At the height of his career, Marlon Williams returned home to write and record an album entirely in te reo Māori. Filmed over four years, this moving documentary follows his journey of reconnection with heritage, identity, and the healing power of music.

A roadside encounter becomes a haunting spiral of revenge and doubt in Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or–winning thriller, darkly laced with humour and humanity.

Paralysed by a wave at 21, Joel Taylor spent 20 years out of the ocean before discovering adaptive surfing. Reigniting his passion through fatherhood and community, he defied all odds to become a 2023 para surfing World Champion. Beyond the Break is a powerful story of resilience, identity, and triumph over adversity.

In southern Morocco, a father and son search for their missing daughter at endless desert raves. Sirat is a haunting exploration of hope, loss, and the limits we endure for family.

A sharp, twisted Aussie comedy about family, privilege, and overstaying your welcome.

Birthright opened BBFF2025.

Nansie is a moving, intimate portrait of a family navigating dementia with love, humour, and resilience. Sisters Adelaide and Lucinda cherish their grandmother Ann, creating moments of joy and connection even as memory fades.

A bold portrait of visionary scientist John Lilly, exploring the wild frontiers of consciousness, technology, and human potential.

Celebrating the life and legacy of Yolŋu actor David Gulpilil, this moving film traces his extraordinary final journey home to Gupulul - a farewell guided by culture, ceremony, and deep connection to Country.

Celebrating the life and legacy of Yolŋu actor David Gulpilil, this moving film traces his extraordinary final journey home to Gupulul - a farewell guided by culture, ceremony, and deep connection to Country.

The Northern Rivers, recognized as Australia's largest regional film hub, is celebrated at our festival with a selection of locally made films. These films highlight the unique stories and artistic visions that flourish in this vibrant creative community.

The Heart Resolution reveals the human heart as more than a pump - an intelligent organ shaping who we are and how we live. Blending stunning imagery with cutting-edge science, the film traces the heart’s role across life, exploring love, learning, ageing, and what it truly means to live with an open heart.

When a New York crew flies to the wrong country chasing a viral story, they fake a trend in rural Argentina - with disastrous, hilarious, and unexpectedly human results.

At the height of his career, Marlon Williams returned home to write and record an album entirely in te reo Māori. Filmed over four years, this moving documentary follows his journey of reconnection with heritage, identity, and the healing power of music.

An extended cut tracing the birth of Liberia’s Robertsport Surf Club, We the Surfers celebrates resilience, community, and the global connections forged through surfing.

In Ciudad Peronia, Guatemala, teenage sisters Lesli and Lupe lead a fearless rebellion against gender violence through Comparsa - a vibrant street performance of towering puppets, fire, and drums that rallies youth and reclaims public space.

In Afghanistan’s remote snow-capped mountains, a ski culture is born. Champions of the Golden Valley follows Olympic hopeful Alishah Farhang and young athletes whose handmade skis and daring spirit turn competition into a story of unity, resilience, and hope.

From Switzerland to Mexico, Common Wealth explores new models of unity and fairness through one filmmaker’s transformative journey. A tender, global call to reimagine the systems that shape our lives.

Over six years and 24,000 km, filmmaker Dianne Whelan crossed Canada’s vast trails by land and water, discovering wisdom, kindness, and resilience in a journey that became less about endurance and more about connection, hope, and renewal.

Blending absurdist comedy, whimsy, and multilingual poetry, Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language transforms a dreamlike Winnipeg into a world both strange and beautiful - a singular film that captured global acclaim at Cannes and MIFF.

Over two hours, gain a fast-moving snapshot of what’s happening at the forefront of digital innovation for screen creatives – with insights and inspiration from leading international and local talent.

Filmmakers, artists, gamers, storytellers, technologists, and curious creatives are invited to come together and learn from industry leaders pushing the boundaries of screen culture.

Fools’ Paradise (Lost?) is a poetic journey into the wilderness around us and the wild within. Filmmaker Alexandra Lexton meets writers, activists, and adventurers who show how reconnecting with nature can heal both people and the planet. Blending science, philosophy, and personal stories, the film is a moving call to nurture the world - and ourselves.

In this dynamic two-hour session, you’ll learn how to lay a powerful foundation for your own stories. Working with Neptune, a cutting-edge storytelling platform, this workshop blends guided demonstration, individual writing time and small-group collaboration - so you’ll not only develop your own ideas but also gain inspiration and feedback from fellow writers. Whether you’re working on a screenplay, a novel or a new concept, you’ll leave with sharper tools, fresh insights and a clearer path forward.

Stay Strange is BBFF2025’s ode to the unconventional - a collection of shorts that refuse to play it safe, from sharp satire to soulful surprises, headlined by the World Premiere of Hadley Perkins’ darkly funny Strange Attractor.

Stay Strange is BBFF2025’s ode to the unconventional - a collection of shorts that refuse to play it safe, from sharp satire to soulful surprises, headlined by the World Premiere of Hadley Perkins’ darkly funny Strange Attractor.

Paralysed by a wave at 21, Joel Taylor spent 20 years out of the ocean before discovering adaptive surfing. Reigniting his passion through fatherhood and community, he defied all odds to become a 2023 para surfing World Champion. Beyond the Break is a powerful story of resilience, identity, and triumph over adversity.

From Thai cave rescuer to daring explorer, Dr Richard “Harry” Harris risks it all in Deeper. Set in New Zealand’s treacherous Pearse Resurgence, this powerful documentary by Jennifer Peedom (SherpaP and Alex Barry blends danger, discovery, and breathtaking cave footage to explore the human drive to push limits.

In near-future Tokyo, where earthquakes loom daily, a prank at school sparks an AI surveillance crackdown that tests the bonds of five close friends. With warmth and insight, Happyend explores friendship, fear, and the quiet erosion of freedom.

Raoul Peck’s bold documentary revisits Orwell’s 1984, blending archive and contemporary imagery to explore the novel’s enduring warnings - from Doublethink to Big Brother - and why they still matter today.

Celebrating the life and legacy of Yolŋu actor David Gulpilil, this moving film traces his extraordinary final journey home to Gupulul - a farewell guided by culture, ceremony, and deep connection to Country.

Both a call for justice and a celebration of resilience, YURLU | COUNTRY reveals the enduring strength of culture, Country, and community in the face of catastrophe.