by FilmInk Staff
2025 Program Announced!
Europa! Europa Film Festival is back for its fourth year, returning to Sydney and Melbourne from 12 February to 12 March 2025. With an exciting line-up of European cinematic treasures, this year’s festival promises another unforgettable journey across the continent’s diverse and vibrant film culture.
Featuring 44 films from 26 countries, the 2025 program presents a handpicked selection of inspiring, innovative, and visually stunning films, showcasing everything from emerging talents to acclaimed auteurs.
“This year’s line-up is our boldest yet,” said Artistic Director Spiro Economopoulos. “From crowd-pleasing comedies to thought-provoking dramas and some of Europe’s biggest box office hits, each film reflects the heart and soul of European storytelling. Europa! Europa 2025 is a celebration of art, culture, and the connections that bind us all.”
OPENING NIGHT AND CENTREPIECE GALA SCREENINGS
The 2025 festival opens with A Little Something Extra (France), the highest-grossing French film of 2024, surpassing 10 million admissions at the box office. Directed by popular French comedian and actor Artus, this heartfelt comedy follows a jewel thief and his son who find themselves at a summer camp for young adults with disabilities. The film’s casting of non-professional actors in supporting roles has drawn widespread acclaim for its authenticity and humanistic approach. Opening night festivities commence with drinks and refreshments, ahead of the film screening.
This year’s Centrepiece Gala is the world premiere of Once Upon My Mother (France) [pictured], a colourful and moving film set in 1960s France which tells the true story of a mother’s extraordinary efforts to help her son overcome a physical disability. Drinks will be served ahead of the screening.
HEADLINE FILMS
This year’s program is anchored by a selection of headliner titles that have already made waves on the international stage:
Julie Keeps Quiet (Belgium/Sweden/France) debuted at Cannes Critics’ Week and is co-produced by the acclaimed Dardenne brothers. The film is set in an elite Belgian tennis academy, where the fallout from a coach’s misconduct allegations forces a young athlete to navigate intense personal and professional challenges.
Another End (Italy), directed by Piero Messina (The Wait) premiered at the Rome Film Fest and features a star performance by Gael García Bernal as Sal, a grieving widower who reconnects with his late wife through advanced technology which supplants her consciousness into the body of a host (Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World). Oscar nominee Bérénice Bejo stars as Sal’s concerned sister.
The Last Journey (Sweden) is Sweden’s submission for the 2025 Academy Awards and the most-watched documentary in Swedish history. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, this heartfelt docu-comedy chronicles a father-son road trip through France, blending humour with a poignant exploration of family dynamics.
COMEDIES
This year’s comedic line-up features celebrated films that have earned accolades at international festivals and captivated audiences in their home countries.
Everything’s Fifty Fifty (Germany) premiered at the Munich Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Direction. The film explores the complexities of modern co-parenting through the misadventures of a divorced couple (Moritz Bleibtreu and Laura Tonke) on a joint family vacation, blending sharp humour with relatable scenarios.
In Love Boat (France), acclaimed director Bruno Podalydès crafts a light-hearted farce set aboard a houseboat. Premiering at the Locarno Film Festival, the film stars French cinema icons Daniel Auteuil and Sandrine Kiberlain. Its entertaining mix of romantic schemes and financial mishaps made it a commercial success in France, solidifying its status as a crowd favourite.
Triumph (Bulgaria/Greece) stars Academy Award nominee Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, The Apprentice) in an absurd satire based on true events. Set in the aftermath of communism’s fall, the story follows a classified Bulgarian Army mission led by a supposed psychic to uncover a mysterious artefact.
DRAMAS
Europa! Europa’s dramatic program features films with significant cultural and artistic impact. I Am Nevenka (Spain/Italy), Spain’s submission for the 2025 Academy Awards, recounts the landmark #MeToo case that reshaped societal norms in Spain. Directed by Goya Award-winning filmmaker Icíar Bollaín, the film premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, earning critical acclaim for its portrayal of resilience and systemic challenges.
Premiering at the Venice Film Festival, The Flood (France/Italy) offers an intimate portrayal of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during their final days. Starring Guillaume Canet and Mélanie Laurent (Inglorious Basterds) the film shifts the lens of the story away from the grandeur of Versailles, focusing on the royal’s imprisonment in the Tour du Temple.
Ukraine’s U Are the Universe debuted in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival, receiving praise for its innovative visual storytelling and thematic depth. Written and produced during the ongoing war, the film is Ukraine’s submission for the Academy Awards. It merges personal narratives with sci-fi elements, offering a unique perspective on identity and survival.
Sebastian (UK) premiered at Sundance and the BFI London Film Festival and stars Ruaridh Mollica as a young writer juggling life as a sex worker under the pseudonym Sebastian.
RETROSPECTIVE
The festival celebrates François Truffaut with the Four by Truffaut retrospective, featuring 4K restorations of his iconic films. Titles include Shoot the Piano Player and The Soft Skin, alongside Two English Girls and Finally, Sunday! This retrospective offers audiences a chance to experience the French New Wave pioneer’s enduring influence on global cinema in stunning detail.
THE DETAILS:
MELBOURNE
12 February – 12 March
Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick and Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn
SYDNEY
13 February – 12 March
Ritz Cinemas in Randwick
Stay up to date with Europa! Europa:
Website: europafilmfestival.com.au
Facebook: facebook.com/europafilmfest
Instagram: instagram.com/europafilmfest/
X: https://x.com/europaeuropaff
