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We’re thrilled to add new titles to this year’s program – including major award-winners fresh from Cannes.

Closing Night:
Splitsville
Selling Fast
Australian Premiere
Direct from Cannes
In this rollicking romantic comedy, writers Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin (The Climb) act alongside Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona. A sparky, surprising take on the pleasures and perils of open relationships from Cannes.

Next Sessions Today:

Past Event
Documentary
Sat, 7 Jun 10am
State Library of NSW
exergue – on documenta 14
Over 14 incredible hours, this monumental, addictive documentary follows curator Adam Szymczyk and his team as they assemble the world’s most prominent art exhibition, documenta. Berlinale 2024.
Past Event
Guest
Documentary
Sat, 7 Jun 10am
State Theatre
The Golden Spurtle
A crowd-pleaser set in a picturesque Scottish village where contestants from around the globe have gathered for the annual World Porridge Making Championship. CPH:DOX 2025.
Past Event
Retrospective
Sat, 7 Jun 10:15am
Art Gallery of New South Wales
A New Leaf
When a playboy’s (Walter Matthau) trust fund runs dry, he fixes his gaze on the fortune of a dotty botanist played by Elaine May herself, in her zesty, hysterical debut.
Past Event
Guest
Event
Sat, 7 Jun 11:30am
The Hub, Lower Town Hall
How to Make the World’s Best Porridge
Following the Australian Premiere of The Golden Spurtle, enjoy a masterclass in porridge making from chef Toby Wilson, plus members of the film team.
Past Event
Guest
Sat, 7 Jun 11:45am
Sydney Opera House Playhouse
DJ Ahmet
Charming, funny and uplifting, this Sundance Audience Award-winner tells the story of a 15-year-old North Macedonian boy who finds refuge in dance music and in first love.
Past Event
Sat, 7 Jun 12:10pm
State Theatre
The Mastermind
Kelly Reichardt brings her unique sensibility to this breezy, 1970s-set art heist drama, a Cannes Competition contender starring Josh O’Connor, Alana Haim, John Magaro and Gaby Hoffman.
Past Event
Guest
Sat, 7 Jun 12:30pm
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The White Balloon
A girl’s trip to buy a goldfish becomes an odyssey in Panahi's Cannes-awarded 1995 directorial debut, which cloaks social critique in the guise of a “children's film”.
Past Event
Guest
Sat, 7 Jun 1:30pm
Dendy Newtown
State of Statelessness
The first-ever Tibetan-language anthology features four poignant stories of Tibetans living in exile, simmering with questions around migration and identity. Busan 2024.
Past Event
Documentary
Sat, 7 Jun 1:30pm
Event Cinemas George Street
The Shepherd and the Bear
Yves, a retiring shepherd in the exquisite French Pyrenees, is seeking a successor – a task made difficult by the recently rewilded bears attacking his flock. IDFA 2024.
Past Event
Documentary
Sat, 7 Jun 2pm
Palace Central Cinemas
Nechako – It Will Be A Big River Again
Memory and resistance flow through this meditative, visually striking doc chronicling Indigenous peoples’ 70-year struggle to restore Canada’s Nechako River and a way of life.
Past Event
Documentary
Sat, 7 Jun 2pm
Dendy Newtown
2000 Meters to Andriivka
An unflinching, critically acclaimed film from the Ukranian frontlines by Oscar-winner Mstylslav Chernov, following soldiers on a mission to liberate Russian-occupied Andriivka.
Past Event
Documentary
Sat, 7 Jun 2:45pm
State Theatre
One To One: John & Yoko
In this astonishing doc by Oscar-winner Kevin Macdonald, the rock royalty duo let loose onstage at their historic “One to One” concert and let their hair down at home in NYC.
Past Event
Guest
Retrospective
Sat, 7 Jun 2:45pm
Sydney Opera House Playhouse
Muriel’s Wedding
This ode to dreamers is one of Australia’s most cherished classics, powered by Toni Collette’s luminous breakout performance and a joyous ABBA soundtrack. Newly restored in 4K.
Past Event
Guest
Sat, 7 Jun 2:45pm
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Mirror
A young girl’s trip home takes a surprising turn. Panahi’s first film to blend fiction with reality – hereafter a signature of his work – won the Golden Leopard at Locarno 1997.

