The 25th edition of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival will take place from October 28th to November 2nd in the beautiful Italian city, and the line-up of films, guests, and events promises to thrill and excite all attendees. Headline guests include directors Ben Wheatley (Sightseers) and Gabriele Mainetti (Freaks Out), and author Ted Chiang (Story of Your Life, adapted into the hit film Arrival, which will be screened in his honour).
The opening film will be L’Homme qui rétrécit (The Shrinking Man, France/Belgium, 2025) by Jan Kounen, adapted from Richard Matheson’s classic novel. Starring Jean Dujardin, the film follows a man who begins to shrink after a mysterious contamination, battling for survival in an ever-expanding world. The Italian premiere will take place on Tuesday, October 28th at 8:00 PM at the Politeama Rossetti, with the director in attendance. The evening continues with The Ugly Stepsister (Sweden/Denmark, 2025) by Emilie Blichfeldt – a bold, body-horror re-imagining of Cinderella – screening at 10:30 PM in collaboration with I Wonder Pictures.
Other standout screenings include Egghead Republic (Sweden, 2025) by Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja, a dystopian tale that imagines a world where the Cold War never ended. Bulk (UK, 2025) by Ben Wheatley (Kill List), a high-octane sci-fi horror filled with car chases, gunfights, and romance – introduced by the director himself. Arco (France, 2025) by Ugo Bienvenu, fresh from Cannes, tells the story of Iris, a young girl who helps a mysterious “rainbow boy” find his way home. Orion (USA, 2024) by Jaco Bouwer (Gaia), an intense thriller about a counterintelligence agent and an amnesiac astronaut uncovering the truth behind a deadly mission. Chien 51 (France, 2025) by Cédric Jimenez, a closing-night dystopian drama set in a divided Paris where a detective investigates the murder of an AI pioneer.
Festival Director Alan Jones, said of the line-up: “For its 25th Anniversary edition, the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival has assembled a multi-faceted diverse programme that will once more innovate, challenge, thrill, amaze and, of course, ultimately entertain. As is its unique mission, the festival draws from the keen imaginations of a global community of new, independent and established filmmakers, artists and writers, who are always eager to discuss their work passionately both on the stage and off. And, as ever, no matter where those vivid imaginations take us, the contemporary world is never far from view, as the continually dynamic sci-fi genre continues to comment on the stark present from an incredible future”.
Head to https://www.sciencefictionfestival.org for more information and to see the full schedule.
