Sydney Film Festival today announces the Australian Premiere of the most talked about Australian film of the year, Together. Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks and starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco, his debut feature will open the 72nd edition of the Festival on Wednesday 4 June at the State Theatre, followed by a post-screening celebration at Sydney Town Hall.

Fresh from becoming the breakout-hit at Sundance, Together is a bold new Australian feature that blends domestic drama with a devilishly supernatural twist. Real-life couple Brie and Franco star as Millie and Tim, who relocate to the country in search of a quieter life. While Millie adjusts with ease, Tim finds the transition harder - and begins to lean heavily on her support. A series of strange events, an unnervingly friendly neighbour (played by Damon Herriman), and a supernatural encounter in a nearby cave send the couple on a ride that will bring them closer “together” than ever. The film will be released in Australia by Kismet Films.

“We are thrilled to open the 2025 Festival with Together, a fiercely original work that showcases the creative ambition of a new voice in Australian cinema,” said Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley. “Michael Shanks has crafted a bold and inventive debut that shifts seamlessly between tones, anchored by fully committed performances from Alison Brie and Dave Franco.”

“Having Together open Sydney Film Festival is a huge honour,” said Writer and Director Michael Shanks. “Despite our US leads, this is an Australian film through and through and I’m so proud to showcase what amazing crew and cast we have in our local industry. I got altitude sickness in Utah when the film premiered in Sundance, and thankfully that’s far less likely to happen when it premieres in Sydney.”

The full Sydney Film Festival program is announced on Wednesday 7 May 2025. The first titles from Sydney Film Festival’s 2025 program alongside the Jafar Panahi Retrospective strand can be found online at sff.org.au.

Sydney Film Festival runs from 4-15 June 2025. Opening Night Gala tickets, Flexipasses and Subscriptions to Sydney Film Festival 2025 are on sale now.  Call 1300 733 733 or visit sff.org.au for more information.  

The opening of 10th edition of Filmfest Bremen on the 19.03 in my hometown Bremen was a big success. The red carpet was out for a dammed good reason: Stephen Frears and Hugh Grant were in town. 

The grand British director was receiving the "Golden pug-Goldener Mops". Now pugs are known for being sociable and gentle companion dogs. The American Kennel Club describes the breed's personality as "even-tempered and charming". Charme was also the motto of the evening, charming were they all on the stage of Theatre at Goetheplatz, the venue of the opening ceremony of Filmfest Bremen. Felix Krömer, the MC of the evening from Radio Bremen, smart and witty, he masterfully introduced the director, showing and commenting extracts of his films, and later interacted with both laudator and laureate. Not that we the audience knew who the laudator will be, suspence and high expectations from the start of the evening. And then Hugh Grant appeared on stage entertaining the audience with insider jokes about his collaboration with Frears in such a charming and very British way. A great succes for Bremen due to the efforts and connections of film producer and festival director Matthias Greving from Kinescope Film and the commitment of its creative director Ilona Rieke from the Filmbureau Bremen, the local film promotion bureau. Local and global, comedy and avant-garde cinema, these are the focus of the film festival. While one section is entirely dedicated to local productions connected to Bremen, others are German or even international premiers. Foreign films are premiering in Bremen and not Hamburg, Berlin or Munich. This is probably the biggest achievment of the festival, to establish Bremen as an film festival venue on the film festival circuit. And so I met Uruguayan film director Laura Gonzalez, her film  "Milonga" was  screened as a German film premiere. Chilean actress Paulina Garcia who I met in 2013 at the backstageof the Berlinale award ceremony, while she was giving interviews after receiving the "Silver Bear" as best actress for her performance in  "Gloria" and I was the interpreter of Romanian film director Calin Peter Netzer awarded with his producer Ada Solomon with the "Golden Bear" for "Child's Pose" who I interviewed has a chance to free herself from an oppressive past when she meets a man with whom she re-discovers her passion for tango. But before she can move on she has to accept some uncomfortable truths.from abroad are attending Filmfest Bremen

And so I met in Bremen film director Michael Chauvistré based in Aachen who was invited by Greving for the opening, they know eachother from the Bundesverband Regie

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Bess Kargman, known for her documentary short “Coach” (2013), which won the Jury Award at Tribeca Film Festival in 2013, screened her breakthrough feature documentary film “Diane Warren: Relentless” (2024) at SXSW where it held its World Premiere. It tells the up close and personal story of renowned and prolific multi academy award-winning singer/songwriter Diane Warren, featuring interviews with Diane Warren, Clive Davis, Common, Gloria Estefan, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jennifer Hudson, Cher, Randy Jackson, Quincy Jones, and more. 