Direct from Cannes 2025

See more
RomerÍa
Berlinale Golden Bear-winner Carla Simón (Alcarràs, SFF 2022), returns with a Cannes Competition contender - a mesmerising drama that melds family history with breathtaking fantasy.
Sentimental Value
Winner of the Cannes Grand Prix. Joachim Trier and Renate Reinsve reunite following The Worst Person in the World (SFF 2021) in this intimate family drama about the power of art. Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning also contribute to an excellent ensemble cast.
Selling Fast
Guest
It Was Just An Accident
Winner of the 2025 Palme d'Or, Jafar Panahi’s road movie thriller melds moral dilemmas, comic moments and shocking revelations to extraordinary, potent effect.
Sirât
Winner of the Cannes Jury Prize, this cinematic shockwave, produced by Pedro Almodovar, will cause a stir everywhere it screens. Energised with a propulsive techno soundtrack composed by Kangding Ray (winner of the Cannes Soundtrack Prize), Sirât explores existence, loss and grief in ways that will leave you breathless.
Young Mothers
The Dardenne brothers (Two Days, One Night, Sydney Film Prize 2014) return with another superbly affecting drama, about five young mothers housed in a Belgian shelter. Winner of Best Screenplay at Cannes.
Enzo
With echoes of Call Me by Your Name, Robin Campillo’s (BPM) sun-drenched drama follows young, privileged Enzo, who becomes enamoured with his troubled Ukranian coworker. Opening Film, Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2025.
The President’s Cake
Winner, Caméra d'Or, Cannes 2025. A rare film from Iraq, this Cannes Director’s Fortnight selected charmer is a humorous and touching debut about a young girl’s daring quest to bake a cake in the time of Saddam Hussein.
Selling Fast
Guest
My Father’s Shadow
The first Nigerian film in the Cannes Official Selection, this bold, poetic drama set over a heady day in Lagos is sure to be one of the year’s most acclaimed debuts and stars Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (Slow Horses, Gangs of London). Caméra d'Or - Special Mention, Cannes 2025.
Two Prosecutors
Sergei Loznitsa’s (In The Fog; Austerlitz, SFF 2017) masterful Cannes Competition contender follows a local prosecutor who dares question injustice in Stalinist Russia.
Past Event
The Mastermind
Kelly Reichardt brings her unique sensibility to this breezy, 1970s-set art heist drama, a Cannes Competition contender starring Josh O’Connor, Alana Haim, John Magaro and Gaby Hoffman.
Selling Fast
Guest
The Secret Agent
Sydney Film Prize winner for Aquarius (SFF 2016), Kleber Mendonça Filho returns with his Cannes Competition entry – a rousing and tense political thriller starring Wagner Moura (Narcos; Praia do Futuro, SFF 2014). Winner of Best Actor, Best Director and the International Critic’s Prize (Fipresci) at Cannes 2025.
Selling Fast
Vie Privée
Jodie Foster leads a stellar cast in this gently comic, Cannes-selected murder mystery in which a psychiatrist becomes convinced that the death of her patient is suspicious.
Sold Out
Eddington
Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler star in Ari Aster’s (Hereditary, Midsommar) incendiary modern parable about a small town torn apart by politics. Direct from the Cannes Competition.
Past Event
Guest
Dangerous Animals
A shark-obsessed serial killer is on the loose in this nail-biting Aussie horror-thriller, starring Yellowstone’s Hassie Harrison. Coming to Sydney shores direct from Cannes.
Guest
The Plague
Fresh from a lauded premiere at Cannes, this horror-tinged thriller finds a shy preteen losing his grip on reality as he succumbs to toxic peer pressure at summer camp. Produced by and co-starring Joel Edgerton.
Selling Fast
Guest
The Love That Remains
Hlynur Pálmason follows up Godland (SFF 2022) with this tender, poignant, and delightfully surprising Cannes selection, a hilarious portrait of an Icelandic family as the parents navigate their separation. Winner, Palm Dog, Cannes 2025.
Selling Fast
Sorry, Baby
This breakout Sundance hit and screenplay award winner is a witty and fearlessly vulnerable dramedy about an English professor trying to overcome the unspeakable. Direct from Cannes Directors' Fortnight.
Selling Fast
Retrospective
Angel’s Egg
From Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell), this anime cult treasure resurfaces in a luminous 4K restoration. Selected in Cannes for the film’s 40th anniversary.
Mirrors No. 3
SFF favourite Christian Petzold (Afire, SFF 2023; Barbara, SFF 2012) reunites with Paula Beer in this Cannes selected, intrigue-filled, intimate drama about a woman who gets entwined with a family following a car crash.
Selling Fast
Magellan
Gael García Bernal stars as famed Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in this Cannes-selected, visually resplendent epic by Filipino auteur and SFF regular Lav Diaz.
The Little Sister
This year’s Cannes Queer Palm and Best Actress winning film showcases a remarkable breakout performance in this deeply moving portrait of a French-Algerian woman attempting to reconcile her sexuality with her cultural identity.
Sirât
Australian Premiere
Direct from Cannes
Winner of the Cannes Jury Prize, this cinematic shockwave, produced by Pedro Almodovar, will cause a stir everywhere it screens. Energised with a propulsive techno soundtrack composed by Kangding Ray (winner of the Cannes Soundtrack Prize), Sirât explores existence, loss and grief in ways that will leave you breathless.
State Theatre
Venue

