Whistle

Directed by Christopher Nelius
Australia
2025
84 mins
An offbeat Aussie crowd pleaser following the world’s greatest whistling competition, from the eccentric competitors to passionate devotees, as egos clash and notes soar. Toronto 2025.

Unsurprisingly, whistling as a competitive sport attracts an eccentric crowd – among them an anxious New York actress, a fiercely ambitious Spanish competitor, a perpetual runner-up Japanese muso and a piping pop star. Wrangling this multifarious mob, is ‘Whistling Diva’ producer Carole Anne Kaufman, a contentious figure, who’s on a mission to elevate the artform and the competition. Directed by Christopher Nelius (Girls Can’t Surf, SFF 2021) and produced by the Oscar-nominated team behind Porcelain War (SFF 2024), this highly entertaining documentary in the tradition of Best in Show and The Golden Spurtle, celebrates persistence and lip-pursing talent as it captures the highs and lows of competitive musical whistling.

A heartwarming, feel-good watch that celebrates talent, dedication, and the quirky joy of a world where every note counts.
Rachel West, Alliance of Women Film Journalists

Tickets

Fri 5 June 2026, 6:15pm
Selling Fast
Sydney Opera House
Assisted ListeningWheelchair
Sun 7 June 2026, 9:30am
State Theatre
Assisted ListeningWheelchair
Presented By
  • Program Strand
  • Year
    2025
  • Classification
    All Ages
  • Country
    Australia, USA, Spain, Japan
  • Language
    In English, Spanish and Japanese with English subtitles
  • Director
    Christopher Nelius
  • Producer
    Camilla Mazzaferro, Louise Smith, Luke Mazzaferro, Al Hicks, Casey Ventura
  • Screenwriter
    Christopher Nelius, Al Hicks
  • Cinematographer
    Kathryn Milliss
  • Editor
    Matias Bolla, Johanna Scott
  • Genre
  • Premiere
    Australian Premiere
  • Company Credits
    Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment
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Sydney Film Festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.

We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.

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