The 72nd annual Sydney Film Festival took place from 4 to 15 June 2025. This edition of the Sydney Film Festival opened with supernatural body horror film Together and closed with Michael Angelo Covino's comedy film Splitsville.
Jury The following were named as members of the festival jury: Justin Kurzel, Australian film director – jury president Rachel House, New Zealand director and actor Mélita Toscan du Plantier, French producer Winnie Tsang, Hong Kong producer and distributor Thomas Weatherall, Australian actor
Official Selection In competition The following films were selected for the main international competition: English title Original title Director(s) Production country All That's Left of You اللي باقي منك Cherien Dabis Germany, Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Greece, Qatar, Saudi Arabia The Blue Trail O Último Azul Gabriel Mascaro Brazil, Mexico, Netherlands, ChileDJ Ahmet Georgi M. Unkovski North Macedonia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Croatia It Was Just an Accident یک تصادف ساده Jafar Panahi Iran, France, Luxembourg The Love That Remains Ástin Sem Eftir Er Hlynur Pálmason Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, FranceThe Mastermind Kelly Reichardt United States Miroirs No. 3 Christian Petzold GermanyMy Father's Shadow Akinola Davies Jr. United Kingdom, NigeriaRomería Carla Simón Spain, Germany The Secret Agent O Agente Secreto Kleber Mendonça Filho Brazil, France, Netherlands, GermanySorry, Baby Eva Victor United StatesTogether Michael Shanks Australia, United States
Highlighted title indicates Sydney Film Prize winner.
Late Announce The following films were added two days before the festival started: English title Original title Director(s) Production countryEagles of the Republic Tarik Saleh Denmark, Finland, France, SwedenIt's Never Over, Jeff Buckley Amy J. Berg United States The Little Sister La Petite Dernière Hafsia Herzi France, GermanyMagellan Lav Diaz Portugal, Spain, France, Philippines, TaiwanThe Plague Charlie Polinger United States, RomaniaSentimental Value Joachim Trier Norway, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, United KingdomSirāt Óliver Laxe France, SpainSplitsville Michael Angelo Covino United StatesTwo Prosecutors Sergei Loznitsa France, Germany, Netherlands, Latvia, Romania, Lithuania Young Mothers Jeunes mères Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne Belgium, France
Documentary Australia English title Original title Director(s) Production countryDeeper Jennifer PeedomAustraliaEllis Park Justin KurzelFloodland Jordan GiustiThe Golden Spurtle Constantine Costi Australia, United KingdomJoh: Last King of Queensland Kriv StendersAustraliaJourney Home, David Gulpilil Maggie Miles, Trisha Morton-ThomasThe Raftsmen Chadden HunterSongs Inside Shalom AlmondThe Wolves Always Come at Night Gabrielle Brady Australia, Mongolia, GermanyYurlu | Country Yaara Bou Melhem Australia
First Nations Award English title Original title Director(s) Production countryEmily: I Am Kam Danielle MacLean AustraliaThe Haka Party Incident Katie WolfeNew ZealandMarlon Williams: Two Worlds – Ngā Ao E Rua Ursula Grace WilliamsNechako: It Will Be a Big River Again Lyana Patrick CanadaRemaining Native Paige Bethmann United StatesSeeds Kaniehtiio HornCanadaWilfred Buck Lisa Jackson
Special Presentations English title Original title Director(s) Production countryThe Ballad of Wallis Island James Griffiths United KingdomBlue Moon Richard Linklater United States, IrelandDreams Michel Franco Mexico, United StatesEnzo Robin Campillo France, Belgium, ItalyHow to Train Your Dragon Dean DeBlois United StatesLesbian Space Princess Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese AustraliaOne to One: John & Yoko Kevin Macdonald United KingdomOrwell: 2+2=5 Raoul Peck France, United StatesPike River Robert Sarkies New ZealandPrime Minister Lindsay Utz, Michelle Walshe United States A Private Life Vie privée Rebecca Zlotowski FranceSlanted Amy WangUnited StatesTwinless James Sweeney
