SBS announced on Monday that it will be bringing a channel dedicated to international cinema to all Australians with the launch of SBS World Movies free-to-air and in HD, from 1 July 2019.

The dedicated 24-hour channel will feature a diverse range of movies reaching all corners of the globe, building on SBS’s long legacy as the home of distinctive and multilingual films, including almost 25 years of World Movies as an offering on subscription services.

SBS World Movies will be a celebration of the diversity of global cinema with at least half the titles on the channel in a language other than English, and featuring everything from European arthouse films to the best of Bollywood cinema, romantic comedies to anime, award-winning favourites, acclaimed new releases, and much more.

SBS Managing Director, James Taylor, said: “Movies provide people with the opportunity to escape to worlds outside of our own, with stories that entertain and inspire us, make us think, laugh and even cry. International cinema does this in a truly unique way, and has been an important part of SBS’s offering for decades, giving Australians the opportunity to delve into cultures through cinematic masterpieces captivating audiences around the world.

“People come to SBS for content they don’t find anywhere else. SBS World Movies has a proud tradition of showcasing the best international films, reflecting the diversity of global cinema, and we’re excited to further evolve this offering and make it available to all Australians for free this July.”

The channel will broadcast more than 700 films each year, with international titles including recent award winning and critically acclaimed films such as Amanda (France), The 12th Man (Norway), Just A Breath Away (France), Ash is the Purest White (China), Aligarth (India), Girl (Belgium), Killing of a Sacred Deer (UK), and many more.

SBS World Movies will also feature curated seasons of special programming to mark cultural events, festivals and celebrations such as Diwali, Lunar New Year, International Women’s Day and Mardi Gras.

Each week, the schedule will feature a Women in Film double-bill of female filmmakers and lead actors, as well as Festival Favourites and Emerging Territories, showcasing films from far-flung locations.

SBS World Movies will broadcast in HD on channel 32 alongside SBS’s existing channels, SBS, SBS VICELAND, SBS Food and NITV. SBS World Movies will also be SBS’s third HD channel.

Are you excited about the prospect of a new free-to-air HD channel? Will you watch?