MIFF 2026 Returns This August

From August 6 to 23, the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) returns with more than 250 films from around the world screening in and around Melbourne. As Australia’s premier film festival – not to mention one of the oldest film festivals in the world – MIFF once again promises a packed program of eye-opening cinema, filmmaker conversations, immersive experiences and exclusive events for devoted cinephiles and casual filmgoers alike.

The 2026 program will see a curated selection of the year’s most talked-about titles, fresh from international festivals including Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Sundance. Alongside anticipated award-winners and Victorian premieres, MIFF will also screen a selection of films exclusively at the festival, giving Melbourne audiences the chance to catch some of the year’s buzziest releases before anyone else.

The Opening Night Gala is accompanied by a screening of Wicker, a new fantasy fable from Aussie-born writer-director Eleanor Wilson and partner Alex Huston Fletcher, with an ensemble cast that includes Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, Richard E Grant and Elizabeth Debicki.

The buzzy Headliners strand also includes Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Cannes Grand Prix-winning political thriller Minotaur; Rose, which won Sandra Hüller the Berinale Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance; Pedro Almodovar’s latest work, Bitter Christmas, featuring a film-within-a-film structure; queer drama The Man I Love by Ira Sachs, starring Rami Malek as an actor dying from AIDS in 1980s New York; and plenty more.

Oscar-nominated director duo Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado are behind Forgotten Island, an animated tale with a voice cast of stellar Filipino talent, including singer HER, Liza Soberano, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon and Lea Salonga. It’s screening as part of the Family Gala.

Plus, you can catch the world premiere of drama series The Airport Chaplain, which is set in the controlled chaos of Melbourne airport. Director and two-time Tony Award-winning star John Cameron Mitchel shares Hedwig and the Angry Inch in a 4K restoration alongside live commentary. There are six new Australian features produced with help from the MIFF Premiere Fund and a world-premiere documentary on Aussie superstar Tina Arena as part of Triple R’s Music on Film program. Beyond that, look forward to a boundary-pushing selection of works designed for VR, AR and MR. MIFF’s diverse slate of programming guarantees you’ll find something you’ll want to watch.

The festival’s popular Food and Film program is also set to return, pairing standout culinary experiences from the likes of Cumulus Inc, Supernormal and Saadi with matched screenings of a heartwarming documentary, Singaporean family drama, Sofia Coppola’s intimate new doco on her best friend Marc Jacobs, and more. Meanwhile, the MIFF Festival Hub will once again provide a central meeting place for post-film discussions and drinks, while the Wax Music Lounge is the place to be for late-night hangs that can stretch into the early morning.

A newcomer to the festival’s line-up is the Armani Beauty Cinema Club, a curated strand of films that celebrate cinema, craftsmanship and excellence. Screenings include sci-fi rom-com Wishful Thinking, straight from an award-winning premiere at Sundance; a retrospective documentary on the great Kim Novak; Cannes Best Director-winning queer epic La Bola Negra, and more.

Screenings and events will take place across the city at ACMI, Cinema Nova, Hoyts Melbourne Central, IMAX Melbourne, Kino Cinema, The Astor, The Capitol, The Forum and Village Crown.

The full program is out now, with general tickets on sale from July 14. Early-bird passes are available now – with every pass purchased automatically entering the buyer into the running for prizes including a one-night stay at Rydges, restaurant and retail vouchers, movie tickets and more.

Find out more and sign up for festival updates over at miff.com.au

Broadsheet is a proud media partner of Melbourne International Film Festival.