First Films for the New Zealand International Film Festival 2026 Announced!
Published: Monday 15 June 2026
Drumroll… first films revealed
It’s the news you’ve all been waiting for - our first 12 films of NZIFF 2026 are confirmed!
And true to form, this dynamic and diverse bunch of must-see titles includes horror, heartbreak, history and a healthy dose of the utterly unhinged.
The 12 features include a backstage French farce (Comédie-Française), a comedy-drama that pokes a gentle stick at family complexities (Father Mother Sister Brother), and a jazz icon’s comeback from tragedy (Everybody Digs Bill Evans). A jailhouse splatter horror (Ghost in the Cell) and a cosmic conception (Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant) also join the eclectic movie mix, as well as a sizzling romance in southern Spain (Iván & Hadoum), a haunting queer indie classic re-mastered in 4K (Mysterious Skin), and a powerful documentary portrait of Lebanon (Do You Love Me).