In an interview with Bess Kargman about her film, here is what she had to say:

Can you tell us your background and what led you to filmmaking?

BESS: I have been a storyteller for as long as I can remember (ask my parents) but I didn’t know from an early age that I would become a film director. I graduated from Amherst College with a passion for photography, art history and music but it wasn’t until I took a non-fiction writing workshop in New York City that I realized I wanted to shift into journalism and other forms of non-fiction storytelling. I attended Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and initially focused on public radio until, in my final semester, I took a documentary directing class that changed everything.

What do you love about documentary films that separates them from narrative films? And why do you think they are having a comeback?

BESS: There are a few principles that have guided me over the years - “a story is only as good as its characters” and “access is everything.” The first holds true for narrative filmmaking as well, but those characters are shaped in the writer’s room. My job as a documentary director is to not write other people’s stories - it is to capture their stories as an observer, and to not interfere. The best verité films are the ones where subjects seem to forget that a camera is in the room. To answer the question about documentaries making a comeback, to me it feels like the “Golden Age of documentary films” is waning. Just to clarify, the demand isn’t waning (people love true stories), but the outlets that distribute documentaries seem to be shrinking and/or consolidating. I pray that this is not a trend that continues.

You have worked on TV and film. Do you have a project or experience you are most proud of?

BESS: My projects have all been very different, so I am proud of them for different reasons. For my debut feature, First Position, I am proud of the fact that I managed to obtain funding, hire a crew, travel the world shooting, and edit a film that made it into movie theaters. I don’t think I knew how hard it would be to complete a feature length film, so that naivete helped me in the end. I never spent a moment thinking about how inexperienced I was, I just kept chugging. For my most recent film, about the legendary songwriter Diane Warren, I’m proud of the fact that over the course of three years we were able to navigate the difficulties of shooting throughout the pandemic and after. 

What have been one of your biggest challenges (and rewards) in your career thus far?

BESS: I always tell aspiring filmmakers that if there is anything else they have a passion for, to choose that career i

Lions of Mesopotamia had its world premiere at SXSW, on Saturday, March 9th. The film is the true account of hope and victory when Iraq’s national soccer team – aka Lions of Mesopotamia – earned the 2007 Asian Cup amid the bloodiest days of Iraq’s civil war. The fairytale story is directed by Emmy winner Lucian Read and produced by Jupiter Entertainment.

In an interview with the film’s producer Patrick Reardon and director Lucian Read after their premiere, here is what they had to say:

Can you tell us your backgrounds and what led you both to filmmaking?

PR – My entire career has been focused on documentary and reality content. Early on I realized that “real-life” storytelling could be just as compelling as the best scripted content. Producing documentaries comes with its own unique challenges, which drew me in as a storyteller. There’s no script, and often you have no idea where the story will take you until you get there. But when it all comes together in a final project, it’s an incredibly rewarding experience.

LR – I began my career as a photojournalist before becoming a news producer working in Iraq and Afghanistan. My first experience in documentary film was as a co-director on a film about the Occupy Wall Street movement. That film, 99%, was selected for the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Around this same time, the rise of the docuseries gave me the opportunity to move from pure journalism, which I had practiced in the past, into in-depth and cinematic documentary projects – particularly the series America Divided, which I created and worked on with Norman Lear. That explains how I moved toward filmmaking; Why I made this move derives from a love of story and image making that goes back to my childhood. I am never happier than when I have a camera in my hand or when I have the honor to have people share their stories with me. This has been true for me from the start.

How did your working relationship begin?

PR – Lucian and I met when we came together to produce Lions of Mesopotamia. His passion and knowledge of the story were immediately evident; it was clear that no one was better suited to bring this story to life. I have no doubt that this experience will lead to a long professional relationship.

LR – We met in the summer of 2022 through our partner Sugar23. It was exciting to pitch the film to Patrick. He immediately understood how special Lions of Mesopotamia could be, and he and Jupiter were incredibly supportive every step of the way.

You tell a story about an Iraqi national soccer team. How did you come across this story and decide to make a film about it?  

LR –  The story came to me through my friend and producer on the film Adam Linehan. He had been working in Iraq on a project about US veterans volunteering to fight against ISIS in northern Iraq when someone shared the story with him. I initially was unaware of this story, but I immediately became drawn to it because of the years I spent working in Iraq as a photojournalist. It's an amazing story on its face. It was also an opportunity to film a story about Iraq firmly from the Iraqi point of view where the Iraqis are undeniably the inspira

Olmo Schnabel's directorial debut PET SHOP DAYS screened as a Festival Favorite at SXSW, 2024. The film stars Jack Irv, Darío Yazebek Bernal, alongside Willem Dafoe, Peter Sarsgaard and more.

Impulsive black sheep Alejandro (Bernal) and pet store employee Jack (Irv) enter a whirlwind romance that sends them down the rabbit hole of depravity in Manhattan’s underworld.

In an interview at SXSW with director Olmo Schnabel, actor Darío Yazebek Bernal, EP Jeremy O'Harris, here is what they had to say:

Can you tell us a little bit about the film? Was it difficult to get off the ground? 

OLMO: It was a collaboration among friends, and yes was a difficult movie to make. Obviously when you’re not part of the industry and you’re doing something that might seem challenging or on the periphery of what people will accept, there is a lot of trial and error. It was a kind of search party to find the right producing partner to help me get this movie made. It wasn’t until I met Francesco Melzi d’Eril that I found a producer who was very excited and motivated to put this film together. I think because he’s from another cultural background, he was willing to take some risks. Whereas if you go meet with an agency or head of a studio in the US, they have a mandate to fill that this film didn’t fit into. Someone like Francesco is willing to bet on young filmmakers, and to take a risk. With Francesco I met Jeremy who was very instrumental. He helped me meet other people who were super useful for getting this out into the world. It was important to create a dialogue and have the support system I needed, because it wasn’t easy.

JEREMY: Olmo had worked a long time and garnered a lot of financing before I got involved. It was a real mountain to climb getting the movie made. Francesco is a great champion of Italian cinema and independent cinema. He’s worked a lot with Luca Guadagnino. I think that in Francesco, Olmo found a real partner who could read the universe he was building.  

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the story? Is it based on true events?

OLMO: Jack Irv, the lead in the movie who also co-wrote it, based it off a friendship he had with a friend of ours named Alejandro. In its core it’s based off a relationship he was very excited and surprised about. I believe it’s more of a fantasy of what they could do together than what they weren’t doing together. It’s a mixture between the attraction of a real relationship but also that kind of naïve childlike curiosity of what could happen if they went on this crazy adventure together. And Jack had that kind of spontaneous completely loose and free story that didn’t need to be hyper realistic. It was much more like if something was going to happen, then it’s destiny. Like if you’re going to win the lottery, you’re going to win it; I’m not going to explain to you how the ticket ended up in your hand. Similarly, these two characters literally bumped into each other on the street and this wild adventure ensues.

DARIO: I think the movie itself is

RESYNATOR is a feature documentary film and synth resurrection project started by director Alison Tavel in 2014. The true story centers around a resurrected synthesizer (aka the RESYNATOR), that was invented by Alison’s late father Don Tavel in the ‘70s, which she dug up from her grandmother’s attic twenty-five years after his passing and has been on a mission to share it with the world ever since. RESYNATOR had its world premiere at SXSW on March 10th, 2024, and won the Documentary Feature Audience Award.

In an interview with Alison about her filmmaking journey, here is what she had to say:

Can you tell us how the seeds for Resynator began and at what point you decided to turn it into a film?

ALISON: Originally, I was just looking to document the resurrection of the synthesizer that my late father had invented. I didn’t have a background in filmmaking, but I thought it was an interesting enough story to be able to share with my friends on tour. I worked for Grace Potter on tour at the time and met so many musicians and touring crew members who were interested in learning more about the Resynator, so I felt I should make a short doc about it. From there it snowballed into a personal narrative that was much deeper than I had originally intended, and I learned how to make a film as I embarked on this journey.

What do you love about docs that features cannot do?

ALISON: I think the great thing about documentary storytelling is the run-and-gun nature (at least with my film), and the genuine reactions of discovery that show up. There were so many times in this process where I just brought a camera person into a situation, made sure I had sound rolling and what unfolded was not planned, such as my conversation with my dad’s old friend (and founder of Musician Magazine) Gordon Baird. I came to him wanting to know about the synth, and the ads I found in his magazines, and all he wanted to talk about was my dad and the events surrounding his death. My reaction on screen was genuine shock and I could never recreate that feeling. 

Docs are a long and laborious venture. How long did this film take you to make?

ALISON: This film took me ten years! Being that this project was self-funded, and I had no background in filmmaking, I had to figure a lot of stuff out as I was going through it, and that took time. But also, the story developed over time. With every new person I met with, a new piece of the puzzle unfolded. It took me three years to contact Peter Gabriel. And it took me six years to contact Jon Anderson and Average White Band! I didn’t find out about the Paul McCartney story until eight years in! So, with that patience came a much more complex and dynamic story. 

How did you go about finding musicians like Peter Gabriel and Gotye in your film?

ALISON: Although I've worked in the music industry for over a decade, I'm not a musician myself, so I needed help understanding what the Resynator was capable of. I was looking for a variety of musicians who all played different instruments and who I thought would have an appreciation for my dad’s technology. I reached out to people like Fred Armisen, Gotye, Money Mark and more directly, explaining the project and proposing a connection to demo the Resynator. I’m so grateful that so many musicians were interested and down to experiment. Everyone’s experiences were unique and he

Sam Shainberg

The short film SHOTPLAYER (2024), directed by Sam Shainberg, screened in the Documentary Short Competition at this year’s SXSW. SHOTPLAYER is an impressionistic journey into the mind of Wilfred Rose, one of New York City's most notorious pickpockets. As he returns to the subway for the first time in many years, he reflects on a life of crime in a society that has left many of its citizens behind. SHOTPLAYER asks the question: When is it ok to push back against that society? This is Sam’s second year presenting a film at SXSW after last year’s narrative title, ENDLESS SEA (2023).

In an interview with Sam about the inspiration behind the film, here is what he had to say:

Can you tell us your background and what led you to filmmaking?

SAM: I grew up in downtown New York and I have filmmakers on both sides of my family, so the influence was always there. That, combined with New York being both cinematic as hell and the best cinema viewing city in the world, I think it was fated that I make films myself. I studied history initially in college and then realized that historians tend to focus on only one time period, and one story for the bulk of their careers whereas I wanted to learn many, many stories. When I came to this realization, I looked at my courses and realized I was already on track to major in filmmaking... and the rest is history. 

What have been your greatest influences? 

SAM: My family and friends have been my greatest influences. Particularly all my amazing filmmaking friends- Luca Balser, Rachel Walden, the Safdie Brothers, J. Daniel Zuniga, and so many more. If you're asking about cinematic influences then I would have to say the Italian neo-realists- Scorsese, Bresson, lots of verité documentary stuff spanning from Hands on a HardBody to Don't Look Back, the Maysles Brothers, D.A. Pennebaker, and then to more stylized stuff like Wong Kar-Wai and Park Chan-wook. I just love movies, so this kind of answer inevitably becomes a ramble. My film SHOTPLAYER was also heavily influenced by still photographers like Bruce Davidson. 

How did you come across Wilfred's story? 

SAM: A colleague of mine, Willie Miesmer, brought me an article about the dying art of pickpocketing and the piece focused on Wilfred. Reading the article really moved me and stuck with both of us so we went in search of Wilfred. 

How did you go about shooting the film? And how long did it take you?

SAM: While the project was in the works for years, going back to 2018, the shoot itself took about four days. The way we went about it was, in a word, brazenly. We just did it. We were certainly worried about getting shut down at every turn, but we just went forward and did it and luckily New York opened its arms to us and just let it all happen. 

What do you hope people will take away from the film?

SAM: My hope is that people can put themselves in Wilfred's shoes for a moment or two. That the audience can feel what it's like to have to commit crimes to survive and support your family and then to feel what that does to a person. Perhaps the audience can carry Wilfred's burden with him for a moment. I also want very much for the audience to see Wilfred clearly

Composer Will Bates has composed original scores for a myriad of filmmakers including acclaimed directors Mike Cahill (Another Earth; I Origins; Bliss), Alex Gibney (We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks; Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief; Zero Days; The Forever Prisoner), Ry Russo-Young (You Won’t Miss Me; Nobody Walks) and Fisher Stevens (Mission Blue; Bright Lights). 

Bates’ upcoming projects include Dark Sky Films’ Blackout, directed by Larry Fessenden and starring Marshall Bell, which hits theaters (limited run) on March 13th. Notable credits include Craig Gillespie’s Dumb Money; FX’s Class of ’09; AMC+’s Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches; Dean Craig’s comedy film The Estate; Michael Mohan’s thriller The Voyeurs; Michael Tyburski’s drama film The Sound of Silence; Starz's Sweetbitter; and the drama/sci-fi series Away; Netflix’s Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated mini-series Unbelievable; and the thriller limited series Devil in Ohio; SyFy’s hit series The Magicians; the George R.R. Martin produced series Nightflyers; Hulu’s series The Path; Chance; and The Looming Tower; NBC’s Rise; and more. Bates’ recent score for Michael Mohan’s Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney, premiered at SXSW on Tuesday, March 12th and hit theaters on March 22nd.

In an interview with Will Bates after the festival, here is what he had to say:
 

Can you tell us about your music background and what led you to film scoring?

WILL: I’ve always wanted to be a film composer. I think I was about 6 or 7 when I sang the entire score of Star Wars to my parents one morning. And once I realized that one man was responsible for all the tunes I’d been humming in my head, I decided I wanted to be John Williams when I grew up. I started playing the saxophone and at about 12 or 13 I got very into jazz. I had a rethink and thought maybe I’d like to be Cannonball Adderley instead. With my buddy Quentin Collins, I started playing in jazz clubs and bars around London from the age of about 14, masquerading as an 18-year-old, wearing my dad’s oversized suits. Then I discovered electronic music and released some obscure dance music on tiny London labels. I later moved to New York and became the lead singer of an Indie Rock band called The Rinse. We toured the US, opened for some big bands, and had a record released in Japan. But generally, we somehow dodged success like skilled ninjas. But all through that time, my lingering first love of scoring remained. The only way I ever learnt to support myself was by scoring commercials, first in London, and finally landing myself a gig as an in-house composer at a New York-based musi

 Diane Warren

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Bess Kargman, known for her documentary short “Coach” (2013), which won the Jury Award at Tribeca Film Festival in 2013, screened her breakthrough feature documentary film “Diane Warren: Relentless” (2024) at SXSW where it held its World Premiere. It tells the up close and personal story of renowned and prolific multi academy award-winning singer/songwriter Diane Warren, featuring interviews with Diane Warren, Clive Davis, Common, Gloria Estefan, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jennifer Hudson, Cher, Randy Jackson, Quincy Jones, and more. 

In an interview with Bess Kargman about her film, here is what she had to say:

Can you tell us your background and what led you to filmmaking?

BESS: I have been a storyteller for as long as I can remember (ask my parents) but I didn’t know from an early age that I would become a film director. I graduated from Amherst College with a passion for photography, art history and music but it wasn’t until I took a non-fiction writing workshop in New York City that I realized I wanted to shift into journalism and other forms of non-fiction storytelling. I attended Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and initially focused on public radio until, in my final semester, I took a documentary directing class that changed everything.

What do you love about documentary films that separates them from narrative films? And why do you think they are having a comeback?

BESS: There are a few principles that have guided me over the years - “a story is only as good as its characters” and “access is everything.” The first holds true for narrative filmmaking as well, but those characters are shaped in the writer’s room. My job as a documentary director is to not write other people’s stories - it is to capture their stories as an observer, and to not interfere. The best verité films are the ones where subjects seem to forget that a camera is in the room. To answer the question about documentaries making a comeback, to me it feels like the “Golden Age of documentary films” is waning. Just to clarify, the demand isn’t waning (people love true stories), but the outlets that distribute documentaries seem to be shrinking and/or consolidating. I pray that this is not a trend that continues.

You have worked on TV and film. Do you have a project or experience you are most proud of?

BESS: My projects have all been very different, so I am proud of them for different reasons. For my debut feature, First Position, I am proud of the fact that I managed to obtain funding, hire a crew, travel the world shooting, and edit a film that made it into movie theaters. I don’t think I knew how hard it would be to complete a feature length film, so that naivete helped me in the end. I never spent a moment thinking about how inexperienced I was, I just kept chugging. For my most recent film, about the legendary songwriter Diane Warren, I’m proud of the fact that over the c