Overwhelmed by the 2025 Sydney Film Festival program? Here’s 10 recommendations from our film editor, Travis Johnson.
The worst thing about the Sydney Film Festival is deciding what to see. Paradoxically, it’s also the best thing – what better way to go than drown in movie choices?
That could just be me, though. Personally, I think the best way to approach any film festival is to just cram as much as you possibly can into your sensorium – grab a Flexi-Pass, plan your schedule, fill the gaps between essentials with stuff you maybe wouldn’t usually check out, and hopefully get your brain completely rewired by some mind-melting cinematic belters that might otherwise have slipped under your radar. It’s a good life if you don’t weaken.
But that’s not for everyone! Some of you have real jobs. Hard decisions must be made. And given we’re getting over 200 films, winnowing your way through the program can be an absolute stress-fest. But never fret; I’ve cast my critical eye over the offerings and pulled out a few deeper cuts for your consideration.
Seeds
The directorial debut of Canadian First nations actor Kaniehtiio Horn (she was the Deer Woman in Reservation Dogs, and had a recurring role on Letterkenny). Seeds is a comedy thriller that sees Horn as Ziggy, a young Mohawk woman and wannabe social media influencer who finds herself housesitting for a vacationing relative. When an agent from a large agricorp fronts up wanting to get his hands on the family’s store of heirloom seeds, the film begins to cant from from fish-out-of-water comedy to home invasion thriller. Dallas Goldtooth (Reservation Dogs) and Graham Greene (too many to easily count) co-star.
Videoheaven
Maya Hawke narrates this doco from director Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell), a deep dive into the history of video stores. Remember those? I sure do – they made me the person I am today, for good or ill. Inspired by Daniel Herbert’s 2014 book Videoland: Movie Culture at the American Video Store, Perry’s film traces the humble (and not so humble – lookin’ at you, Blockbuster) video store from the ’70s to their decline in 2010s with the rise of streaming. Perry used to work the counter at a video store, so he oughtta know what he’s on about.
Move Ya Body: The Birth of House
Straight from Sundance comes this doco by Elegance Bratton, which takes us back to the Chicago of the late ’70s and early ’80s and the Black, queer roots of house music. We’ll hit underground clubs like The Warehouse and The Power Plant and talk to musical pioneers such as Frankie Knuckles, Marshall Jefferson and Vince Lawrence to find out how the backlash against the frankly weird Disco Demolition Night led to the birth of an entire music genre.
Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5
Raoul Peck’s doco comes to us direct from Cannes. The thing about George Orwell is people love to quote him to shore up whatever political point they’re making, but few have read him outside of Animal Farm and 1984, or dug into the writer’s fascinating life. Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 aims to change… well, at least the second bit; you’re still gonna have to read the books for yourself. Narrated in Orwell’s own words by actor Damian Lewis, and intercut with footage of current political and social unrest, hopefully this one will put Orwell in his proper context and frame his concerns about totalitarianism for a fresh audience.
Songs Inside
Another doco – seems to be a good year for factual film. Directed by Shalom Almond, Songs Inside takes us into the Adelaide Women’s Prison, where 10 inmates are participating in the Songbird program under First Nations singer-songwriter Nancy Bates. The music program is intended to give them a sense of self worth and belonging, but many are struggling to overcome years of addiction and trauma. An upcoming show with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra looms – can the healing power of music overcome the weight of the past? Well, it’d be a depressing watch if it didn’t…
Slanted
Winner of the SXSW Narrative Jury Award, the debut feature by Australian director Amy Wang sees Shirley Chen as teenager Joan Huang, whose dreams of being prom queen drive her to seek out “racial transformation” surgery to try and fit the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Western beauty ideal. Inspired by Wang’s own experiences coming up as a Chinese-Australian in Sydney, this vibes a bit like last year’s The Substance – now with added race commentary. Early word indicates this is an insightful look at identity through the lens of genre, and we are keen for it.
Blue Moon
The latest from Texan auteur Richard Linklater, who has been kicking goals since Slacker way back in the day. Set in 1943 in the weird world of musical theatre (go with me here…) Blue Moon sees Linklater regular Ethan Hawke as alcoholic lyricist Lorenz Hart, one half of legendary Broadway team Rodgers and Hart. He’s cooling his heels in a bar on the night of Oklahoma!‘s premiere, waiting on his new girlfriend/muse, a young college student played by The Substance‘s Margaret Qualley. The evening unfolds in real time, as Hart wrestles with his personal demons and the high price of creating art. Apparently it’s a comedy, despite what Hart’s biographical details might indicate, but you can rarely go wrong with Linklater.
Deeper
Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Jennifer Peedom (Sherpa, Mountain) and and co-director Alex Barry take a look at Thai Cave Rescue hero Dr. Richard “Harry” Harris (Joel Edgerton played him in Thirteen Lives) as he prepares to break the depth record for diving. Now, this sort of thing falls under the umbrella of technical diving, which involves using exotic gas mixes, careful preparation, and balls of absolute steel to go where people are 100% not meant to go – and, occasionally, to come back. Seriously, 20% of all diving fatalities happen to tech divers. This promises to be an absolutely nail-biting look at the extremes of human achievement.
Ellis Park
When he’s not making music with Nick Cave or The Dirty Three, legendary musician Warren Ellis runs a wildlife sanctuary in Sumatra, as one does. At Ellis Park, smuggled and abused animals are nursed back to health by activist Femke den Haas and her team and – ideally – returned to the wild. Around this, director Justin Kurzel (Snowtown, and this year’s SFF Jury President) weaves a biographical portrait of Ellis who, of course, provides the score.
There, that’s not a bad starter pack. There’s plenty more where that came from, too: Texas Chain Saw Massacre doco Chain Reactions, queer romantic epic On Swift Horses, Adelaide Film Festival fave Lesbian Space Princess… the list goes on. Get amongst it, and hopefully I’ll see you there.
The 72nd Sydney Film Festival runs from June 4 – 15. Hit up the official site for tickets and info.
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