All shades of femininity. Christy in the program of the 16th AFF
She’s one of those actors you see once and instantly know the world will fall in love with her. Sydney Sweeney can play both confident, headstrong young women and fragile, insecure ones. But you haven’t seen her in a role like this yet.
Christy, a film in which Sweeney embodies America’s most important female boxer of the 1990s, has joined the program of the 16th American Film Festival (November 6–11 in Wrocław), and the actress herself is moving into our festival suburbia.
Directed by David Michôd (The King), Christy tells the story of Christy Martin’s strength and determination as she follows her instincts to break free from her toxic husband and a conservative environment. Alongside Sweeney, the film features Ben Foster as the boxer’s husband and manager, and Katy O’Brian, known from Love Lies Bleeding. The best and most affordable way to see this and other season highlights is at AFF—with a pass or accreditation. Sales continue until October 17 or until sold out.
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Next Door Neighbor: Sydney Sweeney
This year’s AFF visual identity is set to the rhythm of American suburbia, so we’re introducing the next stars from the festival program to our dream neighborhood. Richard Linklater maintains the suburban myth (we’ll screen three of his films), the magnetic Josh O’Connor stirs up the community as its European troublemaker (three productions with him as well), Lynne Ramsay (Die My Love) brings a solid dose of darkness, and Gus Van Sant (Dead Man’s Wire) adds a sharp social edge. Sydney Sweeney joins this eclectic neighborhood, spicing things up—because who else knows better how to get the party started? Her magnetic gaze will evoke a note of excitement and just a hint of madness.
Makeup in the ring: Christy, directed by David Michôd
A biopic about the life of Christy Martin, the most prominent female boxer in the US, who carved out an unprecedented career in a male-dominated sport in the 1990s—and paid a high price for it. For a tomboy from a small mining town in West Virginia, boxing becomes a ticket to a bigger world, though not necessarily a more open one. Despite her rapid rise, the men around her rarely see Christy as more than a means to their own ends. The situation worsens as her trainer and husband begins to reveal his possessive, controlling side. The film’s charged atmosphere—built around the rhythm of one match after another—is amplified by Sweeney’s breakthrough performance, far removed from her usual image as a confident, world-weary girl. Her Christy is both fierce and fragile, arrogant yet insecure, a relentless fighter in the ring but painfully vulnerable outside it. Katy O’Brian, remembered from the thematically related hit Love Lies Bleeding (15th AFF), also delivers a small yet memorable role. (author of the description: Aleksander Kmak, translated by Barbara Feliga)
Christy will be presented at the American Film Festival thanks to our collaboration with Monolith Films.
The 16th American Film Festival will take place from November 6 to 11, 2025, traditionally at the New Horizons Cinema in Wrocław. The full program will be announced on October 21, and two days later—on October 23 at noon—ticket sales and online access will open.
