BBFF2025 - John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office

Isolation tanks, talking dolphins and LSD-fuelled science - welcome to the world of John C. Lilly.

Neuroscientist, inventor, visionary… or crackpot? John C. Lilly defied easy definition. From his pioneering work with sensory deprivation tanks and attempts to communicate with dolphins, to his government-backed experiments with psychoactive drugs, Lilly’s journey carried him from respected scientist to countercultural guru. His explorations of consciousness inspired Ken Russell’s Altered States, and ultimately led him to the wild belief that we’re all living in a simulation.

Narrated by Chloë Sevigny and featuring insights from the likes of Alejandro Jodorowsky, this inventive documentary dives deep into Lilly’s eccentric legacy. Directors Michael Almereyda (Nadja, William Eggleston in the Real World) and Courtney Stephens (Invention) weave together rare archival footage, audio experiments and cultural ephemera to chart the life of a man who blurred the boundaries between science and mysticism.

Part biography, part cultural time capsule, John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office recalls an era when radical ideas about consciousness, technology and human potential felt limitless. By revisiting Lilly’s visionary - and often controversial - experiments, the film opens up bigger questions about the search for meaning, freedom and connection in a world still grappling with the edges of the mind.

Screens with short films.

As a BBFF ticketholder, you can also enjoy 10% off at Mainstreet Burger and Tokyo Doll Byron Bay before 6pm each day of the festival (17-26 October) – just show your ticket when ordering.

VENUE INFORMATION: Please note the Brunswick Picture House is located in Brunswick Heads NSW, in the Northern Rivers region (not in Brunswick VIC). Please select your tickets carefully as no refund or credit will be granted for errors in identifying the venue location.

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