Features English title Original title Director(s) Production countryAlpha. Jan-Willem van Ewijk Netherlands, Switzerland, SloveniaBirthright Zoe Pepper AustraliaBLKNWS: Terms & Conditions Kahlil Joseph United StatesBring Them Down Christopher Andrews IrelandCiao Bambino Edgardo PistoneItalyCome Closer Tom Nesher Daughter's Daughter 女兒的女兒 Huang Xi TaiwanDeath of an Undertaker Christian Byers Australia Dreams (Sex Love) Drømmer Dag Johan Haugerud Norway Eighty Plus Restitucija, ili, San i java stare garde Želimir Žilnik Serbia, SloveniaThe End Joshua Oppenheimer Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom, SwedenThe Friend Scott McGehee and David Siegel United StatesFwends Sophie Somerville AustraliaHappyend Neo Sora Japan, United StatesHarvest Athina Rachel Tsangari United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, France, United StatesThe Heart Is a Muscle Imran Hamdulay South Africa, Saudi ArabiaIslands Jan-Ole Gerster Germany January 2 Január 2. Zsófia Szilágyi HungaryKontinental '25 Radu Jude Romania Late Shift Heldin Petra Volpe Switzerland, GermanyThe Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos The Agbajowo Collective Nigeria, Germany, South Africa, United StatesThe Life of Chuck Mike Flanagan United States Love Kjærlighet Dag Johan Haugerud NorwayLurker Alex Russell United States, Italy The Mohican Le Mohican Frédéric Farrucci France Moon Mond Kurdwin Ayub AustriaThe Mother and the Bear Johnny Ma Canada, ChileMr Burton Marc Evans United Kingdom, Ireland Nineteen Diciannove Giovanni Tortorici Italy, United KingdomOlmo Fernando Eimbcke United States, MexicoOn Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rungano Nyoni Zambia, United Kingdom, IrelandOn Swift Horses Daniel Minahan United States One of Those Days When Hemme Dies Hemme'nin öldüğü günlerden biri Murat Fıratoğlu TurkeyPooja, Sir Deepak Rauniyar Nepal, United States, Norway The President's Cake مملكة القصب Hasan Hadi Iraq, United States, QatarSaba Maksud Hossain Bangladesh Somebody 침범 Kim Yeo-jeong, Lee Jeong-chan South KoreaSpirit World Eric Khoo France, Japan, Singapore State of Statelessness ས་མཐའི་ལས་དབང་། Tenzing Sonam, Ritu Sarin, Tsering Tashi Gyalthang, Sonam Tseten, Tenzin Tsetan Choklay India, United States, VietnamStranger Eyes Yeo Siew Hua Singapore, Taiwan, France, United StatesThe Things You Kill Alireza Khatami France, Poland, Canada, Turkey Tiger's Pond Vaghachipani Natesh Hegde India, SingaporeTo Kill a Mongolian Horse Xiaoxuan Jiang Malaysia, Hong Kong, United States, South Korea, Japan, Singapore Twelve Moons Doce lunas Victoria Franco MexicoWent Up the Hill Samuel Van Grinsven New Zealand, Australia What Does That Nature Say to You 그 자연이 네게 뭐라고 하니 Hong Sang-soo South KoreaYunan Ameer Fakher Eldin Canada, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Palestine, Qatar
International Documentaries English title Original title Director(s) Production country2000 Meters to Andriivka Mstyslav Chernov Ukraine, United StatesAgatha's Almanac Amalie Atkins Canada All I Had Was Nothingness Je n'avais que le néant Guillaume Ribot France Always 从来 Deming Chen United States, France, China, TaiwanAndré Is an Idiot Tony BennaUnited StatesAssembly Rashaad Newsome, Johnny SymonsBeat the Lotto Ross Whitaker IrelandBlue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story Sinead O'Shea Ireland, United KingdomChain Reactions Alexandre O. PhilippeUnited StatesCome See Me in the Good Light Ryan White Cutting Through Rocks اوزاک یوللار Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni Iran, Germany, United States, Netherlands, Qatar, Chile, CanadaExergue – on documenta 14 Dimitris Athiridis GreeceFolktales Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady United States, NorwayA Frown Gone Mad Omar Mismar LebanonHow Deep Is Your Love Eleanor Mortime United KingdomHow to Build a Library Maia Lekow, Christopher King Kenya, United StatesLowland Kids Sandra Winther Denmark, United StatesMake It Look Real Kate Blackmore AustraliaMistress Dispeller Elizabeth Lo China, United StatesMr. Nobody Against Putin David Borenstein Denmark, Czech RepublicOnly on Earth Robin Petré Denmark, Spain, SwedenThe