A Reel Adventure: Sydney Film Festival Is Back For 2025

A familiar excitement shimmers in the air: Sydney’s ever-vibrant streets readying themselves for their cinematic close-up with the city’s favourite annual celebration of movies. The Sydney Film Festival (SFF) returns for its dazzling 72nd year, running from 4–15 June. This stunner of a festival once again promises another immersive voyage through the boundless world of cinema, with over 200 films from 70 countries lighting up screens across the city.

For over seven decades now, the Sydney Film Festival has carved a luminous legacy, seamlessly weaving international cinematic masterpieces with local storytelling gems. 

This year continues the festival’s grand tradition, inviting audiences into captivating narratives, daring creativity, and visionary filmmaking.

Getting Together on SFF opening night

Launching the festival’s cinematic journey is the Australian premiere of Together, the acclaimed Sundance hit crafted by Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks and starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco. 

This compelling film, a mesmerising fusion of domestic tension and supernatural intrigue, delves into codependency with playful yet profound insight.

For Melbourne-based Shanks, having the film open Sydney’s premier film event is a personal milestone. 

“Despite our US leads, this is an Australian film through and through,” he said. “I’m so proud to be showcasing the amazing talent we have in our local industry. I got altitude sickness at Sundance, so I’m especially glad the premiere in Sydney should be a bit easier on the body.”

International cinema & guests head to Sydney Film Festival 2025

Straight from the glamour of Cannes, Sydney audiences will relish exclusive screenings of 15 distinguished films. This includes Jafar Panahi’s breathtaking Palme d’Or winner, It Was Just An Accident, which SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley celebrates as an extraordinary expression of artistic resilience. 

Sydney will also warmly welcome Kleber Mendonça Filho, Cannes Best Director honouree, whose gripping political thriller, The Secret Agent, stars the captivating Wagner Moura.

Other standout Cannes entries illuminating Sydney’s screens include Ari Aster’s provocative Eddington, Kelly Reichardt’s exquisitely-crafted art-heist tale The Mastermind, and the delightful canine drama The Love That Remains, which won the coveted Palme Dog.

And the festival includes incredible guest appearances, too. Visionary director George Miller of Mad Max fame, and revered video game creator and dedicated cinephile Hideo Kojima will lead an exclusive discussion about cinema’s thrilling intersection with gaming at Sydney Town Hall on June 14.

A symphony of Australian stories

Australian voices shine brightly at this year’s festival, particularly within the Documentary Australia Award lineup, including powerful films like Floodland, an emotionally resonant exploration of flood-impacted Lismore communities, and Kriv Stenders’ gripping portrayal of Queensland’s controversial former premier in Joh: Last King of Queensland.

Festival-goers will also enjoy Special Presentations such as the delightfully inventive animated queer space quest from South Australia, Lesbian Space Princess, and Amy Wang’s incisively humorous SXSW-winning Slanted, showcasing homegrown talents challenging conventional narratives.

Featured beautifully within the Screenability program is Where the World is Quiet, an intimate documentary where Australian of the Year Grace Tame poignantly reflects on her autism journey and the solace she finds in long-distance running. Directed by Ben Strum and co-produced by Tame herself, this film powerfully underscores the festival’s commitment to amplifying diverse storytelling voices.

Sydney Film Festival: a one-of-a-kind fest reaching new heights

In a striking first, this year screenings will also be held at the iconic Sydney Opera House alongside beloved traditional venues such as the State Theatre, inviting festivalgoers to experience world-class cinema at one of Sydney’s most cherished cultural landmarks.

“The Sydney Film Festival is the highlight of the year for NSW film fans and is part of an amazing lineup of cultural events that kick off as the cooler weather kicks in,” says Minister for the Arts John Graham. 

“As [2025 program] confirms, you will always see the best films in the world at the Sydney Film Festival. You won’t find this carefully curated collection of films from your couch, so I implore you to get down the festival and join the experience.”

SFF is a beloved annual pilgrimage, where cinephiles, dreamers, and storytellers gather to celebrate film’s extraordinary power — a testament to Sydney’s enduring passion for screen.

Tickets and Flexipasses are now available at sff.org.au.