In 1960, a young Irish author named Edna O’Brien wrote a sexually frank debut novel called The Country Girls. An international literary sensation, her success and notoriety enraged her writer husband and made her a pariah in Ireland, where her books were banned. Undaunted, she would move to London, where she conducted numerous love affairs, hosted star-studded parties, and made and lost a fortune. In July 2024, O’Brien passed away. This film provides a final testimony from her, aged 93, as she reflects upon her extraordinary life for filmmaker Sinéad O’Shea. Granting the director access to her personal journals, read aloud in the film by Oscar-winning Irish actor Jessie Buckley, and with additional perspectives offered from Gabriel Byrne, Walter Mosley, and other renowned artists, O’Brien does not shy away from any subject.

World-renowned clowns Haide and Toomas, better known as Piip and Tuut, have brought joy and laughter to families across the globe for over two decades. But what lies behind the face paint is a different story. While entertaining thousands abroad, their own children have been growing up at home without them. Their oldest daughter Emma dreams of following in her parents’ footsteps, but having to care for her autistic brother and younger sister has forced her to grow up fast. Meanwhile, Haide and Toomas grapple with guilt, exhaustion, and the toll of trying to give their all on stage and at home. How can they secure a future for their children, keep their theatre running, and do it all together?

Invincibles is a moving sports drama inspired by true stories from the 2019 World Para Ice Hockey Championships in Ostrava. The film follows three men—an advertising agent, a retiring coach, and a floorball player—whose lives intersect as they struggle with personal loss, life- changing challenges, and the search for new beginnings. Through sport, friendship, and solidarity, they discover that even after the hardest setbacks it is possible to rebuild one’s life and find hope again. Director Dan Pánek combines heartfelt emotion and humour to create an uplifting tale of determination and second chances, featuring outstanding performances by an exceptional ensemble cast.

1992, the South of France. In their final year of high school, Charlotte (Léna Garrel) and Liza (Louiza Aura) are inseparable friends, dreaming of moving to Paris and conquering the capital with the songs they compose (Charlotte on keyboards; Liza, vocals). They also have the usual teenage problems with their parents and with their love lives (Liza has a crush on her gym teacher; Charlotte prefers girls). All is manageable enough until a tragedy befalls Liza. In the midst of her already considerable emotional turmoil, will Charlotte recover from this devastating change? Will she find her friend again in the world of dreams? And can Charlotte realize their Parisian musical dreams alone? A moving drama about friendship, love, and loss.

Anastasia and her husband Chavdar want to help their daughter Betty, who is struggling after suffering multiple miscarriages. When Chavdar pays for an IVF treatment, 55-year-old Anastasia decides that she will carry the embryo to term herself, unleashing a chaotic clash of family dynamics, ethics, and even the law. Whose child is this, anyway? The latest from Zornitsa Sophia, the talented director of Mother (shown at EUFF 2023), this unique comedy- family drama is based on an “inconceivable” but true story of a Bulgarian family in 2017.

Dražen is a compelling biopic about Dražen Petrović, the celebrated basketball player who led the Croatian national team to the gold medal final in the 1992 Olympic Games against the powerhouse USA “Dream Team.” During his storied career, Petrović played for various European and NBA teams. Directed by Danilo Šerbedžija (Tereza37, EUFF 2022), the film highlights the athlete’s troubled personal life off the court as well as his unique, rebellious character, emphasizing his deep, complex relationship with basketball—a sport that was both his greatest passion and his curse. It also examines how his brash, flashy style clashed with the times, a period when Croatia was caught up in the collapse of Yugoslavia during the early 1990s.

The myriad faces of Portugal inspire a suitably mosaic—and musical—portrait of the country in this ambitious new film from Vicente Alves do Ó. In the prelude to the Carnation Revolution, two men—one fleeing his homeland, the other helping him escape—open up about their lives and struggles. Across 13 song-anchored stories (each derived from a different musical lineage), a prismatic chronicle of Portuguese history and its people emerges, from war-fleeing students to frontline soldiers, factory workers to cultural intellectuals, prisoners to PIDE agents, reactionaries to revolutionaries. Featuring a cast of some fifty characters, The Portuguese is a hymn, sung in many voices, to the achievements, challenges, and perseverance of a nation.

