Celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, the Sydney Film Festival has released a teaser line-up of 12 films that will feature during the event, which runs from 7–18 June.

The full program of more than 200 feature films, documentaries and shorts will be announced on 10 May.

Included in this first drop is the Aotearoa/New Zealand comedy Red, White & Brass, directed by Damon Fepulea’i and executive produced by Taika Waititi, and based on the true story of Tongan rugby superfans who trick their way to the Rugby World Cup by volunteering to be the marching band – despite having never played.

Damon Fepulea’i’s Red, White & Brass. Photo supplied.

Among the internationally awarded films on offer will be The Venice Film Festival Special Jury Prize winner No Bears by director Jafar Panahi, and Christian Petzold’s Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear-winning feature Afire, about four young people trapped in a holiday house as a wildfire draws near.

Legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman – subject of a SFF retrospective in 2022 – delivers a rare narrative work about the turbulent relationship between literary giants Leo and Sophia Tolstoy in A Couple.

Two new Australian documentaries...