Each year, Venice Film Festival acts as an incubator for some of the most exciting theatrical new releases. But only one film can rise above the rest to take home the coveted top prize, the Golden Lion for best film. And this year? It was Jim Jarmusch's Father Mother Sister Brother.
Last year, success at film festivals indicated which titles would go on to win big at awards shows. Take Sean Baker's Anora, for example — what was intended to be a low-budget indie won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2024, before going on to win best picture at the Oscars. So, whether you consider yourself a cinephile or not, Father Mother Sister Brother is a film worth taking note of. Below, everything you need to know about what could become an awards season favourite.
Where to watch Father Mother Sister Brother
If, like us, you're desperate to see this film, you might actually be in luck. It's slated for release in the US on December 24, 2025. Given it's set to be a fairly big moment in cinemas, it looks likely that an Australian release date will come at the same time, or shortly after. We'll keep you updated when we know for sure.
Who is involved in Father Mother Sister Brother?
It's not surprising that the film was successful — the cast is stacked, with the likes of Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, Vicky Krieps, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling, Indya Moore, Mayim Bialik, Sarah Greene, Luke Sabbat, and Françoise Lebrun.
Speaking about how the film came about during a press conference at Venice Film Festival, Jarmusch said, “I don’t know where the hell it came from." He continued, “I usually carry ideas around for a year or more, sometimes many years, before I finally write very fast in a number of weeks. I wrote this in like three weeks. I don’t know really where it comes from.”
Behind the scenes, the film is also the work of Saint Laurent Productions, a subsidiary of the French fashion house.
So, what is it actually about?
The film follows three groups of estranged siblings who are brought back together after years apart, and forced to confront unresolved tensions from their past. The official synopsis reads:
"Father Mother Sister Brother is a feature film, though carefully constructed in the form of a triptych. The three stories all concern the relationships between adult children, their somewhat distant parent (or parents) and each other. Each of the three chapters takes place in the present, and each in a different country. Father is set in the north-east US, Mother in Dublin, Ireland, and Sister Brother in Paris, France. The film is a series of character studies: quiet, observational and non-judgemental — a comedy, but interwoven with threads of melancholy."
