nissar Modi (Breaking at the Edge) and directed by Craig Zobel (Compliance). “I was very taken with the idea of doing something that, even though it had sci-fi and post-apocalyptic elements, was really a ‘desert island’ situation in which you could study the relationship dynamics of a small group of people,” says Zobel. Watch the trailer. /  Read more about the film.

MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle, ” said Albert Einstein and in the uplifting Miracles from Heaven we experience  the rousing portrait of a family suddenly discovering joy and promise in the most tumultuous moment of their lives. Based on Texas mom Christy Beam’s inspirational memoir, this astonishing true story of the girl rescued by an out-of-the-blue accident is directed by Patricia Riggen (who recently directed the superb The 33), from a screenplay by Randy Brown (Trouble with the Curve).Jennifer Garner stars as Christy Beam, a tenacious, devoted mother whose world is flipped upside down when her daughter Anna (Kylie Rogers) is struck with a rare, incurable disorder.  With a parent’s fiercest determination and supported by her devoted husband (Martin Henderson of Grey’s Anatomy), Christy summons the courage to do everything she can and beyond for her child, heading on a heart-gripping quest through a medical maze, even as her faith begins to flag. The bonus features include audio commentary with Patricia Riggen and Randy Brown, a look into how the film was made, creating heaven, and the concept art explorations. Watch the trailer. / Read more about the film

THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY When it comes to creating dynamic characters who delight, entertain and infuriate, Sacha Baron Cohen is the only one who knows how to bring his creations to glorious life in the films Borat, Bruno and Ali G, and now brings us a new character in Grimsby, Nobby Butcher, a terminally unemployed but fun-loving football fan who is forced to save the world. In Grimsby, which was filmed England and South Africa, Nobby has everything a man from Grimsby could want – 9 children and a girlfriend he loves more than anything (Rebel Wilson). There’s only one thing missing in his life: his little brother, Sebastian (Mark Strong), from whom he was separated as a child. After 28 years of searching, Nobby has finally tracked his brother down in London – unaware that he’s an MI6 assassin. After a disastrous reunion in which Nobby accidentally ruins Sebastian’s life and puts them both on the run, they uncover a plot to destroy the world. In order to save humanity, and his brother, Nobby has to embark on a global mission and undertake a complete transformation from lovable idiot to sophisticated secret agent. The screenplay for Grimsby is by Sacha Baron Cohen & Phil Johnston & Peter Baynham, from a story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Phil Johnston, and directed by Louis Leterrier, France’s highest grossing director who gave us The Transporter at the age of 26, and also directed Unleashed, The Incredible Hulk, Wrath of The Titans (and its sequel) and Now You See Me. The Bonus features include a making of doccie and hilarious outtakes.  Watch the trailer. / Read more about the film