Seven films our editors are booking first at this year’s Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival returns from June 3 to 14 with a sprawling 73rd edition: 248 films, 19 straight from Cannes, 19 world premieres, three international premieres and 140 Australian premieres. Screenings will light up the State Theatre, the Sydney Opera House, the Art Gallery of NSW, the State Library and a string of boutique cinemas, including the Randwick Ritz, Hayden Orpheum, Dendy Newtown and several Palace locations.
With so much on offer, our editors are circling seven titles to book early. Top of the list is a brutal new retelling of the Robin Hood legend, with Hugh Jackman taking the title role. The project promises a darker, late‑career turn for the Australian star, with echoes of the intensity that made his Logan outing so memorable.
For edge‑of‑your‑seat thrills, Dead Man’s Wire is a pacey new film from Gus Van Sant based on the true story of a 1977 hostage standoff. The cast includes Bill Skarsgård, Al Pacino, Colman Domingo and Australia’s Dacre Montgomery, and it is currently sitting at 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Documentary lovers have two striking options. The History of Concrete, a debut from the team behind How To With John Wilson, begins in a Hallmark movie workshop and widens into an offbeat inquiry into urbanism, celebrity and civic life—proof that mundane subjects, handled with curiosity, can reveal a city’s soul.
Closer to home, Adrian Chiarella’s Sundance‑lauded Leviticus follows two teenage boys whose forbidden love in a God‑fearing Victorian town stirs a supernatural force. On the local independent front, French Girls marks the feature debut of writer‑director Hyun Lee, following her award‑winning short Asian Girls.
It is shot by cinematographer Dimitri Zaunders, known for The Golden Spurtle, and showcases a slate of local talent. There’s also intrigue around The Invite, Olivia Wilde’s third feature as director, shot on 35mm. Wilde stars alongside Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton and Seth Rogen—fresh from his Emmy wins for The Studio—in a script by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, the duo behind Celeste and Jesse Forever.
The trailer reveals little, and the film reportedly takes inspiration from the 2020 Spanish feature The People Upstairs. Rounding out the list is Notebook on Cities and Clothes, a portrait of an avant‑garde fashion designer that doubles as a meditation on creativity, moving between Tokyo and Paris.
Made by a filmmaker who approached fashion from the outside, it’s an arts‑minded choice for viewers who prize ideas as much as aesthetics. With hundreds of films spread across the city’s grand stages and cherished neighbourhood cinemas, these seven offer a cross‑section of the scope and surprise the festival promises this year.