Allen is Rialto Channel’s featured director in Sunday evening’s Director’s Series which features plenty of classic Allen films. And Midnight in Paris marks the beginning of Rialto Channel’s Oscar Collection, a series that plays throughout March celebrating Oscar winners and nominees from 2012. It’s a wonderful opportunity to catch all the must-see films of the last Oscar’s season.

Iranian writer and director Asghar Farhadi was my find of 2012, and I wish I’d discovered him earlier. He came to my attention thanks to his stunning drama A Separation, which I placed without hesitation at the top of my “best of 2012” list.

I’m not the only one who thinks this film is superb - it’s playing as part of Rialto Channel’s Oscar’s Collection in March (on Tuesday 28^th), having won Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars in 2012, where it was also nominated for Best Writing Original Screenplay.

Before you see A Separation I recommend you watch Asghar Farhadi’s About Elly (playing on Tuesday 26^th February, 8.30pm). Released in 2009, it’s an equally taut and emotionally devastating piece of filmmaking about a group of three middle class families who travel from Tehran to the Caspian Sea for a relaxing weekend. They’re joined by recently divorced old friend Ahmad (Shahab Hosseini), and Elly (Taraneh Alidoosti), a single teacher and friend of one of the mothers.

The idea is of course that Elly and Ahmad will strike up a romance, however, the weekend turns into a tragedy and mystery when a child is found floating in the ocean and Elly disappears.

Farhadi is a brilliant observer of human nature and this psychological drama is as disturbing as it is compelling. Both films see Farhadi addressing issues of class, gender and tradition in a contemporary Iranian setting.

About Elly screens as part of Rialto Channel’s Around the World in 80 Days World Cinema series, which plays two films from a country over consecutive nights, and has so far taken us to Argentina, Japan and Finland.

Paired with About Elly is festival favourite Circumstance (Wednesday 27^th February, 8.30pm). This is the debut feature film from writer and director Maryam Keshavarz, who was born in New York and grew up in American and Iran. It’s the coming of age story of Atafeh and Shireen (played by newcomers Nikohl Boosheri and Sarah Kazemy) who show us how modern day teens get around strict moral codes in Tehran to enjoy a vibrant underground party scene. As their relationship develops into something deeper they find themselves facing an even bigger taboo - one that Atafeh’s brother will not accept. It’s an impressive and accomplished work.

And finally this week, Midnight in Paris (Saturday 2^nd March, 8.30pm) is Woody Allen’s romantic, witty, and whimsical tribute to his second favourite city, Paris.

Midnight in Paris opened the 64^th Cannes Film Festival in 2011 and stars Owen Wilson as Gil, a successful Hollywood screenwriter visiting Paris with his fiancée Inez (McAdams) and her conservative Republican parents. An aspiring author, Gil is inspired by Paris’ vibrancy, heritage and culture, and one night magically finds himself transported back to an earlier era.

This is Allen at his playful, light and charming best. Midnight in Paris requires us to “suspend reality” so we can enjoy this delightful time travel comedy, but watching Gil head into the night to meet Hemingway, Dali, Stein, and Picasso, to name a few, makes it worth ignoring the science and embracing the magic.

Allen is Rialto Channel’s featured director in Sunday evenings' Director’s Showcase throughout March which features plenty of classic Allen films. And Midnight in Paris marks the beginning of Rialto Channel’s Oscar Collection, a series that plays throughout March celebrating Oscar winners and nominees from 2012. It’s a wonderful opportunity to catch all the must-see films of the last Oscar’s season.

Enjoy.