An Evening with Warren Ellis
Sydney Film Festival and Vivid 2025 are teaming up to celebrate the iconic musician, who'll chat about his work, career and documentary 'Ellis Park'.
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 is jam-packed across Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15. A few highlights on the program are also part of Vivid Sydney 2025, falling within the citywide arts, light, music, food and ideas celebration as well.
A celebration of Warren Ellis was always going to be huge news — and worthy of a spot on both festival's bills. There's two parts to it, both on Sunday, June 8: a screening of Justin Kurzel (The Narrow Road to the Deep North)-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.
You'll need separate tickets if you want to attend both the movie and the in-conversation session.
