From outrageous animation and genre-defining horror to poetic coming-of-age tales and restored cinematic landmarks, the 2025 Revelation Perth International Film Festival has announced its full program, running 2 – 13 July at Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and The Backlot.

Boasting a lineup of over 45 features and documentaries and more than 100 short films, this year’s program delves into diverse narratives, innovating storytelling and cinematic artistry, offering a platform for both established and emerging filmmakers and confirming Rev’s place as one of the most daring and diverse film festivals down under.

“As usual we’ve gone all the way in bringing the very best new and classic international cinema to WA audiences,” says Festival Director Richard Sowada.

“This year’s program features everything from sweaty punk realism and psychedelic cult journeys to iconic restorations to animations exploding with colour and power and some of the most acclaimed films direct from the international festival scene. Its global conversation told through the language of film.”

Feature films range from deeply intimate stories to genre-bending visual spectacles. A standout in this year’s lineup, Eddington – a contemporary Western black comedy from director Ari Aster – arrives fresh from Cannes. Set in fictional Eddington, New Mexico, during the CV19 pandemic, the film explores themes of political polarization, misinformation and societal unrest, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler.

Another poignant highlight of this year’s program, Mr Burton is a British biographical drama delving into the formative years of Welsh actor Richard Burton, starring Harry Lawtey and Toby Jones.

The directorial debut of Ariane Labed, known for her roles in The Lobster and The Souvenir: Part II, and adapted from Daisy Johnson’s novel Sisters, September Says, delves into the complex and unsettling bond between two sisters grappling with isolation and psychological tension, the narrative unfolds with surreal and gothic undertones that have drawn comparisons to the works of Shirley Jackson and Stephen King.

Science fiction comedy U Are The Universe, which tells the story of Andriy Melnyk, a space trucker who becomes the last human in the universe after Earth’s unexpected explosion.

The Norwegian animated musical comedy Spermageddon which follows two sperm, Simen and Cumilla, on their journey to fertilize an egg. The film is an audacious exploration of sexual consent, safe sex practices and reproductive rights.

A post-apocalyptic musical drama directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, The End, which is set in an underground bunker two decades after the world’s end and follows a wealthy family whose daily life is disrupted by the mysterious appearance of a young woman.

The Last First Time, a coming-of-age film about 18-year-old from a small town in Mexico experiencing love and self-discovery during a trip to Guadalajara which offers a candid portrayal of queer desire and the complexities of identity.

Genre-bending horror Pater Noster and the Mission of the Light follows a young record store clerk who discovers a rare vinyl LP and is drawn into the world of a 1970s hippie commune; visually striking and emotionally charged Scarlet Blue follows a woman grappling with depression and schizophrenia who undergoes mystical hypnosis to uncover repressed memories and Aussie indie-punk film from Western Australian director Richard Eames, Skeleton Girls. A Kidnapped Society, gives a modern and unflinching examination of modern society’s fractures.

Rev marks the 40^th anniversary of award-winning Fran, starring Noni Hazlehurst as the titular heroine, and brings the 1988 feature film Shame starring Deborra-Lee Furness back to the big screen, both titles originally filmed in Western Australia.

As always, Rev presents a compelling documentary program, rich with diverse voices, and poignant themes. From intimate personal journeys to wide-reaching cultural inquiries, these films explore the many facets of our world – past, present, and speculative.

Gender, identity, and resilience shine through in S/He Is Still Her/E, a powerful and creative meditation on the life of artist, musician, painter, magician and occult experimenter Genesis P-Orridge, followed by WA-made School Of Hard Knocks, which tells the story of Mana The Polynesian Warrior’s career and life. Family and emotional legacies are explored in Separated, a hard-hitting documentary about the southern border policy under the first Trump presidency, a dark chapter in American history which saw children taken from their parents and caged.

For those seeking the avant-garde, the Experimental showcase pushes form and convention to their limits, featuring works that challenge how we perceive image, sound, and narrative. The Horror and Sci-Fi line-ups plunge into the realms of fear and imagination, delivering everything from tight psychological thrillers to cosmic journeys through space and time. Meanwhile, Short Docs offer powerful real-world snapshots—personal, political, and often poetic.

