Q&As, Talks and Panels

Agenda

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  LIFF 2026 Programme Preview

  Thu 8 Oct - Multiple times

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Pan's Labyrinth (20th Anniversary 4K Restoration)

  Dir. Guillermo del Toro

  Fanomenon Retro

  Thu 29 Oct and Fri 30 Oct

  Guillermo del Toro’s beloved masterpiece is meticulously restored in 4K from the original 35mm negative.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Iron Boy

  Dir. Louis Clichy

  Constellation - LIFF 2026 FAMILY OPENING FILM

  Thu 29 Oct - Sat 14 Nov

  A beautiful, hand painted animation set in rural France, Iron Boy is also a personal story for the former Pixar animator Louis Clichy, a gently touching coming of age tale, often funny and consistently entertaining.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Mouse

  Dir. Kelly O'Sullivan, Alex Thompson

  Constellation - LIFF 2026 Opening Film

  Thu 29 Oct - Sun 15 Nov

  The summer of 2002 changes everything for shy high-schooler Minnie in this humorous yet heartbreaking drama from Saint Frances (2019) team Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Wicker

  Dir. Alex Huston Fischer, Eleanor Wilson

  Fanomenon Opening Film

  Thu 29 Oct - Multiple times

  Olivia Colman’s perfect wicker husband becomes the source of much jealousy in this charming one-of-a-kind romance.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Filipiñana

  Dir. Rafael Manuel

  Constellation

  Thu 29 Oct and Sun 1 Nov

  Rafael Manuel’s extraordinary debut is a razor-sharp satire of wealth and exploitation in the Philippines, every shot perfectly manicured as the fairways in the elite country club where it’s set.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Rose

  Dir. Markus Schleinzer

  Constellation

  Thu 29 Oct - Sat 7 Nov

  A mesmerising performance from Sandra Hüller elevates the emotionally devastating, gender defying period drama Rose.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Papaya

  Dir. Priscilla Kellen

  Fanomenon Family

  Fri 30 Oct and Sun 1 Nov

  A tiny papaya seed rebels against becoming a tree in this stunning Brazilian animated debut from Priscilla Kellen, dialogue-free and with an upbeat score from Talita Del Collado.

  Tickets from 8 October
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  The Red Hangar

  Dir. Juan Pablo Sallato

  Constellation

  Fri 30 Oct - Sun 8 Nov

  A taut and enthralling political thriller, The Red Hangar takes place during the military coup in Santiago, Chile, on September 11, 1973.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Dao

  Dir. Alain Gomis

  Constellation

  Fri 30 Oct and Sat 31 Oct

  French-Senegalese director Alain Gomis has made one of the best films of the year in this swirling, cross-continental epic.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  You are the Film + Hoodsteps

  Dir. Makoto Ueda (You Are the Film)/Nomura Fusso (Hoodsteps)

  Fanomenon

  Fri 30 Oct and Sat 31 Oct

  A trip to the cinema breaks the space/time continuum in this delightful micro-budget sci-fi comedy.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Variations on a Theme

  Dir. Devon Delmar, Jason Jacobs

  Constellation

  Fri 30 Oct - Thu 12 Nov

  Variations on a Theme is a captivating, lyrical portrait of life in rural South Africa.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Flies

  Dir. Fernando Eimbcke

  Constellation

  Fri 30 Oct - Wed 4 Nov

  Fernando Eimbcke’s gentle, charming character drama tracks an unlikely friendship with emotional warmth and touches of deadpan comedy.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Ultimate Thunder

  Dir. Ben G. Brown

  Cinema Versa Opening Film

  Fri 30 Oct - Mon 9 Nov

  A fresh and joyful documentary which is a true ode to DIY, friendship and music with a generous dose of punk spirit

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Ben'Imana

  Dir. Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo

  Constellation

  Fri 30 Oct - Thu 12 Nov

  Winner of the best first feature award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Ben'Imana is an astounding debut from Rwandan filmmaker Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Mārama

  Dir. Taratoa Stappard

  Fanomenon

  Fri 30 Oct and Sun 1 Nov

  A young Māori woman faces the horror of her colonial heritage in this stunning Gothic horror.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Odd Man Out

  Dir. Carol Reed

  Fri 30 Oct and Mon 2 Nov

  Set against political unrest in Northern Ireland, Carol Reed’s gripping post-war noir stars James Mason as Johnny McQueen, a revolutionary stranded on the streets of an unnamed Belfast after a robbery goes wrong.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Sad Girlz

  Dir. Fernanda Tovar

  Constellation

  Fri 30 Oct - Thu 5 Nov

  Fernanda Tovar’s award-winning debut is an intimate, deeply empathetic portrait of female friendship in the aftermath of trauma.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Rebellion

