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

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.

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.

Yolŋu actor David Gulpilil blazed a trail from Arnhem Land to Cannes, becoming Australia’s most renowned Indigenous actor. Before his passing in 2021, he asked to be laid to rest on his Homeland of Gupulul. This film follows his extraordinary final journey across thousands of kilometres, guided by culture, ceremony, and a remarkable homecoming.