Yet another film festival has begun, this time the Mardi Gras Film Festival 2025. It started in Sydney cinemas on Thursday 13 February and runs until 27 February. Among the lineup are several French language films to choose from. A number of the films will also be available to watch on demand (but we will cover that in a separate article). Read on to find out more about the in cinema films showing at Mardi Gras Film Festival 2025.
FRENCH LANGUAGE FEATURES AT MARDI GRAS FILM FESTIVAL 2025
22 & 26 February
COUNTRY: France
LANGUAGE: French
Nominated for the Queer Palm at Cannes, this suspenseful French drama is about the importance of connection, in both the digital and physical world.
Young drug dealer Pablo (Théo Cholbi) and sister Apolline’s (Lila Gueneau) world begins to crumble when they discover their favourite online video game, Darknoon, is shutting down at Christmas. While Apolline grows increasingly obsessed, Pablo falls into a secret relationship with sexy stranger Night (Erwan Kepoa Falé, Passages) as the pair are drawn into a dangerous conflict with a rival gang. Contrasting the escapist nature of MMORPGs against its characters’ gritty lives, Eat the Night explores the finite nature of life in this visually distinct, intense thriller.
Foreign Language (Langue étrangère)
17 February, Event Cinemas, George Street
COUNTRIES : France, Germany, Belgium
LANGUAGES : French, German
Two 17 year olds must grapple with how to understand themselves and each other, in this bittersweet coming-of-age romance from Camera d’Or winner Claire Burger.
Withdrawn French teen Fanny goes on foreign exchange to stay with her larger-than-life German pen pal Lena and her single mother (Nina Hoss; Tár, MGFF23). Though Fanny understands German, the language difference proves a major barrier in preventing the two from hitting it off. But Lena’s confidence and outspoken political activism quickly enthrals the shy Lena, as the pair are drawn into a boundary-testing friendship that may just lead to something more.
Queens of Drama (Les reines du drame)
18 February, Dendy Cinemas Newtown
COUNTRIES: France, Belgium
LANGUAGE: French
A satirical ode to pop divas and the entitlement of their most ardent gay fans, Queens of Drama is a camp musical cult classic in the making.
Sparks fly when straitlaced ingénue Mimi Madamour competes with out punk rocker Billie Kohler on an early 2000s reality TV singing competition. When Mimi achieves mainstream success but Billie doesn’t, it ignites a decades-spanning romance turned rivalry – as told by a nostalgic gay vlogger in 2055. Featuring songs about everything from attractive muscular women to the joys of fisting, and drawing inspiration from tabloid fodder about icons like Madonna, Britney and Mariah, Alexis Langlois (The Demons of Dorothy, Queer Scream Shorts, MGFF23) has crafted a genuinely unique, queer fantasia with its tongue firmly in cheek.
Somewhere in Love (Une vie rêvée)
27 February, Event Cinemas, George Street
COUNTRY: France
LANGUAGE: French
A touching film about finding oneself in the most unlikely of places, Somewhere in Love is a celebration of everyday love and family in its many forms.
In a tiny Parisian council flat, fifty-something single mother Nicole (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi; The Divide, MGFF22) and teenage son Serge’s (Félix Lefebvre; Summer of 85, QSFF21) relationship fractures as financial pressures mount before Christmas. While the distance grows between them, her own horizons are broadened in the form of the beguiling Nora (Lubna Azabal; The Blue Caftan, MGFF23). Will time apart repair their strained mother-son bond? Somewhere in Love is a charming comedic drama about opening yourself to the world and showing up for the ones you love.
To Live, to Die, to Live Again (Vivre, mourir, renaître)
23 February, Event Cinemas, George Street
COUNTRY: France
LANGUAGE: French
An unorthodox love triangle unfolds under the shadow of the AIDS epidemic, in this moving French melodrama about the power of found family.
In 1990s Paris, married couple Sammy and Emma move into an apartment above reclusive HIV+ Cyril’s photography studio. Celibate since his diagnosis, Cyril tries to resist the undeniable pull between him and Sammy. As they succumb to temptation, Emma simultaneously befriends Cyril and the three form an unconventional makeshift family. When Sammy’s diagnosed with HIV, Emma must decide whether to look past their lies to support the man both she and Cyril love.
MULTILINGUAL FEATURES
Drive Back Home (IN CINEMA & ON DEMAND)
20 February, Event Cinemas, George Street, SYDNEY
COUNTRY: Canada
LANGUAGES: English and French
Drive Back Home is a darkly funny road movie showcasing the distance that can grow between two brothers amidst the vastness of the Canadian countryside.