  Dir. Ken Fero, Tariq Mehmood

  Cinema Versa

  Fri 30 Oct and Wed 4 Nov

  The landmark struggle of the Bradford 12 comes urgently to life in this powerful new documentary.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Master

  Dir. Rezwan Shahriar Sumit

  Constellation

  Fri 30 Oct and Sat 31 Oct

  Master is a sly and gripping political drama from Bangladesh, brilliantly dramatising the subtle, corrupting influences of power.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Wild Horse Nine

  Dir. Martin McDonagh

  Fanomenon - LIFF 40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL FILM PREVIEW

  Fri 30 Oct - Sun 1 Nov

  From writer-director Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin), Wild Horse Nine is a gripping dark comedy thriller set shortly before the 1973 coup in Chile.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  The Third Man

  Dir. Carol Reed

  Fri 30 Oct and Mon 2 Nov

  Regarded as one of the greatest British films of all time, The Third Man is one of two Carol Reed films screening in The City Plays Itself season alongside Odd Man Out.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Little Fugitive

  Dir. Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin

  Sat 31 Oct - 09:00

  Seen through the eyes of a seven-year-old, Little Fugitive captures the excitement, fear and freedom of childhood in 1950s New York.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Into the Jaws of the Ogre

  Dir. Mahsa Karampour

  Cinema Versa - Feature Film Competition

  Sat 31 Oct and Fri 6 Nov

  Iranian filmmaker Mahsa Karampour tries to reconnect with her younger brother in this thoughtful, tender documentary road movie.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Daughters of the Forest

  Dir. Otilia Portillo Padua

  Cinema Versa

  Sat 31 Oct and Mon 2 Nov

  Journey deep into Mexico’s forests in Otilia Portillo Padua’s beautiful and immersive exploration of the hidden worlds beneath our feet.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Day of the Dead

  Fanomenon - Fanathon

  Sat 31 Oct - 13:15

  All-day horror marathon with some of the most acclaimed horror films of the year.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Never After Dark

  Dir. Dave Boyle

  Fanomenon - Day of the Dead

  Sat 31 Oct - 13:15

  A travelling medium uncovers dark, threatening secrets in this spine-chilling ghost story.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Love Letter

  Dir. Kinuyo Tanaka

  Sat 31 Oct - 13:30

  The directorial debut of the great Japanese actress and filmmaker Kinuyo Tanaka, who made 15 films with director Kenji Mizoguchi, Love Letter is a vivid evocation of post-war Tokyo a year after the American occupation ended.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  My Father's Kora

  Dir. Aymar A. Esse

  Cinema Versa - Feature Film Competition

  Sat 31 Oct and Fri 6 Nov

  A journey from Berlin to Dakar becomes a moving exploration of identity and belonging in Aymar Esse’s affecting debut.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  The Meltdown

  Dir. Manuela Martelli

  Constellation

  Sat 31 Oct and Mon 2 Nov

  Manuela Martelli’s second feature is an intense thriller set in 90s Chile, centering on a missing teenager in a remote ski resort.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Recluse

  Dir. Henry Chaisson

  Fanomenon - Day of the Dead

  Sat 31 Oct - 15:30

  Henry Chaisson’s atmospheric debut set in a Gothic world is a claustrophobic descent into horror.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Congo Boy

  Dir. Rafiki Fariala

  Constellation

  Sat 31 Oct - Tue 10 Nov

  A young refugee chases his rap dreams in this rousing autobiographical feature from the Central African Republic.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Imposters

  Dir. Caleb Phillips

  Fanomenon - Day of the Dead

  Sat 31 Oct - 18:15

  A couple is put to the test when their missing baby returns under mysterious circumstances in this chilling lo-fi sci-fi.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Joybubbles

  Dir. Rachael J. Morrison

  Cinema Versa

  Sat 31 Oct and Mon 2 Nov

  Long before the internet, in 1950s America, a young boy miraculously discovers that he can control the global telephone system by whistling a magic tone.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Josephine

  Dir. Beth de Araújo

  Constellation

  Sat 31 Oct - Tue 10 Nov

  Beth De Araújo's masterful and devastating drama Josephine won the top dramatic grand jury prize and the audience award at Sundance Film Festival

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Red Rocks

  Dir. Bruno Dumont

  Constellation

  Sat 31 Oct - Wed 11 Nov

  The brilliantly unpredictable French director, Bruno Dumont returns with a vivid and offbeat drama about the strangeness and intensity of childhood.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Ghost in the Cell

  Dir. Joko Anwar

  Fanomenon - Day of the Dead

  Sat 31 Oct - 20:30

  In the Fanomenon Day of the Dead finale, Indonesian genre master Joko Anwar delivers a wild combo of martial arts action, graphic horror, pitch-black humour, and social commentary, topped with dance battles and performance art prayer routines.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Heysel 85

