Award-Winning Documentary 'Songs Inside' Returns To the Big Screen This Month

The compelling film focuses on a group of women incarcerated in Adelaide Women’s Prison who discover the power of healing through music.

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The award-winning documentary Songs Inside returns to cinemas this November for an encore run of screenings across Australia.

Directed by South Australian filmmaker Shalom Almond, Songs Inside follows the inspiring and emotional journey of a group of women in Adelaide Women’s Prison and their experiences with music over the course of six months.

Since premiering to a sold-out crowd at the 2024 Adelaide Film Festival, where it also won the Audience Award for Best Documentary, Songs Inside also won Australia’s biggest film prize at CinefestOZ in WA and the Documentary Australia Award at Sydney Film Festival 2025.

Finding hope and redemption through performing, the doco focuses on the women as they deal with personal struggles, traumas and addictions while discovering the healing power of music.

Led by Barkindji singer-songwriter Nancy Bates, the women undergo a transformative experience that culminates with the group performing alongside the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in front of over 200 inmates and special guests – the largest concert ever staged within an Australian prison.

“As a filmmaker, I was granted unprecedented access by the Adelaide Women’s Prison to film in all areas of the prison. This allowed me to completely immerse myself in the prison environment and develop intense, meaningful and trusting relationships with those involved,” explained filmmaker Shalom Almond.

“The result is a shockingly honest insight into the complex lives of women in prison and the transformative power that music can have on their futures. The stories of the women I followed are woven together to create an urgent, complex and compassionate portrait of incarcerated women today.”

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Six screenings of Songs Inside have been announced across November, with each including a Q&A with the filmmakers and Songbirds.

The first screening is in Adelaide at Palace Nova on Tuesday 18 November. The film then heads to Newtown’s Dendy on Sunday 23 November, Sydney’s The Orpheum on Monday 24 November, Brisbane’s New Farm Cinemas on Tuesday 25 November, Melbourne’s Lido Cinemas on Saturday 29 November and Castlemaine’s Theatre Royal on Sunday 30 November.

The live recording of Nancy Bates and the Songbirds performing at Adelaide Women’s Prison alongside the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra will be available from December 1 on all the streaming platforms where good music is found. All the proceeds from the downloads will go directly to the Songbirds.

Song Inside screens at Palace Nova on Tuesday 18 November. Tickets on sale now via songsinside.com.au.

Songs Inside Screenings

Tuesday 18 November – 6.00pm @ Palace Nova, Adelaide
FINAL Adelaide Screening Q&A with filmmakers and Songbirds
 
Sunday 23 November – 2.00pm @ Dendy, Newtown 
Screening Q&A with filmmakers and Songbirds
 
Monday 24 November – 6.30pm @ The Orpheum, Sydney 
Screening Q&A with filmmakers and Songbirds
 
Tuesday 25 November – 6.30pm @ New Farm Cinemas, Brisbane
Screening Q&A with filmmakers and Songbirds
 
Saturday 29 November – 3.30pm @ Lido Cinemas, Melbourne
Screening Q&A with filmmakers and Songbirds
 
Sunday 30 November – 6.30pm @ Theatre Royal, Castlemaine
Screening Q&A with filmmakers and Songbirds

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