Fresh from the Cannes Competition, Eddington, the latest from Hereditary and Midsommar director Ari Aster, will make its Australian premiere at the 72nd Sydney Film Festival.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler, the film is set in May 2020, as COVID spreads across the globe. Tensions erupt in the small town of Eddington, New Mexico, when Mayor and entrepreneur Ted Garcia (Pascal) goes head-to-head with Sheriff Joe Cross (Phoenix) over mask mandates. The disagreement quickly spirals into a mayoral race with far-reaching consequences.
“With Eddington, Ari Aster turns his razor-sharp gaze to the fractured heart of America — and perhaps the world,” says SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley. “It’s provocative, urgent and completely gripping. This is a compelling work that speaks to the chaos and contradictions of our times – and one that will spark passionate conversation. We are delighted to present its Australian Premiere at Sydney Film Festival and offer Sydneysiders the chance to be some of the very first people in the world outside of Cannes to see this incendiary film.”
The full Sydney Film Festival 2025 program is available now at sff.org.au. The festival runs from June 4–15th. Tickets and Flexipasses are on sale now via the website.
Phoenix, Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler star in Aster’s modern parable about a town divided by politics and public health policy.
Set during the early months of the pandemic, Eddington explores how a local dispute over face masks leads to broader social and political fallout. As Sheriff Cross enters the mayoral race, events take a darker turn. The film touches on several issues relevant to contemporary American life, including race, class, social media, technology and firearms.
Eddington is Aster’s first film since Beau Is Afraid, and debuted at Cannes last Friday, receiving a five-minute standing ovation, according to Variety.
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