Perfect Neighbor Geeta GandbhirUnited StatesPredators David OsitThe Shadow Scholars Eloïse King United KingdomThe Shepherd and the Bear Max Keegan United Kingdom, United States, FranceSilent Observers Eliza Petkova Bulgaria, GermanySpeak. Jennifer Tiexiera, Guy Mossman United StatesTokito: The 540-Day Journey of a Culinary Maverick Aki Mizutani JapanTwiggy Sadie Frost United Kingdom Unwelcomed Si vas para Chile Amilcar Infante, Sebastian Gonzalez Mendez ChileVideoheaven Alex Ross Perry United StatesA Want in Her Myrid Carten Ireland, United Kingdom, Netherlands Writing Hawa La vie de Hawa Najiba Noori, Rasul Noori France, Netherlands, Qatar, AfghanistanYalla Parkour Areeb Zuaiter Sweden, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Palestine
Focus on Nishtha Jain The program highlighted the work by Indian director Nishtha Jain.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countryGulabi Gang (2012)Nishtha Jain Norway, India, Denmark The Golden Thread (2022) Paat Katha India, United Kingdom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway, Netherlands Farming the Revolution (2024) Inqilab di Kheti India, France, Norway
Sounds on Screen English title Original title Director(s) Production countryMarlon Williams: Two Worlds – Ngā Ao E Rua Ursula Grace Williams New ZealandMove Ya Body: The Birth of House Elegance Bratton United States Once Upon a Time Michel Legrand Il était une fois Michel Legrand David Hertzog Dessites FranceSelena y Los Dinos Isabel Castro United States
Flux: Art+Film English title Original title Director(s) Production countryAncestral Visions of the Future Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese France, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lesotho Gods of Stone Deuses de pedra Iván Castiñeiras Gallego Spain, France, PortugalInvention Courtney Stephens United States Listen to the Voices Kouté vwa Maxime Jean-Baptiste France, Belgium, GuyanaThe Unshakeable Destiny Nikki Lam Australia, Hong Kong
Freak Me Out English title Original title Director(s) Production countryDangerous Animals Sean Byrne Australia The Home Hemmet Mattias J. Skoglund Sweden, Estonia, IcelandIt Ends Alexander UllomUnited StatesObex Albert BirneyRedux Redux Kevin McManus, Matthew McManusStraight On till Morning Craig Ouellette The Wailing El Llanto Pedro Martín-Calero Spain, France, Argentina
EUROPE! Voices of Women+ in Film English title Original title Director(s) Production countryAri Léonor Serraille France, Belgium Deaf Sorda Eva Libertad SpainHanami Denise Fernandes Switzerland, Cape Verde, Portugal I Shall See Ik zal zien Mercedes Stalenhoef Netherlands Little Trouble Girls Kaj ti je deklica Urška Djukić Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, SerbiaTêtes Brûlées Maja-Ajmia Yde Zellama Belgium
Screenability English title Original title Director(s) Production countryLife After Reid DavenportUnited StatesMarlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore Shoshannah SternRacewalkers Kevin Claydon, Phil Moniz Canada
Family English title Original title Director(s) Production countryHow to Train Your Dragon Dean DeBlois United StatesNight of the Zoopocalypse Ricardo Curtis, Rodrigo Perez-Castro Canada, France, Belgium
Jafar Panahi: Cinema in Rebellion The retrospective program highlighted the work by Iranian director Jafar Panahi. English title Original title Director(s) Production country The White Balloon (1995) بادکنک سفيدJafar PanahiIran The Mirror (1997) آینه The Circle (2000) دایره Iran, Italy, Switzerland Crimson Gold (2003) طلای سرخIran Offside (2006) آفساید This Is Not a Film (2011) این فیلم نیست Jafar Panahi, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb Closed Curtain (2013) پرده Jafar Panahi, Kambuzia Partovi Tehran Taxi (2015) تاکسیJafar Panahi 3 Faces (2018) سه رخ No Bears (2022) خرس نیست It Was Just an Accident (2025) یک تصادف ساده Iran, France, Luxembourg
Elaine May: Urbane Legend English title Original title Director(s) Production countryA New Leaf (1971)Elaine MayUnited StatesThe Heartbreak Kid (1972)Mikey and Nicky (1976)Ishtar (1987)
Classics Restored