Festival season is upon us and soon Sydney will be battling a combination of cold and rain, the sniffles and overwhelming choice of things to do on a night out. As the Sydney Film Festival (SFF) returns for another year, we can help you out with at least one of those.
At the SFF launch of the full program in Sydney, Festival Director Nashen Moodley said that if there was a common thread throughout the 201 films (and counting), it’s that they were about disruption, resistance and reinvention.
SFF 2025 runs from 7-15 June this year. Keep coming back to our festival portal for full coverage. You can check the festival website. The full program and tickets are now available.
The Blue Trail
Fresh from winning the 2025 Berlinale Grand Jury Prize, Gabriel Mascaro’s (Neon Bull) lush, near-future fable follows a 77-year-old woman who flees a sinister government order and sets off on a hallucinatory journey through the Amazon. This one looks truly remarkable.
The Mastermind
Kelly Reichardt (Meek’s Cutoff, First Cow) is one of the great filmmakers of our time, and it’s a delight to see her latest film come straight to Sydney from Cannes. Set in the 1970s, it’s described as an “art heist drama” starring Josh O’Connor, Alana Haim, John Magaro and Gaby Hoffman.
Blue Moon
Ethan Hawke and Margaret Qualley star in Richard Linklater’s latest. Set in the world of musical theatre in 1943, on the opening night of Oklahoma! no less, this continues Linklater’s experimentation with chronology by unfolding in real time.
The Golden Spurtle
This might be the surprise gem of the year. It’s a documentary about the World Porridge Making Championships in the Scottish village of Carrbridge. From the makers of Siegfried and Roy: The Unauthorised Opera, this seems to have all the quirk of Christopher Guest and Wes Anderson combined in the real world.
Dreams
Mexican filmmaker Michel Franco casts Jessica Chastain, Isaac Hernández and Rupert Friend in this erotic thriller that might also be a metaphor for the relationship between Mexico and the United States. A timely and fascinating approach!
The Life of Chuck
This might have won the Peoples’ Choice Award when it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, but the reason I’m excited is because it’s Mike Flanagan (Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep) directing Stephen King. Based on the master’s 2020 novella (from the collection If It Bleeds), and starring Tom Hiddleston in the title role, it’s about a life told in reverse.
Somebody
Filmmakers Kim Yeo-jung and Lee Jeong-chan follow Young-eun as a single mom raising her 7-year-old daughter, until a shocking series of events jump us 20 years forward for what the festival is calling “a twisted psychological thriller.” Starring K-pop icon Kwon Yuri (of Girls’ Generation), this is sure to attract a solid fanbase.
One to One: John & Yoko
It’s a bit of a tradition that my partner and I see a music documentary together at the festival each year. This year it’s most likely Oscar-winner Kevin Macdonald’s portrait of Lennon and Ono in 1970s New York, blending rare home footage with their only full post-Beatles concert. It will be interesting to see how this distinguishes itself from the many other documentaries on the same subject matter.
What Does That Nature Say to You
The immutable law of all film festivals is: there will be a Hong Sang-soo film, you will see the Hong Sang-soo film. His 33rd film in 30 years, this one is about Dongwha (Ha Seong-guk), a poet who has rejected his family wealth who brings his girlfriend home. Expect conversations, food, drinks and conversations over food and drinks.
The 72nd edition of the Sydney Film Festival runs from 4 – 15 June 2025 at various locations around Sydney. Check out their website for a full program and tickets.
