Europa! Europa Film Festival 2025: A Month of European Cinema to Hit Sydney and Melbourne

‘Another End’ and ‘Everything’s Fifty-Fifty’

The Europa! Europa Film Festival is set to return for its fourth year, hitting screens in Sydney and Melbourne in February-March. Featuring 44 films from 26 countries, the festival is set to highlight the diverse range of stories and styles that define European cinema.

“This year’s line-up is our boldest yet,” said Spiro Economopoulos, the Festival’s Artistic Director. “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 Gala

The festival will be kicked off with A Little Something Extra, the highest-grossing French film of 2024. Directed by comedian and actor Artus, the film follows a jewel thief and his son who unexpectedly end up at a summer camp for young adults with disabilities. The film features non-professional actors in key supporting roles.

Thee Centrepiece Gala, marking the festival’s midpoint, will present the world premiere of Once Upon My Mother. This 1960s-set drama tells the true story of a mother’s determination to help her son navigate life with a physical disability, offering a poignant glimpse into resilience and family bonds.

A Range of Stories

The programme is anchored by standout titles already generating buzz. Julie Keeps Quiet (Belgium/Sweden/France), which debuted at Cannes Critics’ Week, delves into the fallout of misconduct at an elite tennis academy. Italy’s Another End combines speculative fiction with a moving exploration of grief, starring Gael García Bernal and Renate Reinsve.

Sweden’s The Last Journey, a documentary blending humour and emotional depth, follows a father-son road trip through France and has become the country’s most-watched documentary to date.

Comedy, Drama, and a Nod to the Classics

This year’s comedy offerings include Germany’s Everything’s Fifty Fifty, a sharp look at co-parenting, and Triumph (Bulgaria/Greece), an absurd satire based on a bizarre post-communist military operation. On the dramatic side, I Am Nevenka revisits a pivotal #MeToo case in Spain, while The Flood shifts the focus of the French Revolution to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s final days.

A retrospective dedicated to François Truffaut rounds out the programme, with restored versions of four of his iconic films, including Shoot the Piano Player and Two English Girls.

When and Where

The Europa! Europa Film Festival will be held in Melbourne from 12 February to 12 March at Classic Cinemas, Elsternwick, and Lido Cinemas, Hawthorn. In Sydney, it will run from 13 February to 12 March at Ritz Cinemas, Randwick.

Those interested in learning more about the festival, including the complete line-up of films being shown and session details, can visit their official site HERE.

Here’s the official trailer for the festival: