If your June social calendar is looking a little empty right now, the 73rd Sydney Film Festival is ready to fill it. Not that we need a more perfect excuse to sit in a dark room not speaking (anyone else experiencing some serious mid-year burnout?), or to brush up on our cultural capital so we can lead the office's next film conversation like the bonafide cinephiles we claim to be.
Last year we couldn't get enough of the lineup (and writer Jordan Turner screened and reviewed a full 12 films for RUSSH), so needless to say we're gearing up for another movie-watching marathon in 2026. Here's everything you need to know (including our recommendations for what to watch).
The lineup just grew by 8 — all direct from Cannes Film Festival
If you couldn't make it to Cannes, then Sydney Film Festival is bringing the best of its lineup to you. The eight latest additions include La Bola Negra (The Black Ball), which jointly won Best Director; Coward, dual Best Actor winner; All of a Sudden, the first dual Best Actress winner; and football documentary The Match.
In total, SFF now has 28 Cannes Film Festival titles on its 2026 lineup. Each of the films will make their Australian premiere on the program.
“With 28 films now direct from Cannes, this is one of the strongest international lineups we've ever presented," said SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley. "These eight new additions bring some of the most talked-about titles from Cannes straight to Sydney audiences, and we can't wait to share them."
What films are screening?
More than 200 films are set to screen, including some highlights like:
- Cristian Mungiu's Fjord, starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve
- Jodie Comer in The Death of Robin Hood
- Australian horror sensation Leviticus from Adrian Chiarella
- Andrey Zvyagintsev's long-awaited return Minotaur
- Ira Sachs’ The Man I Love, starring Rami Malek
- Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman and Charli xcx in Gregg Araki's I Want Your Sex
- Asghar Farhadi's Parallel Tales, starring Isabelle Huppert
- Jane Schoenbrun’s psychosexual horror Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson
- Paweł Pawlikowski’s Fatherland, starring Sandra Hüller
What we'd recommend watching
Of course, not to be missed is Pete Ohs' Erupcja follows a couple’s getaway to Warsaw that begins to unravel, led by Charli XCX.
We'll watch just about anything with a Skarsgård in it and Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire, which revisits a real 1977 hostage crisis, stars Bill Skarsgård alongside the legendary Al Pacino.
Aussie flick Silenced looks at the legal fallout of the #MeToo movement through the work of lawyer Jennifer Robinson and survivors including Brittany Higgins and Amber Heard.
The Blood Countess leans fully into its premise, casting Isabelle Huppert as a campy vampire in a film that pairs horror with high-fashion sensibilities.
90s music aficionados better buckle in for The Best Summer, which digs into Australia’s 1995 Summersault tour, with footage of the Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, and Foo Fighters.
Further music education can be sought with a screening of Broken English reflects on Marianne Faithfull’s life and career.
When and where is the festival?
It's running from 3–14 June at several venues across Sydney, with the flagship location being the historic State Theatre on Market Street.
But you'll be able to catch screenings at various cinemas in the CBD, Newtown, Cremorne, and Randwick. Check the film's event page of the SFF website for specifics.
When are tickets on sale and what kinds are available?
Tickets for individual sessions will go on sale via the Sydney Film Festival website now.
You'll be able to select your preferred screening time, and then tickets that are either 'Best Available' or you are able to 'Choose Seats' to select more specifically. Tickets for most showing run between $20 and $30.
Alternatively, you can purchase a Flexipass, which essentially allows you to attend your choice of 6, 10, 20 or 30 films at a discounted rate. These are able to be shared with family and friends – or you can swap your sessions.
Feature image from The Man I Love, courtesy Sydney Film Festival.