See what’s playing at SFF’s largest venue, the prestigious State Theatre.

tHE HUB at LOWER TOWN HALL
Venue

Drop by our pop-up bar anytime, or come by for an illuminating talk with film industry leaders, or cheers at special event.

Sydney Opera House
VENUE

Sydney Opera House is the newest of Sydney Film Festival’s 13 venues around Sydney.

Feel good films

The Life of Chuck
Tom Hiddleston stars in this majestic Toronto’s People’s Choice Award-winner from Mike Flanagan (Midnight Mass), an affirming celebration of the preciousness of every individual.
Selling Fast
Guest
Documentary
The Golden Spurtle
A crowd-pleaser set in a picturesque Scottish village where contestants from around the globe have gathered for the annual World Porridge Making Championship. CPH:DOX 2025.
Selling Fast
Guest
Racewalkers
This hilarious yet heartfelt comedy pits a struggling racewalking coach and his unlikely protégé, a washed-up pro baseball player, against the himbo champion. Winner, Slamdance Grand Jury Prize.
Olmo
Olmo is stuck at home with his family, whilst his crush throws a party nearby. The mission: sneak out with the stereo. A winning combo of humour, heart and disco illuminate this 1979 New Mexico set charmer. Berlinale 2025.
The Ballad of Wallis Island
Carey Mulligan stars in this charming comedy, in which an eccentric lottery winner bankrolls an unwitting reunion of his favourite musical duo – who happen to be former lovers.
Guest
Documentary
Agatha’s Almanac
This exquisite and delightful portrait of 90-year-old Agatha, who lives and thrives alone on her farm with quiet joy, was lovingly crafted by her artist niece. Hot Docs 2025.
Documentary
Speak.
Five talented U.S. high school orators prepare for the ultimate public speaking tournament in this rousing, Sundance-selected doc that has echoes of Spellbound (SFF 2003).
The President’s Cake
Winner, Caméra d'Or, Cannes 2025. A rare film from Iraq, this Cannes Director’s Fortnight selected charmer is a humorous and touching debut about a young girl’s daring quest to bake a cake in the time of Saddam Hussein.
Selling Fast
Guest
DJ Ahmet
Charming, funny and uplifting, this Sundance Audience Award-winner tells the story of a 15-year-old North Macedonian boy who finds refuge in dance music and in first love.

