A collage of images: a man with a flashlight, a woman in a blue dress facing a crowd, a snowy owl in a tree, a samurai, and a nun in a rice field.

Sydney Film Festival

Some films can’t be described. They have to be experienced. You’ll see…

Sydney Film Festival returns to the Sydney Opera House 4 – 7 June 2026 with a series of unmissable premieres.

Catch new Australian hits with filmmaker Q+As, like the wickedly funny The Fox, the magnetically unsettling Saccharine, or see where tension rises and notes soar in Whistle - the documentary about competitive whistling. Plus acclaimed cinematic feats from around the world like Rose starring Sandra Hüller, Silent Friend starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, or the engrossing new Samurai film direct from Cannes The Samurai and the Prisoner…and more!

Explore the program

The Fox + Q&A

4 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
A moustached man is crouched next to an animatronic fox. He is holding a flash light as it is night time in the woods.

Saccharine + Q&A

4 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
A person in a grey shirt and red jacket is looking upward while seated on and surrounded by full garbage bags.

Whistle + Q&A

5 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
A woman in a blue dress and gloves waves to a crowd from on top of a stage. In the background is a large rock or cliff.

Silent Friend + Q&A

5 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
A man stands in focus in front of a blurry background. He has short hair and is wearing glasses and a grey scarf.

Whispers in the Woods

6 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
An owl emerges from a hole in a tree trunk. There are bits of snow around it.

The Samurai and the Prisoner

6 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
A man in a traditional Japanese garment is standing while other men dressed similarly are crouched and surrounding him. A helmet and armour is visible in the background.

Rose

6 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
A person is looking off into the distance in a black and white image. They are wearing a wide brimmed hat and have a piece of straw in their mouth.

Late Fame

6 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
A woman wearing a coat and a hat with a feather in it stands on an urban street facing a man who is wearing a beanie and coat.

Vive L’Amour

7 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
A person has their hand on anothers bare chest and their mouth over their nipple.

Jack Johnson: SURFILMUSIC

7 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
A man sits cross legged on grass. He is holding a guitar and wearing a blue t-shirt.

First Light + Q&A

7 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
A Nun wearing a light blue habit overlooks a green field while clutching a white bag.

The Best Summer + Q&A

7 Jun 2026

  • Cinema
A blonde woman with glasses on her head sits next to another women wearing a hat and a red wutang shirt. They have festival lanyards on.