SXSW Sydney has unveiled its Screen Festival headliners, with Bruce Springsteen’s biopic securing the coveted opening night slot.
“Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere” will kick off the festival on October 13, offering audiences an intimate look at the creation of the Boss’s deeply personal 1982 album “Nebraska.”
Jeremy Allen White takes on the role of Springsteen in Scott Cooper’s biographical drama, which explores the musician’s creative process during one of his most introspective periods. The film delves into Springsteen’s complex relationship with his father and his struggles with depression in the early 1980s, providing context for the stark, acoustic nature of “Nebraska.”
The Screen Festival lineup extends beyond music biopics, featuring highly anticipated films like Universal Pictures and Blumhouse’s “Black Phone 2”, which sees Ethan Hawke reprising his sinister Grabber role, continuing the supernatural horror story four years after the original.
Canadian comedy duo Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol bring their time-travelling cult creation “Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie” directly from its SXSW world premiere. The film follows the pair’s misadventures as they accidentally travel back to 2008 while attempting to book a show at Toronto’s Rivoli venue.
Cannes Film Festival favourite “Die My Love” stars Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson and Nick Nolte in Lynne Ramsay’s psychological drama about a writer and mother slowly descending into madness. Meanwhile, Yorgos Lanthimos continues his collaboration with Emma Stone in “Bugonia”, a gory black comedy featuring Oscar winner Stone and Jesse Plemons as conspiracy theorists who kidnap a CEO they believe to be an alien.
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Rose Byrne delivers what’s being described as a monumental performance in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” portraying a mother struggling with her child’s mysterious illness, an absent husband and an increasingly hostile therapeutic relationship.
All Screen Festival sessions are accessible to Platinum Pass, Pro Pass, or Screen Wristband holders, offering unlimited screening access throughout the week. Individual Rush Tickets for headliner and featured sessions are available through the SXSW Sydney website.
SXSW Sydney organisers recently announced over 50 new performers for its 2025 program, as well as new conference sessions, parties, showcases and a partnership with Johnnie Walker Black Ruby designed to champion emerging talent.
Adding more firepower to the festival’s genre-spanning music program, new additions included homegrown electronic artist Ninajirachi, indie mystery 2charm and Drifting Clouds, who bring a unique fusion of synth-pop, 80s, rock and country to the stage.
SXSW Sydney 2025 Screen Festival Headliners
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13 – 7PM, SEYMOUR CENTRE
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | DIR. SCOTT COOPER | “SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE”
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14 – 7:30PM, SEYMOUR CENTRE
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | DIR. SCOTT DERRICKSON | “BLACK PHONE 2”
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15 – 7:30PM, SEYMOUR CENTRE
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | DIR. MATT JOHNSON | “NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE”
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16 – 7:30PM, SEYMOUR CENTRE
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | DIR. LYNNE RAMSAY | “DIE MY LOVE”
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17 – 7:30PM, SEYMOUR CENTRE
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | DIR. YORGOS LANTHIMOS | “BUGONIA”
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 – 6:30PM, THE RITZ
NSW PREMIERE | DIR. MARY BRONSTEIN | “IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU”