Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) is returning to our shores from Thursday, November 27 to Sunday, November 30, transforming our city into a massive stage for visual storytelling, heralding a new chapter that takes film beyond the cinema walls, and places the festival among Australia’s great celebrations of cinema.
The big 5
Film buffs and casual movie lovers alike will want to witness BIFF’s five major cinematic events, which will set the tone for the whole event and be the talk of the festival.
Starting at Howard Smith Wharves on November 27 with the Australian premiere of Agon, Giulio Bertelli’s directorial debut. The film follows three female Olympians preparing for a fictitious 2024 Olympics, highlighting the political, social, technological and physical challenges that dominate the top tier of sports and competition.
Then, on November 28, get your pom-poms out and get ready for some nostalgia at a screening of cheerleading classic Bring It On at The Star Brisbane, with director Peyton Reed in attendance to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, and as a representation of Hollywood-level talent in our city.
November 29 will see another classic’s anniversary, paired with an Australian masterpiece for maximum thrills at South Bank. We’re talking, of course, of Jaw’s 50th anniversary, and it will be paired with adrenaline-fuelled Beasts of War by Australian director Kiah Roache-Turner, which was shot in none other than Brisbane!
That same day, you’ll get the opportunity to sit through the premiere of A Life Illuminated, an acclaimed documentary about renowned ocean explorer and marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder. And, if you’ve got little ones with you, you’ll want to attend the special family screening which will transform The Star Brisbane’s Leisure Deck into a shimmering underwater world, featuring immersive light installations and special performances by Brisbane’s own Dead Puppet Society.
Finally, on the festival’s last day, South Bank will host a cinematic symphony of film and sound for the Queensland premiere of It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, a documentary celebrating the life and artistry of the late singer-songwriter. Music lovers will have plenty to be happy about, as the film will be followed by a live concert performance of Buckley’s iconic Grace album, with such local music legends as Jack Carty, Asha Jefferies, Jaguar Jonze, Moreton, Mark Moroney, Katie Noonan, Tyrone Noonan, Sue Ray and Jude York taking to the stage.
What else to expect
Besides these headline events, this year’s program features over 60 spectacular films, including 29 Australian premieres! And of the total roster, roughly 42% are directed by women, as a reflection of BIFF’s commitment to diversity across the festival. Complementing these is a powerful collection of six films that aim to amplify bold storytelling from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and Indigenous filmmakers from around the world.
This year, BIFF’s Festival Patron will be Academy Award winner and one of Oz’s most celebrated filmmakers, George Miller — of Mad Max fame of course — whose Patron’s Pick to help frame and explain the year’s curatorial lens is Robert Altman’s 1970 black comedy M*A*S*H, reflecting Miller’s enduring belief in the power of laughter and satire to make sense of chaos.
“This movie, so wildly subversive, had a huge cultural impact. In the same way Kubrick’s ‘Dr Strangelove’ did before it and PTA’s ‘One Battle After Another’ seems to be doing today, it resonated deeply with the Zeitgeist,” Miller said.
In addition to this context, the festival has been curated with six core emotions in mind this year: Be Delighted, Be Moved, Be Afraid, Be Ignited, Be Challenged and Be Surprised.
Be Delighted
Featuring moving coming-of-age stories like Fwends, cutting-edge animation like IMAGINE, and poetic representations of family and multiculturalism in Endless Cookie, this category is perfect for the whole family, and for those looking to have their spirits lifted.
Be Moved
Bring some tissues and watch Egyptian filmmaker Sarah Goher’s astonishing debut, Happy Birthday, a poignant and unflinching drama that follows eight-year-old Toha, a child maid for a wealthy Cairo family, as she forms a bond with her employer’s daughter and yearns for a celebration of her own.
Or, for some homegrown talent, we recommend Jayden Martin’s FLATHEAD, presenting the story of an ageing man returning to his Queensland hometown, seeking redemption through friendship, faith and quiet resilience.
Be Afraid
Feeling brave? Put it to the test with Retreat, which marks the directorial debut of British talent Ted Evans, who will be in attendance. The first feature film starring an all-deaf cast promises both thrills and introspection in this contemporary thriller!
Be Ignited
Takashi Miike’s Blazing Fists, an audacious blend of martial arts and surrealism from Japan’s most prolific provocateur will have you on the edge of your seat the entire runtime. And Stephanie Laing (director of Veep and Eastbound & Down) will be attending the premiere of her newest project, Tow, which chronicles the story of a homeless woman who fights to have her impounded car returned to her.
Be Challenged
See a classic from a new perspective a the Australian premiere of Radu Jude’s Dracula, an irreverent and satirical opus dismantling contemporary fascination with the Transylvanian myth, or sit through the taut discomfort of techno-scored Sirat, as a father searches for his daughter through the wild desert.
Be Surprised
Journey through the full spectrum of human experience through Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, an electrifying meditation on loyalty and retaliation, or Hungarian auteur’s Ildiko Enyedi’s latest, Silent Friend, starring Tony Leung and Léa Seydoux, which highlights the strength of human relationships with the natural world.
Practical information
Brisbane International Film Festival 2025 will take place from November 17 to November 30.
It will be hosted across Palace Centro, Palace Barracks, New Farm Cinemas, Elizabeth Street Picture House, The Star Brisbane, Streets Beach and South Bank Piazza.
Six-film Festival Passes are $119, with special event prices varying.
You can see the full program and get all tickets here.