Melbourne International Film Festival has unveiled its first taste of the 2026 program, with 25 films and special events announced ahead of the full lineup reveal next month.
Returning from 6–23 August across Melbourne and regional Victoria, with MIFF Online running nationally until 30 August, the 74th edition is shaping up to be another huge year for cinema lovers.
The early selection includes six MIFF Premiere Fund titles, major international festival favourites fresh from Cannes, Berlin and Sundance, plus a handful of special live events set to draw crowds.
Leading the special events lineup is John Cameron Mitchell Presents: Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which will see the acclaimed filmmaker, playwright and performer visit Melbourne for a one-night-only screening of his cult classic at The Astor. The restored 4K presentation will be accompanied by live commentary from Mitchell himself, marking 25 years since the release of the groundbreaking musical.
Another special event will be a screening of Christopher Nolan’s 2001 movie Memento at Arts Centre Melbourne accompanied by a live score courtesy of Hear My Eyes.
Television fans will also get a first look at The Airport Chaplain, a new prestige drama series set at Melbourne Airport and starring Hugo Weaving and Shabana Azeez. Inspired by a real encounter with Tullamarine’s airport chaplain, the series will make its world premiere at the festival.
Among the local highlights are six new MIFF Premiere Fund projects, including Melbourne-set thriller Mad Rush, documentary Jebediah: Are We OK?, para ice hockey underdog story Hard as Puck, and Sweet Milk Lake, a deeply personal debut feature exploring identity and belonging.
Internationally, audiences can look forward to acclaimed new works from directors including Gus Van Sant, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Clio Barnard and Kiyoshi Kurosawa, alongside standout performances from Sandra Hüller, Juliette Binoche, Tom Courtenay and Dakota Fanning.
“We’re thrilled to share these First Glance titles as an early taste of what to expect when MIFF returns to Melbourne screens this winter,” said MIFF Artistic Director Al Cossar.
The full program, featuring more than 300 titles, will be unveiled on 9 July, with regional screenings returning to Bendigo, Ballarat, Castlemaine, Geelong, Healesville, Rosebud, Sale and Warrnambool.
For students, educators and film fans unable to attend in person, MIFF Schools and MIFF Online will once again expand the festival’s reach beyond traditional cinema screens.
Find out more and secure memberships and multipasses at https://miff.com.au/tickets
