Fwends

A celebration of splendiferous messiness to open on Fwiday nights only, with special cast and crew Q&A screening at Melbourne’s Cinema Nova on 7 November 

Sophie Somerville’s award-winning debut directorial feature film Fwends is set to hit cinemas on Fwiday nights only throughout November from the 7th, with the city of Melbourne serving up the visual soundtrack for a raw and authentic movie that explores the messiness of real life for young adults – or anyone still figuring out how the world works and their place in it. 

 When Jessie’s estranged friend, Em (Emmanuelle Mattana), spontaneously arrives in Melbourne from Sydney, the duo embarks on a weekend together to distract themselves from their problems and an existential dread that haunts them both as they wrestle with their life choices. 

Jessie, aimless and burdened by a thinly veiled loneliness and a shameful secret, plays host to Em, a junior lawyer from Sydney who works relentlessly to pay her eye-watering rent, who arrives in Melbourne looking to escape the spectre of a recent sexual harassment incident at work. 

What starts as a casual catchup quickly transforms into a whirlwind weekend filled with adventure, raw emotion, and poignant revelations, brought to life by largely improvised performances that set the tone for a story that radiates rare sincerity. 

Lingering in the space between comfort and discomfort; between affection and distance, ‘Fwends’ captures a lonely, worried generation seeking meaning in a fast-paced, ever-changing landscape, whilst celebrating the power of friendship and serving as an ode to the splendiferous messiness of real life. 

Shot over ten intensive days with a “tiny” budget, Somerville says: “we made this film using what we had, the people we could find, the free locations we could shoot at, and the favours we could pull.” 

Turning constraints into creative opportunities thrust the city of Melbourne into the spotlight as the third character in a story about the search for connection amidst isolation and uncertainty. 

Winner of the Caligari Film Prize at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, the jury praised the film for encouraging audiences to, “go on a search: for the special in the simple, for the strengths in our weakness, for freedoms in the controlled,” through “a maelstrom of single-mindedness and disorientation, climate change and mental health, nihilism and clown costumes. And all within the space of an overnight visit.” 

“There is so much healing and catharsis to be found in just being honest about how scared, wounded, chaotic and funny we are,” says director Sophie Somerville. “My main intention in making Fwends was to find a way to show two real people, and the very real world, in all its splendiferous messiness. I think the mess is sort of beautiful.” 

Emmanuelle Mattana, who plays Em and who co-wrote the screenplay through her largely improvised performance, adds: “Working on Fwends felt like capturing lightning in a bottle. Sophie [Somerville] created this incredible space where we could be completely honest and vulnerable, and that authenticity just flows through every scene. It’s a film about how friendships can evolve and change but still hold so much love.” 

As a homage to Em and Jessie’s weekend reunion, Fwends will screen on Friday nights only throughout November, opening on November 7 at Melbourne’s iconic Nova with a special cast and crew Q&A screening, and at Sydney’s beloved Dendy Newtown, with more locations to be announced. 

Tickets are available now at cinemanova.com.au/films/fwends and newtown.dendy.com.au/movie/fwends 

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