In 1970s Toronto, Perley (festival favourite Alan Cumming) is arrested for having sex with a man in a park. His estranged brother Weldon (Charlie Creed-Miles, The Fifth Element) is called on to bail him out. With only each other for company, the quirky Perley, his stoic brother and a taxidermied pug are trapped in a car together as they drive cross country back to small town Stanley. Inspired by a true story, this heartfelt film is about reckoning with the past and learning to forgive.
25 February, Event Cinemas, George Street
COUNTRIES: UK, Finland, Belgium
LANGUAGES: English and French
An aspiring London author begins a double life as a sex worker, in Mikko Mäkelä’s provocative follow-up to A Moment in the Reeds (MGFF18).
Adopting the pseudonym “Sebastian”, 25 year-old Max (Ruaridh Mollica) begins doing sex work to research his debut novel. Using his experiences to fuel his writing, Max’s alter ego allows him to explore a world of uninhibited sexual encounters with older men. But as the lines between his two identities blur, Max must decide whether his loyalty is to his client’s confidentiality or his career, in this sexually charged, empathetic drama.
Join in a Q&A with writer-director Mikko Mäkelä and producer James Watson after the film.
OPENING NIGHT FILM + SESSION ON 23 FEBRUARY AT EVENT CINEMAS, GEORGE STREET
COUNTRY: Belgium, Netherlands
LANGUAGES: Dutch and French
For lovers of Heartstopper, the award-winning Young Hearts is a joyful coming-of-age tale of love and acceptance that will envelop you like a warm hug.
In a small rural Belgian town, 14-year-old Elias feels an immediate attraction towards his new neighbour, Alexander. Unsure how to navigate these burgeoning feelings, and afraid of what others might think, he pushes Alexander away. However, Alexander’s confidence and self-assurance may just help Elias realise that being himself is a very powerful thing. Featuring a loving and supportive family, this crowd-pleasing debut sincerely captures the sort of youthful acceptance so many craved – and one that the next generation deserves.
SHORT FILMS AT MARDI GRAS FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Friend of a Friend (Ami d’un ami)
SCREENS IN THE BI+ SHORTS SESSION
COUNRTY: Canada
LANGUAGE: French
Jules is bi. Bi as in bisexual. Bi, even though he’s only slept with women. Bi and ready to try his first experience with Samuel – a friend of a friend.
SCREENS IN THE LIGHT HEARTED SHORTS SESSION
COUNTRY: Canada
LANGUAGES: English & French
Non-binary people-pleaser Rhys drags their two partners along to a work event, where the trans throuple are confronted with the horrors of a straight couple’s gender reveal party.
Boys in the Water (Les garçons dans l’eau)
SCREENS IN THE T4T SHORTS SESSION
COUNTRY: France
LANGUAGE: French
On a weekend retreat to his grandparents’ beachside house with some friends, his first time back in his childhood home since coming out, Oscar’s unexpected attraction when he encounters another trans man on the beach will turn his world on its head.
SCREENS IN THE WOMEN LOVING WOMEN SHORTS SESSION
COUNTRY: USA
LANGUAGES: English and French
When Clara and Lea escape the daily grind for a short vacation together, the events of one fateful night challenge the meaning of their friendship.
KEY INFO FOR MARDI GRAS FILM FESTIVAL 2025
WHAT: Mardi Gras Film Festival 2025
WHERE: cinemas and other locations (such as the Bank Hotel, Newtown) in Sydney and via streaming
WHEN: In cinemas and other venues in Sydney 13 – 27 February 2025
(The On Demand program will be available Australia-wide from 28 February to 10 March 2025)
HOW MUCH: In cinema sessions of the short films are $12
Festival Film Only Tickets
$24 Full
$21 Concession
$20 Queer Screen Member
Festival Flexi Passes: Enjoy Movies For Less In Cinema + On Demand!
These passes can be used for both in cinema and on demand sessions.
Flexi Pass 5 – $99
Member Flexi Pass 5 – $79
Flexi Pass 10 – $190
Member Flexi Pass 10 – $155
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Want more French cinema? Check out these articles
Europa Europa Film Festival 2025 starts tomorrow and there are plenty of French films in the line-up
The exciting Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025 program of 42 films has been released
My French Film Festival 2025 is here and available to stream worldwide!
