The Birthday Party

 Australian Premiere

“A pan-European fever dream, with Willem Dafoe as an honorary guest.” – Cineuropa

Willem Dafoe stars as Marcos Timoleon, an Aristotle Onassis-type shipping tycoon, who is throwing a lavish 25th birthday party for his daughter, Sofia, on his private island somewhere in the Mediterranean. A ruthless businessman, Marcos is using the party to conveniently conduct some business dealings on the side, and he has a particular plan in mind for Sofia, the sole heir to his estate. Like father, like daughter – Sofia also has some news to share with Marcos, and over the course of one decadent, hedonistic evening, the Timoleon family affairs will inevitably be exposed.

Set in the mid-1970s and adapted from a 2007 novel by Panos Karnezis, The Birthday Party is a stylish, hedonistic thriller that shimmers with a warm, period-appropriate colour palette, complemented by gorgeous costume and production design, all set against the dense, humid vegetation of Corfu, where the film was shot. Dafoe commands the screen as the ice-cold business shark and domineering father, and Danish star Vic Carmen Sonne brings great depth to Sofia, holding her own opposite the veteran Dafoe.

Festivals & Awards

Locarno Film Festival 2025 - Nominee, Audience Award
Ljubljana International Film Festival 2025 – Official Selection
Torino Film Festival 2025 – Official Selection
Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival 2025 – Official Selection