The American Film Institute (AFI) today announced the complete lineup for AFI FEST 2026 presented by Canva, taking place in Hollywood from October 21 to 25. Passes are available at FEST.AFI.com.
This year’s festival presents 157 films across 5 Red Carpet Premieres, 12 Special Screenings, 13 Luminaries selections, 18 Discovery titles, 16 World Cinema selections, 17 documentaries, 3 After Dark films, 4 Guest Artistic Director presentations, 45 films in the Short Film Competition, and 24 films from the AFI Conservatory Showcase presented by AMC Global Media. Of the official selections, 45% are directed by women and 32% are directed by BIPOC filmmakers.
Rounding out the impressive slate of already announced titles are highlights including Lee Chang-dong’s Venice Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize winner “POSSIBLE LOVE”; Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s Cannes prize-winning “ALL OF A SUDDEN,” starring Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto; Werner Herzog’s highly anticipated “BUCKING FASTARD,” starring Kate Mara and Rooney Mara; Andrew Haigh’s “A LONG WINTER,” starring Fred Hechinger, Kit Connor, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Caitríona Balfe; Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert’s “THE IDIOT(S)” starring Johnny Flynn and Aimee Lou Wood; Mike Leigh’s San Sebastián Golden Shell winner “TENDER LOVING CARE”; and the North American Premieres of Asghar Farhadi’s “PARALLEL TALES,” starring Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Cassel and Virginie Efira; and Céline Sciamma’s “TUTTI FRUTTI,” which premiered earlier this year at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Additional highlights include several eagerly anticipated award winners, including İlker Çatak’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner “YELLOW LETTERS”; Markus Schleinzer’s “ROSE,” starring Sandra Hüller, winner of the Berlinale Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance; Sandra Wollner’s “EVERYTIME,” winner of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard top prize; Marine Atlan’s Cannes’ Critics’ Week Grand Prize winner “LA GRADIVA”; Louis Clichy’s “IRON BOY,” winner of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize; Stephanie Ahn’s “BEDFORD PARK,” winner of the Sundance U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature; and Lance Hammer’s “QUEEN AT SEA” starring Juliette Binoche alongside Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall, who shared the Berlinale Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance.
This year’s edition will also include new works from top auteurs such as Ali Asgari (“A BIT OF LIGHT”), Clio Barnard (“I SEE BUILDINGS FALL LIKE LIGHTNING”), Anna Biller (“THE FACE OF HORROR”), Anthony Chen (“WE ARE ALL STRANGERS”), Quentin Dupieux (“FULL PHIL”), Fernando Eimbcke (“FLIES”), Radu Jude (“DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID”), Barbara Kopple (“UNION TOWN”), Marie Kreutzer (“GENTLE MONSTER”), Hong Sang-soo (“THE DAY SHE RETURNS” and “NOWHERE TO LAY MY EYES”) and Rodrigo Sorogoyen (“THE BELOVED”).
Among the other high-profile documentary selections screening at this year’s festival are Pegah Ahangarani’s “REHEARSALS FOR A REVOLUTION,” winner of Cannes’ L’Œil d’Or Prize; Joss Crowley’s Toronto-premiered “PRETENDERS”; Ahmed Hassouna’s Venice-debuted “CITIZEN OSAMA”; Rachel Mason’s “MY BROTHER’S KILLER”; Ayden Mayeri’s SXSW Grand Jury award-winning “SUMMER 2000: THE X-CETRA STORY”; plus Sundance award winners “ONE IN A MILLION” (Jack MacInnes and Itab Azzam), “NUISANCE BEAR” (Jack Weisman and Gabriela Osio Vanden) and “SOUL PATROL” (J.M. Harper).
The lineup represents 50 countries and includes 10 official submissions for Best International Feature at the 99th Academy Awards®: “9 TEMPLES TO HEAVEN” (Thailand); “ALL OF A SUDDEN” (Japan); “CITIZEN OSAMA” (Palestine); “ELEPHANTS IN THE FOG” (Nepal); “EVERYTIME” (Germany); “THE MELTDOWN” (Chile); “NINA ROZA” (Canada); “POSSIBLE LOVE” (South Korea); “ROSE” (Austria) and “WE ARE ALL STRANGERS” (Singapore).
“Our 40th edition of AFI FEST celebrates the cinematic artistry of bold, inspiring filmmakers from around the world,” said Todd Hitchcock, Director of AFI FEST and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. “With more than 80 features and nearly 70 shorts, AFI FEST 2026 will once again light up the screen of the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre with a wide-ranging slate of films that includes highly anticipated awards favorites and a few surprises as well.”
“We’re thrilled to share some of the year’s most compelling films with the film lovers of Los Angeles at the 40th edition of AFI FEST — from red carpet premieres and major works by established auteurs to exciting debuts from emerging talents, this year’s lineup invites audiences to spend five days experiencing worlds beyond their own and making the connections that great art can spark,” said Abbie Algar, Director of Programming, AFI FEST and AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.
Canva is the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST. FIJI Water is the festival’s Official Water Sponsor. American Airlines is the Official Airline of the festival.
As previously announced, the 40th edition of AFI FEST will run October 21 to 25 at the TCL Chinese Theatres in the heart of Hollywood. The festival will open with the U.S. premiere of “WILDWOOD” and close with “BEING HEUMANN.” Additional Red Carpet Premieres include the World Premiere of “THE MOSQUITO BOWL,” “I PLAY ROCKY” and “RAY GUNN.” Special Screenings include “14th,” “ASHES,” “BEHEMOTH!,” “BITTER CHRISTMAS,” “BUNKER,” “CLARISSA,” “ELSINORE,” “JOSEPHINE,” “THE MAN I LOVE,” “MOUSE,” “TANGLES” and “WILD HORSE NINE.”
This year’s Guest Artistic Directors are Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller. The Guest Artistic Director Program will include “An Evening with Lord and Miller” which will feature a Q&A with the directors followed by a screening of “2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY” (1968) as well as screenings of “HAROLD AND MAUDE” (1971), “THE MUPPET MOVIE” (1979) and “RIFIFI” (1955).
Passes to AFI FEST 2026 are now available for purchase online at FEST.AFI.com. Festivalgoers can choose from the Star Pass, Patron Pass and the new Marquee Pass. The AFI FEST Star Pass features access to all screenings (excluding Red Carpet Premieres), early screening selection and theater access, access to the AFI FEST Festival Lounge, AFI FEST merch and free rush access. The Patron Pass features all the benefits of the Star Pass, plus access to Red Carpet Premieres and priority screening selection and theater access.
Individual tickets will be available for purchase on October 3.
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