The 72nd Sydney Film Festival is back this June, opening with the Australian premiere of Together – the hotly-tipped debut feature from local filmmaker Michael Shanks.
The film, which made a buzzy debut at Sundance earlier this year, will kick off the Festival on Wednesday 4 June at the State Theatre, followed by a celebration at Sydney Town Hall.
Blending indie romance with a gory genre twist, Together stars real-life couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco as Millie and Tim – a pair of city-dwellers who trade urban life for the country, only to find their domestic bliss rapidly unravelling. A neighbour that’s a little too nice (played by Australian actor Damon Herriman), strange phenomena in their new surrounds, and a supernatural cave encounter escalate their story into uncharted territory. Think Marriage Story by way of The Descent, if the current buzz is anything to go by.
The story behind Together
‘This is a film that doesn’t just flirt with genre – it fully commits,’ said Festival Director Nashen Moodley. ‘Michael Shanks has delivered something wildly inventive: an Australian film with international pull, anchored by two absolutely fearless performances.’
Despite its high-profile US cast, Shanks is quick to credit the film’s local DNA: ‘This is an Australian production through and through,’ said the Melbourne-based writer-director.
‘We had an incredible local crew, an amazing post team, and Damon Herriman, who is just an absolute menace in the best way possible. Honestly, I got altitude sickness when we premiered at Sundance – I’m much happier having the Aussie premiere at sea level.’
The opening night slot positions Together as a festival tentpole, showcasing a new wave of Australian filmmaking. It also reflects an ongoing appetite for films that walk the tightrope between genre and character – something Shanks executes with “tonal wizardry”, according to early reviews.
Together dives deep into co-dependency and transformation – both emotional and physical – and has been heralded as a landmark entry in the ever-growing Australian body-horror canon.
The full Sydney Film Festival program will be revealed on Wednesday 7 May, but the first titles, including a retrospective on Iranian master Jafar Panahi, are already available at sff.org.au. We also covered the early program highlights here.
ScreenHub: Sydney Film Festival 2025: first films announced
Sydney Film Festival runs from 4–15 June 2025.
