“Another End” and “Everything’s Fifty Fifty”
Europa! The European Film Festival is scheduled for its fourth year and will be screened in Sydney and Melbourne from February to March. Featuring 44 films from 26 countries, the festival focuses on the diverse stories and styles that characterize European cinema.
“This year’s lineup is our boldest yet,” said Spiro Economopoulos, the festival’s artistic director. “From crowd-pleasing comedies to thought-provoking dramas to Europe’s biggest box office hits, each film reflects the heart and soul of European storytelling. Europa!Europe 2025 , and a celebration of the connections that unite us all.”
opening night and gala
The festival will open with 2024’s highest-grossing French film, “Little Something Extra.” The film, directed by comedian and actor Artus, follows a jewel thief and his son who unexpectedly end up attending a summer camp for young people with disabilities. . The film features non-professional actors playing important supporting roles.
The festival’s centerpiece gala will mark the world premiere of Once Upon My Mother. Set in the 1960s, this drama tells the true story of a mother’s determination to help her disabled son and offers a moving glimpse into resilience and family bonds.
various stories
The program is backed by outstanding titles that are already generating buzz. Julie Keeps Quiet (Belgium/Sweden/France), which premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week, explores the aftermath of cheating at an elite tennis academy. Italy’s Another End, starring Gael García Bernal and Renate Reinsve, is a combination of detective fiction and a moving exploration of grief.
Sweden’s The Last Journey, a documentary that combines humor and emotional depth, follows a father and son on a road trip through France and is the country’s most-watched documentary to date.
Comedy, drama and homage to the classics
This year’s comedies include Germany’s Everything’s Fifty Fifty, a poignant look at co-parenting, and Triumph (Bulgaria/Greece), an absurdist satire based on a bizarre post-communist military operation. On the dramatic front, I Am Nevenka revisits the pivotal #MeToo case in Spain, while The Flood shifts the focus of the French Revolution to the final moments of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. are.
A retrospective dedicated to François Truffaut concludes the program, showing restored versions of four of his iconic films, including Shoot the Piano Player and Two English Girls.
when and where
Europa! The European Film Festival will be held from February 12th to March 12th at Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick, Melbourne and Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn. In Sydney, the film will be shown at Ritz Cinemas in Randwick from February 13th to March 12th.
Here’s the official trailer for the festival: