The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) 2026, running from August 6 to 23, offers a diverse program including eight must-see films, a new Australian TV series, and an acclaimed virtual reality experience. Tickets go on sale from Tuesday, July 14 at 10am.
Top Picks for MIFF 2026
The festival's standout recommendation is The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up, an hour-long virtual reality production from director Singing Chen. This free-roaming experience follows Guan, a Taiwanese lawyer whose wife dies, leaving an unfinished novel. He becomes obsessed, entering its world and embarking on an emotional journey into the mountains. The production premiered at Venice Immersive, where it was a hot ticket item.
Hard-Hitting Dramas
Josephine, directed by Beth de Araújo, stars Channing Tatum and Mason Reeves. The film explores the trauma of an eight-year-old girl who witnesses a violent sexual assault while in a park with her father. Critics have called it an "instant classic" (Rolling Stone), "masterful" (IndieWire), and "stunning" (Guardian).
Minotaur, by Russian auteur Andrey Zvyagintsev, is a commentary on Russian authoritarianism set after the invasion of Ukraine. It follows a wealthy businessman tasked with finding men to be drafted, while suspecting his wife of infidelity. The film won the Grand Prix at Cannes and received a five-star review from Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw.
Unique Perspectives
Hen, directed by György Pálfi, is a surreal drama about poverty and people smuggling told from a chicken's eye-level. Critics compare it to the 2022 film EO, which was told from a donkey's point of view.
Nuisance Bear, winner of the US Documentary Grand Jury prize at Sundance, examines polar bears that lose their fear of humans due to climate change. The film features no talking heads and sparse narration from Inuit elder Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons.
French Drama and Australian TV
Nino, directed by Pauline Loquès, follows a man diagnosed with cancer over his 29th birthday weekend. Théodore Pellerin stars in this Paris-set drama, which invites comparisons to Agnès Varda's Cléo from 5 to 7.
The Airport Chaplain is a new Australian TV series starring Hugo Weaving as an unorthodox chaplain who bends rules to help passengers, with Shabana Azeez playing his rule-abiding boss. The series gets its world premiere at MIFF.
Classic and Quirky Documentaries
Portrait of Jason, Shirley Clarke's 1967 classic, features gay African American performer Jason Holliday, shot over a single 12-hour night. The film is a captivating example of documentary talent.
Whistle, directed by Christopher Nelius, explores the world of competitive whistling, focusing on the biennial Masters of Musical Whistling competition in Los Angeles.
Special Focus: Sarah Watt
MIFF offers a rare chance to see works by Australian film-maker Sarah Watt, who passed away in 2011. The retrospective includes feature films Look Both Ways and My Year Without Sex, and animated shorts, coinciding with The Way of the Birds exhibition at ACMI.
