Dylan O’Brien and director and co-star James Sweeney shine in this queer bromance comedy about two grieving twins. An ingenious, unpredictable, and hilarious crowd favourite from Sundance.

Equal parts darkly funny and melancholic, the less you know going into Sweeney’s slippery narrative the better. Roman (O’Brien, The Maze Runner) returns to his hometown for the funeral of his identical twin, Rocky. Rocky was extroverted, intelligent, gay, and adored by many – Roman’s exact opposite. Untethered from his other half, Roman finds support in the form of a twin bereavement group. It’s here that he sparks an instant connection with Dennis (Sweeney), who reminds him of his late brother. A friendship for the ages, the chemistry between Dennis and Roman has an almost too familial quality to it. Unlike anything before it, this duplicitous gem will have you gagging in your seat. No spoilers!

4th June 2025

Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter and Diego Calva star in this queer 1950s set drama about gamblers, runaways and dreamers. A steamy TIFF hit based on the acclaimed novel.

It’s the 1950s and Muriel (Edgar-Jones, Normal People) is just about ready to to swap Kansas for a new start in California with her beau, Lee (Poulter, Midsommar). But then Lee’s mysterious, charismatic brother, Julius (Elordi), appears on their doorstep. Never one to linger, Julius splits for Las Vegas as soon as he gets some cash together, but he leaves an indelible impression on Muriel. For her, it’s not so much an infatuation as an invitation to dream beyond the bounds of her mundane life. Julius, meanwhile, down on his luck, sparks a kinship with Henry (Calva, Babylon) while working at a casino. For both Julius and Muriel, pursuing their desires means cultivating a secret life, and possibly their own undoing. Based on Shannon Pufahl’s 2019 novel.

Where: Ritz Cinemas Randwick
Time: 8:30pm

Wednesday 4th June

Winner, Golden Bear, Berlinale 2025. Dag Johan Haugerud (Sex, SFF 2024) crafts a potent, nuanced examination of a teenage girl’s forbidden crush and the creative awakening it triggers.

Aged 17, Johanne (Ella Øverbye) has found her first true love. Unfortunately, it’s her high school teacher, Johanna (Selome Emnetu). The similarity of their names makes this crush feel like fate, but the teenager – not so naive – knows that this student-teacher fantasy should never come to pass. Seeking release from her obsession, she pours her feelings into writing. A confessional Johanne then shares her erotic journal with her mother (Ane Dahl Torp, Charter, SFF 2020) and grandma, a writer herself. Both declare it a literary masterpiece, and implore her to publish it – though it also ignites an ethical debate between them. Haugerud closes out his lauded thematic trilogy of standalone relationship studies with aplomb.

Where: Art gallery of NSW
Time: 7:15pm
Wednesday 4th June

Lesbian Space Princess – Premiere Party

Following the Australian Premiere of the fabulous inter-gay-lactic new animated comedy LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS, join members of the film team for an out-of-the-closet and out-of-this-world evening of themed cocktails, DJs, and more. Dressing up encouraged (and rewarded!).

Where: The Hub, Lower Town Hall
Time: 8pm
Thursday 5th June

With echoes of Call Me by Your Name, Robin Campillo’s (BPM) sun-drenched drama follows young, privileged Enzo, who becomes enamoured with his troubled Ukranian coworker. Opening Film, Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2025.

Growing up in a well-off family in the south of France, Enzo (Eloy Pohu) leaves school to work on a construction site. Ill-suited for manual labour, he nevertheless refuses when urged to pursue his talents as an artist instead. At the same time, he’s unsure of how to act on his growing attraction to his co-worker, Vlad (Maksym Slivinskyi), a Ukrainian migrant being pressured to return and join the war effort. Campillo, working with a screenplay and vision entrusted to him by the now sadly departed Laurent Cantet (2008 Cannes Palme d'Or The Class), gently depicts a complex transition to adulthood in a film sure to elicit comparisons to Call Me by Your Name. Enzo encapsulates the way in which normalcy – a career, a future, romance, desire – can seem impossible to contemplate in times of war.

Where: State Theatre
Time: 6:20pm
Sunday 8th June

Art, activism, voguing and queer Black excellence collide in this documentary about visionary Rashaad Newsome and his creation of a multi-sensory extravaganza. SXSW 2025.

Revered New York art space The Armory is set to be transformed with Assembly – Newsome’s most ambitious exhibition to date. We witness his immense preparations, from collaborating with international dancers who blend voguing and traditional dance, to travelling to Ghana, where he communes with ancestors. The result is an immersive Black queer utopia, uniting dancers, poets, musicians, and – the exhibition’s striking centrepiece – a non-binary AI named “Being”. Directed by Newsome and Johnny Symons, the film too resists easy categorisation, merging art, documentary, and activism. Paying tribute to Black trans women and voguing as global art form, Assembly – the project and the film – pulses with life, defiance, and joy.

Where: Event Cinemas George Street
Time: 6pm
Thursday 12th June