Cannes Hits and Australian Premieres Lead The Sydney Film Festival Program For 2026

The 73rd Sydney Film Festival has unveiled its 2026 program, featuring 248 films from 81 countries, including 19 world premieres and 140 Australian premieres across venues including the State Theatre and Sydney Opera House.

Festival Director Nashen Moodley launched the program today, which includes 19 films direct from the Cannes Film Festival. Highlights include Minotaur from Andrey Zvyagintsev, Parallel Tales from Asghar Farhadi starring Isabelle Huppert, and Fatherland from Paweł Pawlikowski starring Sandra Hüller.

Other major titles include The Invite directed by and starring Olivia Wilde alongside Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, while The Death of Robin Hood will screen with Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer leading the cast.

“We want to invite you to join us at SFF this year, where each moment offers an opportunity for discovery and empathy,” Moodley said.

“Art and cinema help us make sense of the world, take us into the lives of people far away from us, and remind us to remain vigilant about our own rights and freedoms. And we can’t forget, they’re also an enormous source of joy.”

NSW Arts Minister John Graham said, “Once again Nashen Moodley and the team have curated the best films in the world for what will be another incredible Sydney Film Festival experience. As we continue backing the NSW screen industry for growth, it will be fantastic to see our local film makers alongside the world’s best.”

The festival opens on 3 June with the Australian premiere of Silenced, directed by Selina Miles. The Sundance-premiered documentary follows international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson as she fights against the weaponisation of defamation law by alleged perpetrators to silence survivors and journalists. The film traces the cases of Brittany Higgins, Catalina Ruiz-Navarro and Amber Heard.

Director Selina Miles, and subject Jennifer Robinson will attend Opening Night to present the film.  

Australian productions are strongly represented across the lineup, including horror film Leviticus from Adrian Chiarella, Pressure starring Andrew Scott and Brendan Fraser, and  the world premiere of French Girls, the impressive debut from Hyun Lee, following a young Sydney woman drawn into the world of modelling

The festival runs from 3–14 June, with tickets and FlexiPasses on sale now.