Special Presentations

See more
The Ballad of Wallis Island
Carey Mulligan stars in this charming comedy, in which an eccentric lottery winner bankrolls an unwitting reunion of his favourite musical duo – who happen to be former lovers.
Selling Fast
Blue Moon
Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley and Andrew Scott sparkle in Richard Linklater’s (Boyhood, SFF 2014) hilarious chamber piece set in the world of musical theatre.
Selling Fast
Dreams
A Mexican dancer illegally crosses the US border, surprising – and unsettling – his wealthy socialite lover in this erotic drama, which reunites Jessica Chastain with director Michel Franco (Memory, SFF 2024).
Sold Out
Eddington
Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler star in Ari Aster’s (Hereditary, Midsommar) incendiary modern parable about a small town torn apart by politics. Direct from the Cannes Competition.
Enzo
With echoes of Call Me by Your Name, Robin Campillo’s (BPM) sun-drenched drama follows young, privileged Enzo, who becomes enamoured with his troubled Ukranian coworker. Opening Film, Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2025.
Selling Fast
How to Train Your Dragon
A stunning live-action reimagining of the beloved animation, with plenty of frolics, flying, and fire-breathing dragons on show. A definite big screen family crowd-pleaser.
Selling Fast
Guest
Lesbian Space Princess
Introverted lesbian space princess Saira goes on an inter-gay-lactic mission to rescue her ex from evil incel aliens in this riotous, Berlin Teddy Award-winning Aussie animation.
Selling Fast
Documentary
One To One: John & Yoko
In this astonishing doc by Oscar-winner Kevin Macdonald, the rock royalty duo let loose onstage at their historic “One to One” concert and let their hair down at home in NYC.
Selling Fast
Documentary
Orwell: 2+2=5
Direct from Cannes, Raoul Peck’s (I Am Not Your Negro, SFF 2017) powerful exploration of George Orwell and his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four reveals just how deeply his warnings resonate today.
Guest
Pike River
Witness the World Premiere of the powerful true story of Anna Osborne (Melanie Lynskey) and Sonya Rockhouse (Robyn Malcolm), and their fight for justice following New Zealand’s deadliest modern mining disaster.
Guest
Documentary
Prime Minister
This remarkably intimate portrait of Jacinda Ardern explores her challenging and transformative term as Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand. Sundance 2025 Audience Award Winner.
Sentimental Value
Winner of the Cannes Grand Prix. Joachim Trier and Renate Reinsve reunite following The Worst Person in the World (SFF 2021) in this intimate family drama about the power of art. Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning also contribute to an excellent ensemble cast.
Sirât
Winner of the Cannes Jury Prize, this cinematic shockwave, produced by Pedro Almodovar, will cause a stir everywhere it screens. Energised with a propulsive techno soundtrack composed by Kangding Ray (winner of the Cannes Soundtrack Prize), Sirât explores existence, loss and grief in ways that will leave you breathless.
Selling Fast
Guest
Slanted
Debut Australian director Amy Wang’s twisted satire sees an aspiring prom queen undergo radical surgery to change her race. Winner of the SXSW Narrative Jury Award.
Director Masterclass with Jafar Panahi
Guest
Special Presentation
Jafar Panahi, one of the world's most awarded filmmakers, including the 2025 Palme d’Or, will reveal insights into his remarkable career and powerful filmography, as seen in this year’s SFF Retrospective.

Eye-opening Docs

Selling Fast
Documentary
2000 Meters to Andriivka
An unflinching, critically acclaimed film from the Ukranian frontlines by Oscar-winner Mstylslav Chernov, following soldiers on a mission to liberate Russian-occupied Andriivka.
Selling Fast
Guest
Documentary
Unwelcomed
An epic journey over the Andes and into Chile structures this eye-opening documentary, which walks alongside the people at the heart of the Venezuelan migrant crisis. Winner of a major award at Hot Docs 2025.
Guest
Documentary
Prime Minister
This remarkably intimate portrait of Jacinda Ardern explores her challenging and transformative term as Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand. Sundance 2025 Audience Award Winner.
Selling Fast
Documentary
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
This urgent, Sundance prize-winning documentary follows a brave and charismatic Russian teacher as he exposes shocking new propaganda at his school amid the invasion of Ukraine.
Documentary
The Perfect Neighbor
Made up almost entirely of police bodycam footage, this haunting Sundance award-winner captures the shocking escalation of a dispute between neighbours, fuelled by festering racism.
Guest
Documentary
The Wolves Always Come At Night
A Mongolian family must leave their nomadic desert life after a devastating storm in Gabrielle Brady’s stunning, Toronto-selected follow-up to her multi-award-winning debut.
Selling Fast
Documentary
Cutting Through Rocks
Winner, Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. This rousing film follows a motorbike-riding, pioneering councilwoman in rural Iran and her tireless fight for women’s rights.
Selling Fast
Guest
Documentary
Deeper
Hold your breath. Thai cave rescue hero Dr Richard “Harry” Harris takes on his most perilous adventure yet – the world’s deepest cave dive – in Jennifer Peedom’s (Sherpa, SFF 2015; Mountain, SFF 2017) SXSW-selected nailbiter.
Past Event
Guest
Documentary
Farming the Revolution
This immersive documentary captures a mass movement in vivid close-up, as 12 million farmers challenge the Indian government, forcing it to retract its unjust farm laws.
Selling Fast
Guest
Documentary
The Haka Party Incident
A three-minute protest staged in 1979 echoes across the decades as a potent indictment of systemic racism and a lens through which to re-examine Aotearoa’s national identity.
Selling Fast
Guest
Documentary
Lowland Kids
With their island home sinking into the sea, America’s first climate refugees must make an impossible decision. A raw, redolent doc produced by Darren Aronofsky, CPH:DOX 2025.
Documentary
Only on Earth
Spectacular visions of wildfires in Galicia illustrate the breakdown in the connection between humans, animals and the environment, in the ever-urgent climate crisis. Berlinale 2025.
Elaine May: Urbane Legend
Retrospective

After decades of being Hollywood’s best-kept secret, Elaine May is at last stepping out of the shadows in our filmmaker retrospective.

