Eight new films have been added to the Sydney Film Festival 2026 program. Aligning with the curated Screenability and Family programs, each film showcases diverse experiences, opening the minds of audiences to new possibilities.
‘Screenability is about opening the screen up, not just to new stories, but to the people telling them,’ says SFF Director Nashen Moodley.
‘With our Family films, it’s pure cinema joy. Big ideas, big emotions, and the kind of stories that hook you early and stay with you. This is where the next generation of film lovers begins.’
Sydney Film Festival highlights – quick links
Highlights of the Screenability program
The Screenability program returns to SFF for its 10th year, presenting a curated slate of films and documentaries created by filmmakers living with disability.
Headlining the showcase is Retreat, a film by Ted Evans that features an all-Deaf cast. It follows ‘a young woman whose arrival at a secluded Deaf wellness retreat in the English countryside sets a community unravelling’.
Another featured film is Joybubbles by Rachael J Morrison, a documentary that explores the life of Josef Carl Engressia Jr, who has born blind and ‘gifted with perfect pitch’.
Other films set to be featured in this track include:
- You Look Fine – ‘Follows comedian J Snow as he documents his life with sickle cell disease with humour, candour and unflinching honesty.’
- When You Hear Hoofbeats – ‘Follows a young woman whose struggle to have her medical symptoms taken seriously leads her to believe she has been possessed.’
- Sarsaparilla – ‘In which a sheriff and his outlaw nemesis find unexpected common ground over a shared love of line dancing.’
- Trapeze – ‘A deeply personal exploration of autonomy, ancestral ties and Deaf identity expressed through movement and Auslan choreography by Jeremy Lowrenčev.’
Highlights of the Family program
The Family program at SFF features an array of films for audiences of all ages. Headlining this track is The Last Whale Singer, a German-made animated feature film that follows a young humpback whale who ‘must find his voice to save the ocean’.
Within this track, you’ll also be able to watch The Desert Child, which follows a teenage girl who uncovers the truth of her grandfather’s stories about a boy raised by ostriches in the Sahara.
What else to expect of Sydney Film Festival 2026
Also at SFF, the Sartorial: Fashion on Film program comprises multiple feature debuts, as well as screenings of classic films and documentaries, all focused on the evolution of fashion and cinema.
An array of debut feature films and documentaries have also been announced as headliners, including Silenced, directed by Selina Miles, which examines Australian defamation law in the wake of the #MeToo movement, including the experiences of lawyer Jennifer Robinson and survivors Brittany Higgins and Amber Heard.
