What do a billionaire, a Hollywood film director and the host of a hit mental health podcast have in common? They’re all heading to SXSW Sydney this October.
The festival’s latest programming drop includes Bridesmaids, Another Simple Favor, and Freaks and Geeks director Paul Feig, who’ll deliver a keynote and receive the first-ever SXSW Sydney Screen Pioneer Award.
A master of sharp dialogue, ensemble casts, and genre-bending comedy, Feig will take the stage this October to share insights from a career that’s helped redefine modern comedy on both the big and small screen. To celebrate his influence, the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival will host a special retrospective, spotlighting some of his most iconic work.
Known for championing stories led by women and misfits, Feig’s fingerprints are all over some of the most quotable comedies of the last two decades, and his inclusion in this year’s event adds major star power to the second-ever SXSW Sydney.
Feig is joined on the keynote lineup by Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X and host of the No. 1 mental health podcast Slo Mo. They join previously announced keynote speaker Meredith Whittaker, president of encrypted messaging app Signal.
Among the newly announced featured speakers is Lucy Guo, the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire and CEO of creator platform Passes. Tech and innovation heavyweight Lars Rasmussen (co-founder of Google Maps) and MIT Technology Review’s Executive Editor Niall Firth will also take the stage at the October event.
This announcement follows last week’s addition of dozens of new artists and music industry speakers to the SXSW Sydney Music Festival program. Highlights included Indian singer-songwriter and Diplo collaborator Rashmeet Kaur, US electronic act Vandelux, Indonesian rap duo Tenxi & Jemsii, and Filipino neo-soul artist August Wahh. Local artists like blue diner, Holly Hebe, Yasmina Sadiki, and Munan also joined the lineup, alongside industry leaders from Goldenvoice, Warner Music Korea, and Reservoir.
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On the screen front, SXSW Sydney has added six new feature films to its lineup — By Design (starring Oscar nominee Juliette Lewis), $POSITIONS, Dead Lover, Zodiac Killer Project, The Last Sacrifice, and Bokshi alongside a strong slate of shorts including BAFTA-nominated Stomach Bug and Chasing the Party, produced by Oscar-winner Sam Rockwell.
The 2025 Games Festival Showcase has also unveiled its first 40 titles, with playable demos from 26 countries to be featured at the ICC Sydney. Over 30 mentors and industry experts will host panels, workshops, and one-on-one sessions on topics like indie marketing, global publishing and creative resilience.
This announcement brings the current SXSW Sydney 2025 lineup to more than 100 speakers, 50 conference sessions, 75 artists, 40 games and 27 films — with hundreds more still to come.
Returning from October 13th–19th, SXSW Sydney promises to explore the world’s biggest ideas and industries across more than 1,600 events. This year’s program is supported by returning partners like Commonwealth Bank, QMS, and Accenture, with focus areas including AI, sustainability, cybersecurity, quantum technology and the future of storytelling.
The full list of confirmed artists, speakers and sessions for the SXSW Sydney 2025 Music Festival is available at the official website, with prospective attendees advised that the price of passes will increase after July 3rd.
