[Sydney] Sydney Film Festival Announces Family Films and Screenability Program
The 72nd Sydney Film Festival (4–15 June) today announces the 2025 Screenability program, showcasing six films by filmmakers living with disability, along with two feature films in the Family program, including the Australian Premiere of the live-action How to Train Your Dragon.
“Our Screenability program is a vital part of Sydney Film Festival’s commitment to making the Festival accessible and inviting - to both filmmakers and audiences. Fantastically entertaining films giving insight into the lives of people living with Disability, made by people living with Disability,” said SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley. “Our Family program exists because we all remember those formative cinema experiences that turned us into lifelong film fans, and we want kids to have that experience at SFF.”
FAMILY FILMS
Bring the whole family to Sydney Film Festival for an unforgettable big-screen adventure, with two new family features.
The magic of dragons returns in How to Train Your Dragon, a live-action reimagining of the beloved animation. On the island of Berk, young Viking Hiccup (Mason Thames, The Black Phone) defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Directed by three-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globe-winner Dean DeBlois (Lilo & Stitch), with cutting-edge visual effects and an all-star cast including Gerard Butler, this soaring tale of friendship, courage and destiny is a big screen family crowd-pleaser.
Adding a spooky twist to the family fun is Night of the Zoopocalypse, a wildly entertaining, kid-friendly zombie comedy. When a meteor crash turns the animals of Colepepper Zoo into zombies, a grumpy mountain lion (voiced by David Harbour, Stranger Things) and a feisty wolf (Gabbi Kosmidis) must team up to escape the chaos. Executive produced by horror legend Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Candyman), this colourful and hilarious animated adventure introduces younger viewers to the spooky delights of the horror genre.
SCREENABILITY
Sydney Film Festival proudly presents its Screenability program for a ninth consecutive year – showcasing a vibrant line-up of films created by filmmakers living with disability.
Curated by Screenability Programmer Rebecca McCormack, this year’s program features six titles, including three feature films and three Australian shorts.
The selection includes Life After, a Special Jury Award winner at Sundance by Reid Davenport (SFF 2022’s I Didn’t See You There), which investigates the tangled ethics of assisted dying through the story of Elizabeth Bouvia, a disabled woman who sparked a national debate on autonomy and the value of disabled lives. Also featured is Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, a powerful documentary directed by Shoshannah Stern that reflects on the life, career and advocacy work of the Academy Award-winning actor. Racewalkers, winner of the Slamdance Grand Jury Prize, brings a heartfelt twist to the classic sports buddy comedy, following an unlikely coach-athlete duo united by ambition and resilience.
Three Australian short films also feature in the program: Where the World is Quiet, in which Australian of the Year Grace Tame shares a personal reflection on autism and finding solace through long-distance running; Dark Matter, Leo Berkeley’s observational essay on living with multiple sclerosis; and With Love, Lottie, a charming exploration of a disabled teenager’s search for love.
Rebecca McCormack said, “Screenability continues to celebrate the voices of filmmakers living with Disability, offering vital perspectives and fresh storytelling that challenge, move, and inspire. This year’s line-up brings together award-winning international features and home-grown shorts that showcase a rich diversity of experience and creativity.”
The full Sydney Film Festival program is announced on Wednesday 7 May 2025. The first titles from Sydney Film Festival’s 2025 program alongside the Opening Night Gala screening and Jafar Panahi Retrospective strand can be found online at sff.org.au.
Flexipasses and Subscriptions to Sydney Film Festival 2025 are on sale now. Call 1300 733 733 or visit sff.org.au for more information.
For more information, visit sff.org.au.
FILM INFORMATION
FAMILY FILMS
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
A stunning live-action reimagining of the beloved animation, with plenty of frolics, flying, and fire-breathing dragons on show. A definite big screen family crowd-pleaser.
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames, The Black Phone), the inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. As an ancient threat emerges, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Cutting-edge visual effects and sterling direction from three-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globe-winner Dean DeBlois (Lilo & Stitch) bring the epic adventures of Hiccup and Toothless to life as they discover the true meaning of friendship, courage and destiny.
NIGHT OF THE ZOOPOCALYPSE
An action-packed slice of spooks and laughs about a (kid-friendly) zombie animal uprising in a zoo, featuring a fabulous voice performance from David Harbour (Stranger Things).
When a chunk of meteor slams into the mountain lion exhibit at Colepepper Zoo one fateful night, a virus is unleashed, with the infected animals becoming zombies. Dan the grumpy Mountain Lion (Harbour) and Gracie the wolf (Gabbi Kosmidis) reluctantly team up in an attempt to stay one step ahead of the wonderfully CG-animated fiasco – but as more animals become infected, their chances of escape diminish. Based on a concept from writer and horror icon Clive Barker (originator of the Hellraiser and Candyman series), who also serves as the film’s executive producer, Night of the Zoopocalypse is a colourful, thrilling romp that will introduce younger viewers to the spooky and silly delights of the horror genre.