  Dir. Teodora Ana Mihai

  Constellation

  Sat 31 Oct and Mon 2 Nov

  This breathtaking thriller sweeps through the backrooms and corridors of Brussels’ Heysel Stadium during the tragic incident at the 1985 European Cup Final, which killed 39 people.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Summertime

  Dir. David Lean

  Sun 1 Nov and Tue 3 Nov

  David Lean turns Venice into a city of longing and possibility in this exquisite, bittersweet romance.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Nuisance Bear

  Dir. Gabriela Osio, Vanden Jack Weisman

  Cinema Versa

  Sun 1 Nov and Mon 2 Nov

  Nuisance Bear is a visually stunning and unconventional nature documentary, considered from one animals’ perspective with a poetic voiceover from an indigenous Inuit elder.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming

  Dir. Isabelle Stever

  Constellation

  Sun 1 Nov and Mon 9 Nov

  Isabelle Stever’s daring and distinctive drama explores queer love and identity amid the upheaval of war.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Fjord

  Dir. Cristian Mungiu

  Constellation

  Sun 1 Nov - Mon 9 Nov

  The gripping and thought-provoking drama Fjord is Cristian Mungiu’s second Palme d’Or winning film at Cannes Film Festival after 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007).

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  In a Whisper

  Dir. Leyla Bouzid

  Constellation

  Sun 1 Nov - Tue 10 Nov

  From writer-director Leyla Bouzid (As I Open My Eyes), In a Whisper is a touching intergenerational family drama with a captivating ensemble cast, including the great Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass (also in Atonement at LIFF 2026).

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Whispers in May

  Dir. Dongnan Chen

  Cinema Versa - Feature Film Competition

  Sun 1 Nov and Thu 5 Nov

  A tender coming-of-age film about friendship and identity that blends reality and fiction, and challenges the boundaries of documentary filmmaking.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Grotesqqque

  Dir. Atsushi Nishigori

  Fanomenon - Feature Film Competition

  Sun 1 Nov - 13:45

  A hit at this year’s Fantasia film festival, Grotesqqque is a music-fuelled, girl-filled anime anthology film in three parts from CloverWorks studio and Atsushi Nishigori, Chief Animation Director behind Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  La Bola Negra

  Dir. Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo

  Constellation

  Sun 1 Nov - Thu 5 Nov

  Three stories intertwine in Los Javis’ ambitious melodrama of Spanish queer history.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Lady

  Dir. Olive Nwosu

  Constellation

  Sun 1 Nov - 16:00

  A vibrant debut from director Olive Nwosu, which won the Acting Ensemble award at Sundance Film Festival for its all-female main cast. Lady works as one of the city’s few women cab drivers in the sleepless city of Lagos.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Words of Love

  Dir. Rudi Rosenberg

  Constellation

  Sun 1 Nov - Sat 14 Nov

  Rudi Rosenberg’s warm, funny and heartbreaking Words of Love features captivating performances from new young actors Nour Salam and Mateo Danila, the brilliant Hafsia Herzi, and a mudi shepherd as a cheese-obsessed stray dog.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  São Paulo, Incorporated

  Dir. Luiz Sérgio Person

  Sun 1 Nov and Tue 3 Nov

  Luiz Sérgio Person’s electrifying portrait of 1960s São Paulo captures a metropolis transformed by industrialisation.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Mutter: The Diary of a Mother

  Dir. Alphan Eseli

  Fanomenon - Feature Film Competition

  Sun 1 Nov and Wed 4 Nov

  A mother’s love knows no bound in this maternal horror drama with a powerful central performance.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  All of a Sudden

  Dir. Ryūsuke Hamaguchi

  Constellation

  Sun 1 Nov - Fri 13 Nov

  Ryûsuke Hamaguchi weaves another poignant drama, this time about illness, friendship, art and care.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  9 Temples to Heaven

  Dir. Sompot Chidgasornpongse

  Constellation

  Sun 1 Nov - Sat 14 Nov

  9 Temples to Heaven is a beautiful and hypnotic film about a one-day family pilgrimage.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Bowels of Hell

  Dir. Gurcius Gewdner, Gustavo Vinagre

  Fanomenon

  Sun 1 Nov - 20:15

  A delightfully trippy and socially conscious horror-comedy from Brazil, about a sewage system taken over by evil spirits.

  Tickets from 8 October
• 

  Wolfram

  Dir. Warwick Thornton

  Fanomenon

  Mon 2 Nov and Tue 3 Nov

  Warwick Thornton follows up his acclaimed Sweet Country from 2017 with the immersive and moving outback western Wolfram.

  Tickets from 8 October