Back in May, Elle Fanning rocked up in a ‘Joachim Trier Summer’ white tee for Cannes: a nod to Charli XCX’s Coachella outro and The Worst Person in the World (2021) director’s return to the silver screen with Sentimental Value. We also saw the iconic snowy terrains of Park City present Sundance’s fresh slate of films at the start of the year, which, despite its polarising wave of reviews from critics and locals, unearthed gems like Eva Victor’s directorial debut Sorry, Baby and the fever dream that is Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The Berlin International Film Festival, affectionately known as Berlinale, came and went, with closer to home Sydney boasting a stacked festival lineup earlier this June.

But anyone caught up with this year’s festival circuit (or if you’re simply a local keen to watch something new), fear not. With August on the horizon, we can soon get a taste of films from both new and beloved auteurs and score exclusive events ourselves—much like movie lovers on the other side of the world who seemingly get everything—thanks to the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF)’s dutiful return.

We’ve seen the exciting, yet very overwhelming, program promising 275 titles to discover—so here’s a list of 20 films and special events we’re particularly eager to see. Cinema is back, baby.

Directorial Debuts Ahead

This year’s leading actors step behind a camera for the first time to tell stories not only most personal to them, but of a distinct colour and sensitivity. Straight from Cannes’ Un Certain Regard competition, Triangle of Sadness and Babygirl star Harris Dickinson’s Urchin—a pragmatic character study of a rough sleeper tempted by his addiction—makes its way to Australian shores, vying for MIFF’s prestigious Bright Horizons prize. On a similarly exciting note, Kristen Stewart returns to MIFF not as an actor, but as a director, with The Chronology of Water, a true-to-life portrayal of a defiant female swimmer who finds her footing in a creative writing class. It’s not MIFF without the chance to discover fresh voices in filmmaking. Eva Victor self-stars, writes, and directs Sundance hit Sorry, Baby: a funny, yet bittersweet depiction of the enduring aftermath of a particularly traumatic event. Another one we’re particularly rooting for is Shih-Ching Tsou’s headlining Left-Handed Girl, a striking tapestry of Taipei ideology navigated by a single mother and her two young daughters. It’s a picture backed by Sean Baker (Anora, The Florida Project) himself, having co-written and edited Tsou’s vision. 

Fresh Off the French Riviera

With Cannes undoubtedly the crown jewel of cinema, this year boasts over 50 titles straight from France, allowing locals to play critic and get a taste of this year’s best. At the very least, we get to see Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winning It Was Just An Accident, a razor-sharp political thriller inspired by Panahi’s defiance of the Iranian government and his own stints of imprisonment from so—the film marking his first project after his release. Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent is completely resonant as a gripping portrayal of the Brazilian dictatorship in 1977. It not only took home Best Actor and Best Director in Cannes’ main competition, but also the International Critic’s Prize (FIPRESCI), so rest assured you’re in great company. On another note, a film that quietly made its way on most audiences’ list is Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling, a disembodied portrait of girlhood woven by intergenerational trauma. For a more personal Cannes pick: Chie Hayakawa’s Renoir follows an 11-year-old with more answers than questions, as she dives into her own fantastical realm to cope with her father’s terminal illness and mother’s high-pressure life.

A Familiar Face

Sometimes, a familiar face is all you need before diving into the unknown, and this year’s lineup has plenty of those we know best. MIFF kicks off with Mary Bronstein’s manic provocation of motherhood, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You which features Rosie Byrne, who also took home Berlinale’s Best Leading Performance for the film. It’s tonally harsh and an anxious-filled ride, only fueled up by the unexpected ensemble of the likes of Conan O’Brien and A$AP Rocky. And if we’re talking O’Briens, we can’t exclude Dylan, who leaves behind his dystopian franchise front to take on a trauma-bonded bromance in James Sweeney’s dramedy Twinless, where the two men meet in a twin bereavement support group. Meanwhile, to bring Broadway legends Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, and their embitterment fallout to life, Richard Linklater (Before Sunrise trilogy, Dazed and Confused) taps Ethan Hawke, Andrew Scott and Margaret Qualley for Blue Moon. And for those whose personality in 2024 revolved around Challengers (2024), Josh O’Connor has two indie appearances in this festival run—both as an art thief in Kelly Reichardt’s heist film The Mastermind and a rancher in Max Walker-Silverman’s drama Rebuilding.

Local and International Gems

We struck gold with the never-ending program of local and international titles. Nick Clifford’s One More Shot knows that while we aren’t sick of time-loop films just yet, it's a matter of time until the commonly regurgitated genre becomes quite stale. So, the Australian production takes it up a notch: the film takes place during New Years Eve of 1999, and each drink from the bottle of tequila after midnight makes you travel back in time. Birthed from South Australia and lauded all the way in Berlinale is Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs’ sapphic sci-fi Lesbian Space Princess. The animated indie flick is vivid and full of life—and a much-needed fun time in our current landscape. Some of the names lending their voice to the satiric rom-com odyssey includes The Pitt star Shabana Azeez and Heartbreak High lead Gemma Chua-Tran. We also see renowned Filipino-Australian photographer James J. Robinson trade Condé Nast bylines for a world premiere of their directorial debut First Light, where a nun’s faith is implicated after unearthing a criminal conspiracy. A Tokyo school transforms into a hunting ground as an all-seeing facial-recognition surveillance system is staged over its students, Neo Sora’s Happyend is an introspective coming-of-age set in a backdrop of dystopian futures and Orwellian realities.

Order a MIFF Special

Anyone looking to elevate a movie theatre experience knows a live orchestra performing the score takes the cake. MIFF invites the iconic Jung Jae-il (Parasite, Squid Game) to conduct and perform his composition for Parasite (2019) as the film plays on the big screen. Plus, director of Paul Mescal-starring Aftersun (2022), Charlotte Wells and Jimpa (2025)’s Sophie Hyde discuss their approaches to filmmaking for the In Conversation strand. Not only that, the scope of discovery isn’t only limited to new films this festival season, as the program proudly presents 4K restorations of classic films—specifically highlighting the work of the reverent Chantal Akerman in Traces. We’re especially excited to see Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles back on the big screens.

The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is set to run from 7 August to 24 August 2025 across Metropolitan and regional venues. Browse through the program here.