The Byron Bay International Film Festival (October 17–26, 2025) shines a spotlight on the environment with a compelling line-up of documentaries that explore humanity’s deep connection to the natural world and the urgent challenges of climate change. This year’s LOVE FILM theme is embodied in stories that both inspire and sound the alarm.

Turtle Walker (India)
A feature documentary tracing the extraordinary journey of Satish Bhaskar, a man who dedicated his life to protecting endangered sea turtles. From remote beaches to decades of quiet, determined activism, Turtle Walker is an intimate portrait of one of the world’s great, unsung environmental champions.

Fool’s Paradise (Lost?) (USA)
A poetic love letter to the wild, Fool’s Paradise (Lost?) explores our fragile relationship with nature in a time of climate stress. With its lush cinematography and haunting reflections, the film urges audiences to consider what is at stake as our ecosystems shift under pressure.

Frozen Waters (USA)
This gripping film chronicles endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh’s record-breaking feat as the first person to swim beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet. Over one kilometre of freezing subglacial rivers and tunnels, Pugh’s journey is as much about human resilience as it is about environmental advocacy. His powerful message – calling on world leaders to protect the oceans – resonates with urgency as the Antarctic’s delicate balance faces irreversible change.

Sea Country – Malu Lag (Australia)
From a remote tropical archipelago in northern Australia, a small island community takes its fight against climate change to the world stage. Sea Country – Malu Lag tells a story of cultural survival, intergenerational leadership, and a determined push to hold global powers accountable for rising seas threatening their home.

Yurlu | Country (Australia)
Yurlu | Country is a vivid ode to Country and an intimate portrait of an Aboriginal elder’s final year as he strives to preserve his culture and heal his Pilbara homeland, scarred by the worst contaminated site in the Southern Hemisphere.

Shaping Waves, Shaping Worlds…
As part of BBFF’s environmental program, audiences are invited to Shaping Waves, Shaping Worlds. This special event, held at Stone & Woods Brewery, pairs surf culture with sustainability, bringing together filmmakers, surfers, and activists to discuss the pressing environmental issues facing our oceans. Headlining the session is the world premiere of Matty Hannon’s Haus Tumbana, an inspiring story that underscores the power of surfing and storytelling to drive environmental awareness and change.

Together, all these films form a vital strand within BBFF’s program, reminding us that the fight for the planet is also a fight for humanity’s future. In celebrating environmental filmmaking, the festival invites audiences to connect, reflect, and act.

Byron Bay International Film Festival
17-26 October 2025
For more information and tickets: www.bbff.com.au