Adelaide Film Festival Announces First 10 Films For 2026 Program

Ahead of its October return, Adelaide Film Festival organisers have revealed the first 10 films of this year's dynamic program.

Held in multiple cinemas across the State, this year's festival takes place from Wednesday 14 to Sunday 25 October and is set to feature a diverse program featuring Oscar-winning directors, Cannes Film Festival winners, an Australian premiere and some of the most exciting women directors emerging in world cinema.

The program kicks off with Australian filmmaker Josef Gatti's Phenomena, a film using practical experiments with music from Nils Frahm and an original score by Rival Console that's part science lesson, part experimental film.

Other highlights include drama Josephine, the second feature from US filmmaker Beth de Araújo, Fatherland, following the journey of writer Thomas Mann as he embarks on a road trip with his daughter through Germany after 16 years in exile, and Christian Cargill's documentary Wolf, featuring musician Patrick Wolf and his good friend Tilda Swinton reflecting on a life shaped by creativity, grief, addiction and return.

The festival closes with a screening of Scott Hicks' Aussie classic Shine, featuring Geoffrey Rush in his Oscar-winning performance as pianist David Helfgott.

Tickets for these films are on sale now at adelaidefilmfestival.org. More films will be announced in the coming weeks.

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"AFF has never just been a festival for film people; it’s a festival for everyone who loves film, whatever that means for them," said Adelaide Film Festival CEO & Creative Director Mat Kesting on the festival's website.

"If you already know what it feels like to love cinema with the AFF community, tell someone who hasn’t been before what that experience is like. And if you haven’t been yet, come along and try something new - pick a film and see where it takes you. Some of my own favourite festival moments came from films I almost missed."

The Adelaide Film Festival 2026 takes place in cinemas across Australia from Wednesday 14 to Sunday 25 October. Tickets and program available at adelaidefilmfestival.org.