FREAK ME OUT
Program Strand

Freak Me Out is the SFF sidebar dedicated to all things strange and scary in contemporary world cinema.

Focus on Nishtha Jain
Program Strand

Works of searing observation steeped in themes of feminism, class, and caste.

CLASSICS RESTORED

See more
Selling Fast
Retrospective
Angel’s Egg
From Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell), this anime cult treasure resurfaces in a luminous 4K restoration. Selected in Cannes for the film’s 40th anniversary.
Guest
Retrospective
The Mahabharata
Peter Brook’s incredible film adaptation of the titular Sanskrit epic about two warring dynasties has been lovingly restored, and comes to Sydney after a Venice premiere.
Guest
Retrospective
Mullet
A 4K restoration of David Caesar’s Aussie gem, which stars Ben Mendelsohn as an outsider returning to his South Coast, NSW hometown after a long absence.
Past Event
Guest
Retrospective
Muriel’s Wedding
This ode to dreamers is one of Australia’s most cherished classics, powered by Toni Collette’s luminous breakout performance and a joyous ABBA soundtrack. Newly restored in 4K.
Guest
Retrospective
Somersault
Director Cate Shortland made waves with her sensual Cannes-selected debut, set in Jindabyne and starring an unforgettable Abbie Cornish as a young woman in search of connection.
Official Competition
Program Strand
Awards

In 2025, the Official Competition celebrates 17 years of the prestigious Sydney Film Prize, which sees $60,000 awarded each year to the most “audacious, cutting-edge and courageous” film.

Visually Stunning

Hanami
Dreams, imagination and sobering realities meld in this absolutely magical debut, in which a young girl must decide whether to leave her volcanic island home. Locarno 2024.
Past Event
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
In this genre-defying, centuries-spanning work by renowned video artist Kahlil Joseph – director of Beyoncé’s Lemonade – Black history blends provocatively with Afro-futurism. Sundance, Berlinale 2025.
Selling Fast
Guest
The Blue Trail
This 2025 Berlinale Grand Jury Prize-winning delight from Gabriel Mascaro (Neon Bull, SFF 2016) sees a remarkable woman try to evade a dystopian fate via a grand Amazonian quest.
Selling Fast
To Kill a Mongolian Horse
Inspired by the lead actor’s real life as a Mongolian horseback performer, this award-winning debut is a study of masculinity and culture in crisis. Venice 2024.
Twelve Moons
Shot in stunning black and white and awash with unforgettable imagery, this intense drama traces a middle-class architect’s descent into turmoil following a terrible disappointment.
Ancestral Visions of the Future
After stunning audiences with 2019’s This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection, Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese returns with a personal and visually astonishing meditation on home and exile. Berlinale 2025.
Selling Fast
Documentary
Tokito: The 540-day Journey of a Culinary Maverick
Tradition meets modernity in this sumptuous film, in which a Michelin-starred chef takes on his biggest challenge yet: opening a world-class restaurant in Tokyo in just 540 days.
Documentary
Assembly
A breathtaking kaleidoscope of queer black excellent takes over New York City art space The Armory, as visionary artist Rashaad Newsome constructs a multi-sensory extravaganza that is galvanising, moving and unmissable. SXSW 2025.
One of Those Days When Hemme Dies
Revenge is a dish best served sun-dried in this wry and lyrical Venice prize-winner, which marks a remarkably assured debut for Murat Fıratoğlu as writer, director and star.
Documentary
Always
Winner of the top prize at CPH:DOX, this strikingly beautiful film follows a boy poet’s coming of age in rural China, and marks the arrival of a major new voice in Chinese cinema.
Documentary
Only on Earth
Spectacular visions of wildfires in Galicia illustrate the breakdown in the connection between humans, animals and the environment, in the ever-urgent climate crisis. Berlinale 2025.
Selling Fast
Gods Of Stone
Filmed over 15 years, Ivan Castiñeiras’ enchanting film conjures the legends and stories of the ancient Spanish-Portuguese border. Rotterdam 2025.
Aboriginal FlagTorres Strait Flag

Sydney Film Festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.

We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.

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