The seven-month series will bring rarely screened cinematic epics, ranging from almost four hours to more than seven-and-a-half, back to the big screen.

At a time when home viewing is increasingly interrupted by alerts, apps and algorithms, Dendy Newtown is asking audiences to surrender an entire afternoon to a single film.

Beginning Saturday, Sept. 19, the Sydney cinema will present Journeys: Cinematic Odysseys, a program devoted to some of film history’s most ambitious long-form works. Every screening begins at 12.30pm, with runtimes ranging from three hours and 57 minutes to seven hours and 34 minutes.

The series forms part of Dendy Presents, a broader curated program encompassing classics, anniversary screenings and rarely shown films. Dendy describes Journeys as a celebration of cinematic works made “without compromise”, with each title receiving a one-off big-screen presentation at Dendy Newtown.

The program opens with the extended edition of Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America, running four hours and 10 minutes. It will be followed in October by a 60th anniversary presentation of Sergei Bondarchuk’s War and Peace, the series’ second-longest film at seven hours and 17 minutes.

Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900 (Novecento) and the television version of Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander will occupy the November and December slots, respectively. Both run for more than five hours.

The program continues in 2027 with Edward Yang’s A Brighter Summer Day, Wolfgang Petersen’s Das Boot: Complete Uncut Version and Béla Tarr’s Sátántangó. Tarr’s black-and-white Hungarian epic plays on March 13 with a runtime of seven hours and 34 minutes. The next line up of movies will be announced soon.

The combination of extended cuts, television versions and monumental theatrical works reflects the program’s emphasis on films rarely encountered in their intended form. Dendy is positioning the screenings as communal events for audiences prepared to give the works the time and concentration they demand.

Dendy Presents Journeys: Cinematic Odysseys

All screenings are exclusive to Dendy Newtown. The finish times below are the advertised session times.

Date	Film and version	Runtime	Session
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026	Once Upon a Time in America: Extended Edition	4 hrs 10 mins	12.30pm–4.55pm
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026	War and Peace: 60th Anniversary	7 hrs 17 mins	12.30pm–8.02pm
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026	1900 (Novecento): Original Director’s Cut	5 hrs 34 mins	12.30pm–6.19pm
Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026	Fanny and Alexander: The TV Version	5 hrs 27 mins	12.30pm–6.12pm
Saturday, Jan. 16, 2027	A Brighter Summer Day	3 hrs 57 mins	12.30pm–4.42pm
Saturday, Feb. 13, 2027	Das Boot: Complete Uncut Version	5 hrs 8 mins	12.30pm–5.53pm
Saturday, March 13, 2027	Sátántangó	7 hrs 34 mins	12.30pm–8.19pm

Tickets and further information are available through the Dendy Newtown program page.