AFI Fest Unveils 2026 Lineup: 157 Films From 50 Countries

AFI Fest has revealed its 2026 lineup: 157 films from 50 countries, including at least ten Best International Feature Oscar submissions, screening October 21-25 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Tickets go on sale October 3.

The 40th edition opens with the U.S. premiere of "Wildwood" and closes with "Being Heumann." Gala screenings include "The Mosquito Bowl," "I Play Rocky," and "Ray Gunn."

The lineup leans heavily on this year's festival-circuit winners. Lee Chang-dong's "Possible Love," a Venice Silver Lion winner, screens alongside Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's Cannes prize-winning "All of a Sudden," starring Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto. Werner Herzog brings his fantasy comedy "Bucking Fastard," with Kate Mara and Rooney Mara. Asghar Farhadi's "Parallel Tales," starring Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Cassel and Virginie Efira, receives its North American premiere, as does Céline Sciamma's "Tutti Frutti," which premiered earlier this year at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Other marquee titles include Andrew Haigh's "A Long Winter" with Fred Hechinger, Kit Connor, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Caitríona Balfe; Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert's "The Idiot(s)" with Johnny Flynn and Aimee Lou Wood; Mike Leigh's San Sebastián Golden Shell winner "Tender Loving Care"; İlker Çatak's Berlinale Golden Bear winner "Yellow Letters"; and Lance Hammer's "Queen at Sea," starring Juliette Binoche with Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall.

Berlinale and Cannes laurels run through the program. Markus Schleinzer's "Rose," starring Sandra Hüller, won the Berlinale Silver Bear for best lead performance. Sandra Wollner's "Everytime" took Cannes' Un Certain Regard top prize. Marine Atlan's "La Gradiva" won the Cannes Critics' Week Grand Prize. Louis Clichy's "Iron Boy" received the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize. Stephanie Ahn's "Bedford Park" won the Sundance U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Debut Feature.

Established auteurs fill out the slate. Hong Sang-soo arrives with two films, "The Day She Returns" and "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes." Radu Jude directs "Diary of a Chambermaid." Quentin Dupieux presents "Full Phil," Anna Biller "The Face of Horror," Clio Barnard "I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning," Ali Asgari "A Bit of Light," Anthony Chen "We Are All Strangers," Fernando Eimbcke "Flies," Barbara Kopple "Union Town," Marie Kreutzer "Gentle Monster," and Rodrigo Sorogoyen "The Beloved."

The documentary section carries its own prize roll. Pegah Ahangarani's "Rehearsals for a Revolution" won Cannes' L'Œil d'Or Prize. Ayden Mayeri's "Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story" took the SXSW Grand Jury award. Sundance winners include "One in a Million" (Jack MacInnes and Itab Azzam), "Nuisance Bear" (Jack Weisman and Gabriela Osio Vanden) and "Soul Patrol" (J.M. Harper). Joss Crowley's Toronto-premiered "Pretenders," Ahmed Hassouna's Venice-debuted "Citizen Osama" and Rachel Mason's "My Brother's Killer" also screen.

"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."

Programming director Abbie Algar framed the festival as a five-day immersion for Los Angeles audiences. "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," she said.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller serve as this year's guest artistic directors. They will host a Q&A with directors followed by a screening of "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), with additional screenings of "Harold and Maude" (1971), "The Muppet Movie" (1979) and "Rififi" (1955).

Special Screenings include "14th," "Ashes," "Behemoth!," "Bitter Christmas," "Bunker," "Clarissa," "Elsinore," "Josephine," "The Man I Love," "Mouse," "Tangles" and "Wild Horse Nine."

With ten International Feature submissions already secured — and, by the festival's count, still counting — AFI Fest's five-day run will serve as an early gauge of the Oscar race in the heart of an awards season that begins weeks later.