Revelation’s commitment to platforming local stories is stronger than ever, with Western Australian content threaded throughout the program and spotlighted in signature events like The Great Kimberley Wilderness VR Audio Experience at the WA Museum, Westralia Day, Get Your Shorts On! and the City of Vincent Film Project – a collaboration that nurtures and celebrates emerging filmmakers. First Nations voices take centre stage in a dedicated First Nations showcase – honouring storytelling traditions and contemporary experiences through a wide array of compelling lenses. And Wimmin’s Work, a new collection of audio, audio-visual and photographic stories documenting Western Australian women, by early career and re-emerging female creatives, captures the historical and contemporary experiences of women living and working in WA as part of a paid content and mentoring opportunity in partnership with Women in Media WA, and thanks to the support of the Department of Communities Women’s Grants for a Stronger Future.

Families and animation lovers can look forward to the return of the International Family Animation Explosion, a vibrant collection of animated shorts from around the globe designed to delight audiences of all ages with whimsy, colour, and unexpected emotional depth. Lovingly created by the team behind the Melbourne International Film Festival and screening at the State Library of WA, the International Family Animation Explosion sessions are completely free.

Whether you’re drawn to deeply personal storytelling, groundbreaking form, local gems or international visions, the short film program at Revelation offers a rich and rewarding entry point into the future of film. Each session is a testament to the power of the short form – and a reminder that some of the biggest ideas come in the smallest packages.

Here’s your complete list of Australian films screening at this year’s Revelation Film Festival:

FEATURES

A Grand Mockery
Lesbian Space Princess
Skeleton Girls. A Kidnapped Society
Shame (1988)
Fran (40th Anniversary Screening)

DOCUMENTARIES

Abebe Butterfly Song
School of Hard Knocks
Stelarc: Suspending Disbelief
Whoopee Blues

SHORT FILMS

Companion Shorts

Passion Pop (with Micro Budget)
Pineapple – prior to Lesbian Space Princess
Parkland – prior to September Says
Stranded – prior to U Are The Universe
Connies – prior to The Extraordinary Miss Flower
End Pointe – prior to The End
A Daydream with Fini – prior to Blue Road
Bluebird – prior to Pater Noster and the Mission of Light
Set Menu – prior to Spermageddon
Chokeberries – prior to Scarlet Blue
Emile is Missing – prior to Zodiac Killer
Ferryman – prior to Transcending Dimensions
Pleasure – prior to The Last First Time
Ratbags – prior to Smell of Burnt Milk
The Water of the Womb – prior to Velvet
Smokescreen – prior to Mr Burton

City of Vincent / Get Your Shorts On

Third Space
Vincent Fediterranean
Sweet Oblivion
Without White Clovers
Milktooth
A Sequel to Mercury’s Pain

The Stories We Tell Showcase

Interview
Fray
Mango Seed
Sundowners
Goofy Sexy

Places and People

Creatures
A Long Drive
BŐR
Tough Love

SCI FI

Listen Then Repeat
Accoladia
Light Can’t Escape
Mysteries of the Inky Rocks
Ouroboros

Westralia Day 

Sometimes I Get These Feelings I Don’t Know What To Do With
Hopscotch
Passing Signals
Bingo
The Skeleton Tree

Horror

The Eaters
The Full-Time Love Rat
An Artist’s Curse
The Glow
The Fling

Experimental

Machine Learning
Instagram Auto Surgery
Carnival
Red Earth
Hauntation
Chimeras

Short Docs

Breaking Plates
Chookas
Beyond Measure
Kennel
Hanna: A Faerie Tale
Chrysalis

First Nations

Ngarridurnde Ng Kured
Wademup Wirin Bidi
Anangu Way
Re-Imagining Our Future: Birthing
Boodjarra

Wimmin’s Work

Barbara: The Freo Feminist
My Mother, The Trailblazer
Sacrifices For A Better Life
Navigating a Man’s World
Working Fifo
The Art and Science of the Tingles
Queen of Canning River
The Juggler of Many Roles
Pink Rabbit

Revelation Film Festival runs from 2 – 13 July. Explore the full 2025 Revelation Film Festival program here.