Sunburnt Screens: An Australian Film Odyssey The Empty Beach
30 June 2024
In the Playhouse
Cinema
Australia | 1985 | English | Film Noir
This powerful ‘beach noir’ film based on the novel by Peter Corris is screening in the World Premiere of it's 4K restoration. Set in Sydney in the 80s, this film tells the story of private investigator Cliff Hardy (Brown) who follows the trail of a missing husband and soon becomes entangled in murder, drug addiction, gangsters, fraud and a shootout on Bondi Beach.
| Date | Time |
| Sunday 30 June 2024 | 4.45pm |
| Ticket | Price |
| Standard | $30 |
| Concession | $26 |
| Ticket + Drink | |
| Standard | $39* |
| Multipack | |
| Purchase a ticket to two films from Sunburnt Screens: An Australian Film Odyssey to save 15% | $51 |
$8.95 booking fee applies per transaction
*Includes one standard ticket plus one drink redeemable on the day of the event from the Western Foyers Bar. Drink options include one glass of house red or white wine, prosecco, house beer or soft drink. See T&Cs under 'Event information'.
Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection.
The only authorised ticket agency for this event is Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Sydney Opera House Insiders pre-sale
9am, Tuesday 21 May 2024
Become a Sydney Opera House Insider to receive exclusive pre-sale access
General Public tickets on-sale
9am, Wednesday 22 May 2024
Run time
The total duration of this event is approximately 94 minutes. This includes a film duration of 89 minutes and an introduction of 5 minutes.
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
The advertised start time is the introduction/film start time. Venue doors will open approximately 15 minutes before the advertised film start time.
Age
This event is classified Mature (M).
Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
Ticket + Drink Terms and Conditions
The Ticket + Drink entitles a patron to one standard entry to the film screening plus one drink. Drink options include one glass of house red or white wine, prosecco, house beer or soft drink. Red wine must be consumed prior to entering the theatre.
Redeem your drink prior to the film start time. The voucher must be redeemed on the same day as the film screening date displayed on your ticket. The drink voucher is only redeemable at the bar located in the Sydney Opera House Western Foyers. For further information please contact the Box Office: +61 2 9250 7777
Alcoholic beverages are subject to the NSW Responsible Service of Alcohol Act.
World premiere of a new 4K restoration
Cliff Hardy, sardonic private investigator, is hired by a wealthy woman who wants to find out if her tycoon husband is still alive after mysteriously disappearing off Bondi Beach. What begins as a routine investigation turns quickly into a suspicious drowning. Hardy soon finds himself running for his life in the seedy, violent underworld of Sydney’s playground. An involving journey into the corrupt underworld of Sydney, The Empty Beach also stars Anna Maria Monticelli, Ray Barrett, Nick Tate and Belinda Giblin.
Presented by Sydney Opera House with Umbrella Entertainment and hosted by Alexei Toliopoulos
Sunburnt Screens Multipacks
See more and save. Purchase a ticket to two films from Sunburnt Screens: An Australian Film Odyssey to save 15%.
Alexei Toliopoulos
Host
Alexei Toliopoulos is a comedian, writer, podcaster, film critic and technically a critically acclaimed investigative documentarian.
You know him from investigating mysteries on Finding Yeezus, being funny on tv with Question Everything, and celebrating cinema on the hit podcasts Sunburnt Screens and The Last Video Store. With unmatched encyclopedic film knowledge and passionate cinematic obsession, Alexei has come to be known as one of Australia’s most respected film critics and go-to Q&A moderators.
Sunburnt Screens: An Australian Film Odyssey
Hosted by Australia's favourite cinephile Alexei Toliopoulos at the Sydney Opera House this June, Sunburnt Screens: An Australian Cinema Odyssey presents a rollicking journey through the last 50 years of Australian cinema.
Cast and credits
Credits
Director
Chris Thomson
Producer
John Edwards, Tim Read
Cinematography
John Seale
Cast
Bryan Brown
as Cliff Hardy
Anna Maria Monticelli
as Anne Winter
Belinda Giblin
as Marion Singer
Ray Barrett
as McLean
Peter Collingwood
as Ward
Other information
Venue information
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer.
Getting here
The Sydney Opera House Car Park, operated by Wilson Parking, is open and available to use. Wilson Parking offer discounted parking if you book ahead. Please see the Wilson Parking website for details.
Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six min walk to the Opera House.
Covid-safe information
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We’re committed to making your experience safe, comfortable and enjoyable, with a number of measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. We remind our audiences and visitors to please stay home if you feel unwell. If you need to discuss your ticketing or booking options, contact our Box Office team on 02 9250 7777.
The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We have a number of safety measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. While face masks are no longer required, we ask all our patrons and visitors to practise good hygiene. Please stay home if you feel unwell and read more about our flexible ticket options.
The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Frequently asked questions
Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Please take your seats as soon as you arrive.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as we can and, where possible, in your allocated seat. However, to reduce movement in the venue as well as minimise disruption to the performance and other patrons, ticketholders may be seated in an allocated latecomer’s seat. Please be aware that some events have lock-out periods. In these cases, latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance. On occasions, this may not be until the interval, or at all where there is no interval.
Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.
In accordance with our venue security procedures, Opera House security will be scanning and checking bags under the Monumental Stairs, prior to entering the building. Bags will be scanned by an x-ray machine, and staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling your belongings, such as gloves. Cloaking facilities will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 60 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. However it is strongly encouraged that you travel lightly to minimise contact and queuing. Any bags larger than an A4 piece of paper will need to be checked into the Cloak Room.
The authorised agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House.
Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency such as Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised seller, you risk that these tickets are fake, void or have previously been cancelled. RESALE RESTRICTION APPLIES. For more details, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events.
Please contact Box Office on 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend.
Foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
The venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances.
Please bring a credit or debit card for any on site purchases to enable contactless payment. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottle but no other food and drinks are permitted inside our venues. Opera Bar, Opera Kitchen and Portside are also available for you to enjoy.
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Sydney Opera House is our top priority. In line with this commitment, the Opera House became a smoke-free site in January 2022. Read our Smoke-free Environment Policy.
You may also like
Morning of the Earth + Producer Introduction
Beautifully remastered in 4K, Albert Falzon and David Elfick’s 1972 classic Morning of the Earth is renowned as one of the greatest surf films of all time.
The Blind Sea + Q&A with Matt Formston and Director Daniel Fenech
The Blind Sea is an inspirational and breathtaking documentary about Australian World Champion blind surfer, Matt Formston. With only 3% vision, Formston attempts his most dangerous challenge, surfing the monster waves of Nazaré, Portugal.
Girls Can’t Surf + Q&A with Pauline Menczer
The untold story of how a band of renegade surfer girls in the 1980s fought for equality, changing surf culture forever. Featuring champion surfers Layne Beachley, Pauline Menczer, Pam Burridge and more.