Lisa Langseth was a reliable presence at film festivals in the 2010s beginning with her debut Pure, the star-making breakthrough for actor Alicia Vikander. After a detour directing the series Love & Anarchy for Netflix, Langseth has returned to theatrical features with the social- critique comedy The Dance Club. Johannes (Nils Wetterholm) is a psych student mortified by the automated prescription-as-solution approach to mental health in Sweden. In a move roundly mocked by his colleagues, he starts a dance program to restore a sense of embodied self for his clients, and in the process attracts the interest of Rakel (Alva Bratt). Bratt, who first made a mark in A Part of You (in which Bratt plays the best friend of pop icon Zara Larsson’s character), nearly steals the show away from the film’s ensemble.

Guti (Blaž Šef), a downwardly mobile divorcé, and Sig (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), an amnesiac tourist, wake up hung over and handcuffed together in this heartwarmingly absurd buddy comedy. What happened last night for the duo? Are they victims of a drinking game? Caught up in a criminal conspiracy? Either way, they start planning—to build a new home (a river raft), float downstream, and maybe find love along the way. Whatever might have thrown the two together, Hidden People doesn’t exploit the premise for anxious chase sequences. Instead the pace suggests a comic fairytale set on society’s outskirts. Director Miha Hočevar (On the Sunny Side, EUFF 2004) pilots a plot that echoes its Slovenian-Icelandic co-production roots, with international character actor Ólafsson (Eurovision Song Contest, the upcoming remake of How to Train Your Dragon 2) acing the fish-out-of-water hijinks.

Personal integrity contends with empty stomach in Filippos Tsitos’s delectably dark tragicomedy. Sixty-year-old journalist Demos (Antonis Kafetzopoulos), a specialist in ancient Greek idioms, is unemployed in Athens and uncompromising in his principles. He is determined to uphold a decent life, whatever tribulations may come. But faced with homelessness and hunger, his convictions start to waver when he meets a group of gatecrashers who sneak into high-society parties to eat for free. Does basic survival trump moral uprightness? Greek actor and poet Christos Valavanidis, who passed away in March, received a posthumous Hellenic Film Academy Award for his supporting role in the film.

In this rich adaptation of Clare Azzopardi’s novel, director Abigail Mallia weaves a complex mystery grounded in Malta’s turbulent political past. Following the death of her father, Amanda seeks out her long-estranged mother, Emma. Upon their reunion, Emma drops a bombshell: she confesses to murdering two men in retribution for the 1986 assassination of her sister, a popular crime novelist. As Amanda digs into her family’s secrets, the boundaries of memory begin to fray, blending real-world trauma with the fictional universe of Inspector Castillo, her aunt’s iconic literary detective. What emerges is a multilayered narrative where political history and personal mythologies collide to reveal hidden truths.

Set on the eve of the millennium, Life Is Life is a gently comedic tale of a Milanese businessman who sets his heart and fortune on building a luxury eco-friendly resort in a village on the island of Sardinia. Desperate for work, the impoverished locals are all for it, but there’s one small problem. Efisio, an elderly shepherd whose family has grazed cattle on the picturesque landscapes and beaches for generations, refuses to sell his land. The negotiations drag on as Efisio stubbornly stands firm in his position despite promises of big money and in the face of increasingly infuriated pleas from his neighbours. Inspired by a true story, Life Is Life is directed by Riccardo Milani, whose The Soul’s Haven screened back in EUFF 2007.

Oscar-winning director Mike van Diem (whose 1997 film Character took Best Foreign Language Film) delivers a character-driven drama about trust, parenthood, and the dark undercurrents of long-standing friendship. For years, two close couples have shared an idyllic holiday home in the Austrian Alps, enjoying peaceful summers together with their families. However, their tight-knit bond is thrown into chaos when a tragic accident involving their teenage daughters presents a heart-wrenching moral dilemma. As each set of parents desperately works to uncover the truth while shielding their own child, long-buried rivalries and uncomfortable secrets erupt to the surface, shattering their polite facades. Van Diem meticulously peels back the layers of domestic respectability to reveal how far parents will go for self-preservation.

Acclaimed director Ignas Jonynas (Invisible, EUFF 2020) returns with a razor-sharp psychological thriller that explores the fragile motivations behind survival in the wake of grief. Mourning the loss of his wife, Vilius—a solitary ornithologist living in a secluded border region—spends his days monitoring bird migrations while raising his neurodivergent daughter. His quiet world is shattered when a staged accident entangles him in the dangerous web of a local border-smuggling syndicate. Dragged into a spiral of blackmail and manipulation by a merciless crime boss, Vilius is pushed to extreme lengths to protect the only person he has left. Jonynas balances claustrophobic tension with a stark, moving study of single fatherhood under siege.

A bowling night, a misunderstanding, and a moment that changes two lives. Isaac, a twentysomething soldier, tries to improve his chances with an older woman by asking her younger sister Edith to bowl with him. When he playfully lifts her off a bench, she slumps to the floor. Only then does he notice the wheelchair. Driven by shame, Isaac later seeks her out and an unusual relationship develops between them, one full of compassion, hope, and a growing dependence. But the more Isaac tries to “heal” Edith, the deeper they both become entangled in a web of guilt, self-deception, and longing. Writer-director Lauro Cress here transposes Stefan Zweig’s 1939 novel Beware of Pity. An intense, impressive psychological drama about the longing for closeness, the limits of empathy, and the impossibility of living for others.

Set in 1997, this family drama takes place on an unforgettable bus journey to Paris for trio Inger, her sister Ellen, and brother-in-law Vagn. No one on board knows that Inger is schizophrenic, and it comes as a bit of a shock when she bluntly announces it over the bus’s loudspeaker system. Following this announcement, fellow passengers treat the sisters with varying degrees of pity or fearful contempt. In Paris, it soon becomes clear that Inger has a hidden agenda concerning a figure from her past, ultimately involving the entire group in her hunt for answers. Directed by Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and featuring a brilliant performance by Sofie Grabøl as Inger, Rose is a fascinating exploration of the relationship between identity and mental illness.

Veteran Slovak filmmaker Miloslav Luther, whose period epic Escape to Budapest featured in EUFF 2003, dips back into his country’s dark history with The Dormant Account. A young married couple under financial strain make the difficult decision to sell a family heirloom—a precious painting—inherited from the husband’s grandfather. But this simple act unravels a disturbing family secret, one intended to remain buried forever. Told across two timelines, the present and the Axis-alliance years of the Slovak Republic (1939–1945), this gripping drama measures the scales of wealth and security against the price of greed, powerlust, and inhumanity. The film took top prize at IGRIC, the oldest audiovisual awards in Slovakia.

Set against the turbulent historical backdrop of World War II and its aftermath, Romzsa Tódor is a powerful biographical drama presenting the life and martyrdom of a young Transcarpathian Greek Catholic bishop who dared to speak truth to power. Exploring the decisive moments of the bishop’s life—from his humble vocation to the priesthood to his tragic martyrdom—it also shows how he became a symbol of hope in seemingly hopeless times. Despite Soviet pressure after World War II, Romzsa did not renounce his faith and did not give up his oath of allegiance to the Pope. This resistance would soon draw the ire of Stalin, who sent KGB agents to “deal” with him in 1947. This powerful, true story is an inspiring tale of perseverance in the face of persecution.

As the star player at an elite tennis academy, Julie’s life revolves around the game she loves and wants to pursue professionally. When her coach falls under investigation and is suddenly suspended after the suicide of Aline, a former rising star at the academy, all the club’s players are encouraged to speak up. Is this coach engaging in some kind of abusive behaviour with his students? Faced with a culture of silence in her sport around such matters, and fearing that she will jeopardize her very promising future in tennis, will Julie decide to keep quiet? And if so, what will be the consequences for her coach, her family, her community, and herself? Executive produced by tennis icon Naomi Osaka.

An all-woman cast fronts this whimsical, honey-coloured sci-fi fantasy set at the intersection of therapy and AI-frontier technology. Rina Gri stars as Alesia, a patient undergoing a new, groundbreaking treatment for depression: an immersive virtual reality powered by an AI engine that generates customized scenarios from your psychological makeup and memories. Stitched into this personalized VR world—at once familiar and surreally not-quite-right—our hero encounters past struggles and disappointments (not to mention a throng of yellow-overalled ladies) in the hope that conquering her demons will cure her unhappiness. Harnessing the mechanics and meticulous set design of a point-and-click video game, The Secret of Pin-Up Island imagines a fanciful, gamified future for psychodynamic therapy.

Eleven-year-old Iris is on her own. Her mother has gone away with her new man for a few days while her brother is busy with his girlfriend. When Iris learns that her estranged father Aris, who left when she was a baby, has returned to attend the funeral of his own father, she is determined to get to know him. Though she spots him in the cemetery, they don’t actually meet until he’s summoned to bail her out of jail after she and her best friend are caught “borrowing” a boat. Aris himself is hardly virtuous, always running some scam, but Iris is joyous at the prospect of reunion. At first, he’s keen to be rid of her; then he realizes that a little girl is a magnet for potential petty crime victims. Together they form a successful team, but when Aris’s creditors find out he’s back in town things take a more serious turn.

In Tia Kouvo’s sparkling, bittersweet debut dramedy, an “ordinary” family comes together for the Christmas holidays. As happens every year, middle-aged sisters Susanna and Helena visit their parents’ house with their families; Grandpa Lasse drinks too much, Grandma Ella insists on taking care of everyone, the kids get fed up, and the sisters argue about pointless, petty things. After Christmas they go back to their daily lives, but soon another family gathering—this time, a much more sombre occasion—brings them back together. Can they make it through another one? Kouvo’s bitingly humorous, perceptive, and wistful first feature film delves into that age old question: Are families destined to always revert to the same patterns, or can they ever change and at last become what they dream to be—happy?

Director Caroline Origer delivers an inventive animated adventure that will charm audiences of all ages. Holly is a spirited young hedgehog who has spent her entire life sheltered by an excessively protective father. Walter, on the other hand, is an exhausted, hopelessly overworked rabbit struggling to manage his dozens of energetic kids. When a sudden collision brings the two together, a heavy bump to the head leaves Walter convinced he is actually a legendary, fearless warrior hero. Thrilled to finally experience life beyond her front yard, Holly happily plays along, getting swept up in Walter’s concussion-fueled quest. Origer pairs lively visual slapstick with a tender story about stepping out of your comfort zone.

This debut feature from Gonzaga Manso is a tribute to both the writer-director-cinematographer’s own grandfather and the actor Saturnino García. García is best known in local Spanish cinema for his breakthrough role, at 60, as the title character in La Cuadrilla’s Justino (1994), in which he played a retired matador turned underworld killer. Now, at 91, he plays José Antonio, a man whose annual summer fishing routine is a task he can no longer safely perform solo. Drawing on the experience of seeing his grandfather lose his memory and autonomy, Manso has said he wanted to make a movie without condescension, one that doesn’t commit the fault of “respecting the old only because they are old.” Still Afloat gets there via a mix of patient attention and flashback-infused nostalgia.

Dzintars Dreibergs (Blizzard of Souls, EUFF 2020) directs a gripping sports drama that doubles as a powerful document of cultural resistance. Set in Soviet-era Riga, the film follows Dzidra, a spirited teenager whose passion for basketball is matched only by her yearning to reunite with her refugee brother abroad. When she joins a newly formed local squad and becomes its captain, she fuels the birth of TTT Riga, a powerhouse that would go on to dominate European basketball. But as international matches offer a rare window to the outside world, Dzidra must navigate the relentless surveillance of the KGB. Dreibergs’s film pays homage to a legendary team while capturing the quiet resilience of a nation fighting to retain its identity.

Traces shines a light on Ukrainian women who, after surviving conflict related sexual violence and torture during the Russian war of aggression, refuse to remain silent. Through the journey of Iryna Dovhan, a former captive turned activist who documents testimonies of affected women in the de-occupied territories of Ukraine, the film weaves a portrait of a collective trauma while opening space for hope. Iryna gathers other survivors into a circle of courage and care. Together, they transform their pain into a force for truth, justice, and mutual support. More than a record of war crimes, Traces is a testament to resilience and the solidarity of women standing side by side. —Berlinale

Sleeping with a Tiger skillfully blends documentary, fiction, and artistic manifesto to trace the life of Maria Lassnig. Portrayed by Birgit Minichmayr, the Austrian artist is presented through each key milestone of her journey, from her prodigious childhood to her recognition as an acclaimed painter. The film delves into her struggles, particularly her fight against societal conventions and her relentless effort to assert her artistic vision in a male-dominated world. Through meticulous staging and precise artistic direction, it reveals that when she finally gains recognition as an artist, her success is the result of an uncompromising, authentic approach that defined her career from the very beginning.

Director Michał Kwieciński, Andrzej Wajda’s primary producing partner in his twilight years, presents a kinetic biographical drama that strips away the polished myth to reveal the fragile, tempestuous genius of Fryderyk Chopin. Anchored by a magnetic lead performance from Eryk Kulm, the film immerses us in 1830s Paris—a vibrant cauldron of art, romance, and political turmoil. Leaving Poland behind, the young virtuoso rises to meteoric fame in high society while battling chronic illness, relentless creative pressure, and the anguish of complex relationships. Drawing from Chopin’s private letters, Kwieciński crafts an intimate portrait of a man caught between artistic immortality and his own fading physical strength, set to a score that breathes new energy into classical masterworks.