Overview
If you're planning to spend 12 days in the Harbour City's cinemas this winter, Sydney Film Festival's full 2025 slate of movies won't be revealed until early May, ahead of the annual big-screen celebration's Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 dates. A handful of flicks from the lineup will be named in April first, but Vivid Sydney's 2025 program announcement comes bearing gifts even earlier: a few SFF events that fall within the citywide arts, light, music, food and ideas celebration as well.
A celebration of Warren Ellis was always going to be huge news. There's two parts to it: a screening of Justin Kurzel (Nitram)-directed documentary Ellis Park, about the iconic musician establishing an animal sanctuary to protect endangered species in Sumatra, then An Evening with Warren Ellis at City Recital Hall. At the first, at the State Theatre, audiences will obviously see the film. Afterwards, its subject — a Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds collaborator and Dirty Three founder, as well as a pivotal force in movie scores, including on The Proposition, The Road, Far From Men, Mustang, Hell or High Water, The Velvet Queen, The New Boy, Back to Black, Kid Snow and newly minted Oscar-winner I'm Still Here — will chat about the doco, and also put on a short musical performance.
SFF and Vivid are teaming up on a second event, too: Planet City: Live. Courtesy of designer and director Liam Young, the speculative fiction experience takes attendees to a different future — one where humanity has responded to the environmental destruction of the planet in a decisive fashion. Young's film is set at a time where there's just one city, which is where everyone on earth resides, with the rest of the globe left to rewild.
At SFF, Young will provide live narration for the film, while Forest Swords will play its score live as Planet City screens.
"Sydney Film Festival has always been a place for bold and innovative storytelling, and we are delighted to join forces with Vivid Sydney to present these two unique cinematic experiences. These events push the limits of film, sound and imagination, offering audiences something truly unforgettable," said SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley, announcing the fest's collaboration with Vivid 2025.
"The partnership between Vivid Sydney and Sydney Film Festival represents a powerful fusion of artistic vision that embodies the spirit of creative innovation we champion and allows us to connect with audiences in meaningful new ways. These immersive film events perfectly amplify our 2025 theme of 'dream' by inviting audiences to explore alternative realities through the intersection of cinema, music and live performance," added Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini.
Sydney Film Festival x Vivid Sydney 2025 Events
Sunday, June 8 — Ellis Park screening at the State Theatre and Ellis Park: An Evening with Warren Ellis at City Recital Hall
Tuesday, June 10 — Planet City: Live at City Recital Hall
Sydney Film Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at cinemas across Sydney. Hit up the festival website for further information and tickets — and check back in with Concrete Playground in April for more films from the program, and on Wednesday, May 7 for the full lineup.
Vivid Sydney 2025 runs from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14 across Sydney. Head to the festival website for further information.