The Sydney Film Festival has unveiled its full 2025 program, with 201 films from 70 countries—including 15 direct from Cannes—and a lineup that spans audacious auteur cinema, sweeping star-led dramas, and standout Australian premieres.
Leading the charge are two titles hot off the Cannes Competition slate: Iranian master Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident,” a reimagining of the road movie genre, and Kelly Reichardt’s “The Mastermind,” a 1970s-set art heist starring Josh O’Connor and Alana Haim.
Hollywood is also in the mix, with Tom Hiddleston headlining Mike Flanagan’s “The Life of Chuck,” a poignant sci-fi drama adapted from a Stephen King novella. From the U.S. indie circuit comes “On Swift Horses,” a queer 1950s romance starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Jacob Elordi, while “Twinless,” a Sundance crowd-pleaser, brings a wild queer bromance to the big screen.
Opening the Festival on June 4 is Australian body horror “Together,” starring real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco. Directed by Michael Shanks, the Sundance breakout mixes domestic drama with supernatural chaos, and will also screen in competition.
Other noteworthy additions include “Dreams (Sex Love),” the Berlinale Golden Bear winner by Dag Johan Haugerud; Amy Wang’s provocative SXSW-winning satire “Slanted”; and a slate of 10 new Australian documentaries. The latter includes “Floodland,” a moving portrait of post-disaster resilience in Lismore, and “The Golden Spurtle,” a surprisingly emotional tale set at the World Porridge Making Championship in the Scottish Highlands.
“This year’s Festival is a celebration of creative risk, personal vision and artistic resilience,” said Festival Director Nashen Moodley. “From bold debuts to masterful new work by celebrated filmmakers, the 2025 program invites audiences to experience the full power of cinema.”
The 72nd Sydney Film Festival runs June 4–15, 2025, across venues including the historic State Theatre and, for the first time, the Sydney Opera House. Tickets and passes are available now via sff.org.au.