Capital Film Festival: five days of the best local and international cinema, plus all the fun extras

Posted on 15 October, 2025

Canberra’s premier film fest is back for its third year, promising ACT premieres, international award-winning features, outstanding shorts, Q&A sessions and industry events.

Taking place at Dendy Cinemas, the Capital Film Festival’s vibrant five-day program of will run from October 29 to November 2, kicking off its Opening Night Gala with Prime Minister, the intimate and rousing documentary portrait of New Zealand’s former prime minister Jacinda Ardern, and will close with the funny and moving comedy-drama Rental Family starring Brendan Fraser.

In between will be a slew of thought-provoking, awe-inspiring, challenging and emotionally-charged productions including Cannes Film Festival award winners It Was Just an Accident, Sirat, The Secret Agent, The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo and The President’s Cake, plus Rose Byrne’s Berlinale award-winning performance in If I Had Leg’s I’d Kick You, which is proudly sponsored by event partner HerCanberra!

There will also be Sundance Jury award winners DJ Ahmet and Cactus Pear as well as festival favourites including My Father’s Shadow and Nouvelle Vague, Richard Linklater’s ode to Godard’s Breathless – a 4K restoration of which will also screen at the festival.

Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless and the homage Nouvelle Vague (main image) will both screen.

International documentaries Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk and Mistress Dispeller screen alongside local talent with the audience favourite Songs Inside and The Colleano Heart, both of which will have Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.

Canberran-made horror Snatchers will also have its ACT premiere at the festival and be followed by a Q&A session with local cast and crew.

An ACT cast and crew of Snatchers

According to Capital Film Festival Director Karina Libbey it had been a joy to put the program together “to think how our audiences will run a gamut of emotions, be challenged, inspired and

transported over these five days. From top prize-winning titles from around the world, to insightful documentaries, and even a Canberra-made horror, it’s a feast that I hope Canberrans will come and devour.”

Songs Inside

Karina also noted that alongside the films, there would be parties, Q&As with visiting filmmakers and an industry panel to really bring the festival to life.

The 2025 Capital Film Festival is proudly supported by Screen Canberra, Australian Film, Television and Radio School, Moppity Vineyards, Ambrosia Distillery, Queensland Investment Corporation and HerCanberra.

Tickets and festival passes are on sale now to bring both existing festival-lovers and new audiences together in a celebration of the magic of the big screen only at Dendy Cinemas.