SXSW Sydney has announced its 2025 Screen Festival headliners, led by the Australian premiere of Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere starring Jeremy Allen White, set to open the festival on Monday 13 October.
Directed by Scott Cooper, the biopic delves into the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 album *Nebraska*, exploring the artist’s battles with depression, creative process, and familial tensions. The screening takes place at the Seymour Centre and kicks off a six-day festival running from 13–19 October across Sydney.
Among other headline titles is Universal Pictures and Blumhouse’s Black Phone 2, with Ethan Hawke reprising his chilling role as the Grabber. The film screens Tuesday 14 October, also at the Seymour Centre.
Sydney audiences will also see the local premiere of Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie (15 October), a time-travelling comedy from Canadian creators Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol, the continuation to their cult classic TV show, fresh from its SXSW world premiere in Austin.
Other major inclusions on the program include:
• Die My Love (16 October), directed by Lynne Ramsay, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson and Nick Nolte, following a young mother’s descent into madness in rural Montana.
• Bugonia (17 October), a dark sci-fi comedy by Yorgos Lanthimos featuring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, centred on a conspiracy-driven kidnapping plot.
• If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (18 October), directed by Mary Bronstein and starring Rose Byrne in a dramatic turn as a mother grappling with family trauma and mental health.
All films are accessible to Platinum Pass, Pro Pass, or Screen Wristband holders, offering unlimited access to festival screenings. Individual Rush Tickets for headliner and featured sessions are also now available via the SXSW Sydney website.
SXSW Sydney is produced by TEG with support from Destination NSW. The event, returning for its second year, integrates film, tech, music and games across more than 1,600 sessions throughout the week.
SXSW Sydney 2025 will take place from 13–19 October across venues in Sydney.