Among the films announced are two documentaries: Journey Home, David Gulpilil, by Maggie Miles and Trisha Morton-Thomas, and the World Premieres of The Colleano Heart from director Pauline Clague, and visionary filmmaker Lynette Wallworth’s deeply moving Edge of Life.
There’s also buzz around Penny Lane Is Dead, the debut feature from writer/director Mia’Kate Russell, continuing Australia’s revival of the horror genre, led by a new wave of bold South Australian creatives, with the support of the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund (AFFIF).
Making its way home after success on the international stage is Fwends, a charming first feature and breakout indie favourite at film festivals across the globe, including Berlin, where it took out the prestigious Caligari Film Prize.
And from the international scene comes It Was Just An Accident, the powerful Palme d’Or winner from acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi – a striking new work from one of the world’s most courageous filmmakers.
Films to watch
Penny Lane Is Dead
Set in the sweltering summer of 1986, this nostalgic horror-thriller follows three best friends whose carefree beach getaway takes a dark turn when a prank goes terribly wrong. With an electric young Aussie cast – Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn, Bailey Spalding, Tahlee Fereday, Alex Jensen, Ben O’Toole, alongside Steve Le Marquand and Fletcher Humphrys – the film features a banging ‘80s soundtrack and marks the first project from Sanctuary Pictures, produced with Buffalo Media and Cyan Films.
The Colleano Heart
Directed by First Nations filmmaker Pauline Clague and produced by Kate Pappas, this intergenerational story traces the extraordinary rise of the Colleano circus family. Through the voice of their Aboriginal matriarch, we see how they defied racism and colonial oppression in early 20th century Australia to reach international stardom. In present day, flamboyant, octogenarian Molly O’Donnell meets Australian family historian Deb Hescott, whose DNA links her to Molly’s Colleano line. Together, they embark on a heartfelt journey to reclaim identity, reconnect with ancestry, and heal the wounds of the past.
Edge of Life
Visionary filmmaker Lynette Wallworth explores the final frontier of human experience – the moment between life and death. Co-written with Chief Tashka Yawanawa and produced by Jo-anne McGowan, the film weaves together stories from the Brazilian Amazon and Australia, focusing on doctors in Melbourne using psilocybin to support terminal patients. As Western medicine looks increasingly to ancient knowledge, Edge of Life asks what we might learn from the world’s oldest cultures about facing death with dignity and grace.
Journey Home, David Gulpilil
This deeply personal documentary by Maggie Miles and Trisha Morton-Thomas, with producers including Rachel Clements, Jida Gulpilil and Lloyd Garrawurra, tells the moving story of Australia’s most celebrated Indigenous actor. When David Dhalatnghu Gulpilil passed away far from his homeland, his family faced enormous obstacles to fulfil his wish to be buried where he belonged – over 4,500 kilometres away.
Fwends
A beautifully understated feature from director Sophie Somerville and producers Sarah Hegge-Taylor, Sophie Somerville, and Carter Looker, Fwends follows Em and Jessie, two old mates reconnecting for a weekend. Their conversations – honest, funny, raw – reflect a generation of resilient women navigating life with humour and heart. A delightfully intimate film that speaks to friendship, connection, and the small moments that matter most.
It Was Just An Accident
Directed by Jafar Panahi, this film has already made waves, winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2025. Though banned from filmmaking in his home country and having endured arrest and imprisonment, Panahi continues to create globally lauded cinema. In It Was Just An Accident, what begins with a minor incident spirals into a profound, often darkly comic exploration of consequence. The Guardian called it “another very impressive serio-comic film from one of the most distinctive and courageous figures in world cinema.”
