The 28th Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF) returns to wine country from March 19-23, 2025, featuring a lineup of 39 narrative features, 16 documentaries, and 38 short films from over 21 countries alongside an array of filmmakers, actors, and culinary icons.
“After last year’s record-breaking festival, we’re thrilled to elevate the experience with a lineup of extraordinary films, visionary talent, and an exclusive culinary program,” said Carl Spence, SIFF Artistic Director. “The Sonoma International Film Festival isn’t just an event—it’s a destination where world-class cinema, fine wine, and gourmet food create an unforgettable cultural experience.”
Opening the festival is the World Premiere of Sweet Störy, a documentary by Sarah Justine Kerruish and Matt Maude following Meg Ray of San Francisco’s Miette on a heartfelt journey to save a charming café on the remote Swedish island of Rödlöga.
The Centerpiece Film is the California Premiere of On Swift Horses starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Jacob Elordi, in the adaptation of Shannon Pufahi’s novel.
Closing Night Film is the West Coast Premiere of Wedding Banquet, a fresh reimagining of Ang Lee’s 1993 classic by director Andrew Ahn, featuring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, and Joan Chen. Actress Joan Chen will be honored with the SIFF Career Achievement Award at the Closing Night presentation.
Special Presentation Films include The Ballad of Wallis Island (United Kingdom), One to One: John & Yoko (United Kingdom), The Penguin Lessons (United Kingdom), and Dag Johan Haugerud´s Love Sex Dreams Trilogy (Norway); and a 20th Anniversary Screening of Gregg Araki’s groundbreaking Mysterious Skin.
COMPETITION FILMS
FEATURE COMPETITION FILMS
Café Chairel (Director: Fernando Guillermo Barreda Luna/Mexico), DJ Ahmet (Director: Georgi M. Unkovski/North Macedonia), Gloria (Director: Margherita Vicario/Italy), Long Good Thursday (Director: Mika Kaurismäki/Finland), Mexico 86 (Director: César Diaz/France), My Favorite Cake (Director: Maryam Moghaddam, Behtash Sanaeeha/Iran), The Party’s Over (Director: Elena Manrique/Spain), Waves (Director: Jiří Mádl/Czech Republic)
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION FILMS
Ali Eats America (USA) Directed by: Roush Niaghi, Greg Morris, Apollo 1 (United Kingdom) Directed by: Mark Craig, Fatal Watch (USA) Directed by: Mark Benjamin, Katie Carpenter, Free Leonard Peltier (USA) Directed by: Jesse Short Bull, David France, Mistress Dispeller (China) Directed by: Elizabeth Lo, Suburban Fury (USA) Directed by: Robinson Devor, Sweet Störy (United Kingdom) Directed by: Sarah Justine Kerruish, Matt Maude, Tokito: The 540-Day Journey of a Culinary Maverick (Japan) Directed by: Aki Mizutani.
Complete lineup for 2025 Sonoma International Film Festival
Feature Films
Another End
Piero Messina
Bad Shabbos
Daniel Robbins
Bob Trevino Likes It
Tracie Laymon
Café Chairel
Fernando Guillermo Barreda Luna
DJ Ahmet
Georgi M. Unkovski
The Friend
David Siegel, Scott McGehee
Gloria
Margherita Vicario
Grand Maison Paris
Ayuko Tsukahara
Griffin in Summer
Nicholas Colia
Holland
Mimi Cave
Holy Cow!
Louise Courvoisier
Little Red Sweet
Vincent Chow
Long Good Thursday
Mika Kaurismäki
The Luckiest Man in America
Samir Oliveras
Meet The Barbarians
Julie Delpy
Mexico 86
César Diaz
Mistura
Ricardo de Montreuil
My Favorite Cake
Maryam Moghaddam, Behtash Sanaeeha
Mysterious Skin
Gregg Araki
Never Alone
Klaus Härö
The Other Way Around
Jonás Trueba
The Party’s Over
Elena Manrique
Sew Torn
Freddy Macdonald
Shanghai Blues
Tsui Hark
The Summer Book
Charlie McDowell
The Surfer
Lorcan Finnegan
There´s Still Tomorrow
Paola Cortellesi
Trifole
Gabriele Fabbro
U Are The Universe
Pavlo Ostrikov
The Ugly Stepsister
Emilie Blichfeldt
Waves
Jiří Mádl
Went Up The Hill
Samuel Van Grinsven
Documentary Films
Ali Eats America
Roush Niaghi, Greg Morris
Apollo 1
Mark Craig
Checkpoint Zoo
Joshua Zeman
Fatal Watch
Mark Benjamin, Katie Carpenter
Fools’ Paradise (lost?)
Alexandra Lexton
Free Leonard Peltier
Jesse Short Bull, David France
The Last Journey
Filip Hammar, Fredrik Wikingsson
Marcella
Peter Miller
Mistress Dispeller
Elizabeth Lo
Shelf Life
Ian Cheney
Space Cowboy
Marah Strauch, Bryce Leavitt
Suburban Fury
Robinson Devor
Tokito: The 540-Day Journey of a Culinary
Maverick Aki Mizutani
Wilding
David Allen