Join the buzz at BBFF2025's Opening Night Gala – a red carpet celebration of film, music, style, and community. Enjoy a glamourous reception, Japanese-fusion canapés, drinks by Bimbadgen and Papa Salt Gin, plus a world premiere screening and after-party at Tokyo Doll.

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 (Sherpa and Alex Barry blends danger, discovery, and breathtaking cave footage to explore the human drive to push limits.

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. Rooted in joy, community care, and a 15-year bond with the filmmakers, Comparsa is a luminous portrait of sisterhood, resilience, and the healing power of art.

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.

In a remote Yuruk village in North Macedonia, 15-year-old Ahmet finds refuge in music while facing his father’s expectations, a conservative community, and first love with a girl already promised to another.

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.

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.

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. this session features an introduction by Jack Thompson.

During a rare celestial event in 1982 Norway, three boys are stranded in a cable car high above the snow. A Rare Grand Alignment is a gripping, intimate coming-of-age story about friendship, survival, and the wonder of the cosmos.

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.

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.

BBFF 2025 spotlights 10 standout filmmakers under 25, showcasing bold, diverse stories that push the boundaries of style and form. With nominees attending to share their perspectives, this screening offers a rare glimpse into the future of Australian cinema.

Satish Bhaskar’s decades-long quest to protect India’s sea turtles is as inspiring as it is beautiful. From discovering vital nesting beaches to facing the impact of the 2004 tsunami, this award-winning documentary is a moving portrait of one man’s fight to save a species.

In contemporary China, a woman hires a “mistress dispeller” to save her marriage. With rare access to a real unfolding case, Mistress Dispeller explores love, betrayal, and the cultural forces shaping relationships today.

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.

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.

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

In a time of disruption - environmental, cultural, and personal - Featuring the world premiere of Matty Hannon’s new film Haus Tumbuna and stunning local works, this session is for the dreamers, the doers, and those listening closely to the land and sea.

+ a panel with the filmmakers - Films start at 7

The Extraordinary Miss Flower is a vivid celebration of love, memory, and art, bringing a forgotten life back into the light.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.