2026 movie information

2026 · 0h 15m

Follow Billy Jenkins, a reluctantly retired musician, on a bike trip around the borough of Lewisham, south east London, to enjoy, tidy up and generally support an informal network of micro libraries. Three micro library hosts describe what inspired them to start up their ventures, their contribution to the community and their ideas for the future. The film was made for the 2026 Brockley Max festival - which explains why Brockley in south east London is presented as the centre of the universe on map sequences - by Beowulf "Wulfie" Mayfield.

Solace

2026 · 0h 11m

A teenage boy struggling with depression reaches the tipping point as he remembers the simple but powerful moments in his life.

2026 · 0h 21m

"Disconnect" bears witness to the systematic and large-scale violent repression of recent street protests in Iran. Through voice messages and self-recorded footage from two days of demonstrations, the film captures the shifting emotions of its narrator—grief, anger, shock, fear, and enduring hope.

Disposable Wisdom

2026 · 0h 14m

"An immersive documentary project about Algerian youth. Filmed at night inside a car in Algiers, the journey becomes a space for free expression. I explore a fragile, often overlooked wisdom, born from intimate thoughts too frequently silenced or dismissed."

Second Responders

2026 · 0h 18m

Second Responders is a short documentary exploring the emotional aftermath of the 2023 Lewiston mass shooting through the perspective of public school teachers. Often overlooked in conversations surrounding tragedy and recovery, educators were forced to become emotional anchors for grieving students while navigating their own fear, trauma, and uncertainty. Through intimate interviews and observational storytelling, the film examines the invisible burden teachers carry in the wake of violence and the quiet resilience required to return to the classroom after a community is forever changed.

Snake Island: The Volcanic Life of Sea Kraits

2026 · 0h 8m

On the reefs of Pulau Manuk in Indonesia’s Banda Arc, sea kraits thrive among coral rooted in a volcanic island rising from deep ocean. As their daily rhythms unfold, a rare behaviour emerges. Sea kraits hunt in groups alongside schools of bluefin trevally, forming one of the ocean’s most elusive predator alliances.

Beyond Blue Sky: The Untold Story of the First Private Astronauts

2026 · 1h 33m

A supersonic physics experiment that would either end in a funeral or aerospace immortality for the desert-dwelling, corner-cutting geniuses, who wanted to prove it was possible to have a low-cost, privately-financed, manned space program.

Piety, Patriotism and Violence: The Legacy of Cutter and Bone

2026 · 0h 42m

Featurette on the legacy of Cutter’s Way with contributions from writers Megan Abbott, Jordan Harper, and George Pelecanos

Vastavirta-documentary

2026 · 1h 10m

The Vastavirta-Klubi has been operating in Pispala, Tampere, for over 20 years. To an outsider, the club may seem like a regular, raunchy rock club, but for some reason it has a cult reputation both in Finland and abroad, and the club has received, among other things, the Tampere Cultural Achievement of the Year award. The documentary explores why this is the case and follows the club's activities over a year.

retablos

2026 · 0h 38m

Icon painter Ilya Khodyrev receives an unusual commission: a family portrait inspired by Mexican retablos. His initial enthusiasm soon gives way to the tedious task of traveling in search of the materials he needs. He sets out with his partner, Venera, and her son. As the journey unfolds, it gradually becomes clear that the painting he is creating reflects his own life.

Pacifist

2026 · 0h 7m

Set in 1948 China during the Civil War, two men play a dangerous game in hopes of saving their teahouse.

Peep Show

2026 · Film

Dreamy days leading up to the death of an insecure and lonely teenager who is swallowed in the depths of pornography. Through these days, he starts to question his perceptions and how he thinks they'll ruin his chance at finding true love.

The Boy and The Other

2026 · 0h 21m

The Boy is stuck in a mental battle with himself. Though desperate for solitude, a curious Other insists on friendship.

Storie di Genova

2026 · 1h 6m

"Storie di Genova" is a documentary that combines historical research with innovative technology through advanced techniques of digital restoration, animation, and the colorization of archival photographs. Its aim is to offer viewers a fresh perspective on the past and create a dialogue between history and the present.

Jimmie Åkesson - pallar du trycket?

2026 · 0h 15m

Jimmie Åkesson went from being a political outsider to a key figure in Swedish politics. He is currently closer to holding government power than ever before. In this mini-documentary, we follow him from his home turf in Sölvesborg, through the corridors of power in Stockholm, to a controversial visit to a conference in Israel. But how much of Jimmie Åkesson’s original driving force remains—and will he be able to handle the pressure?

Silver Rush

2026 · 0h 13m

Silver Rush is a thrilling 12-minute documentary that follows the incredible journey of salmon along Alaska’s Kenai River. The film chronicles the salmon’s perilous migration from the river’s mouth, where they face dipnetters to the Russian River, where they fight their way up waterfalls. Along the way, they encounter predators such as eagles and bears, as they work to reach their spawning grounds. Highlighting their critical role as a keystone species, Silver Rush underscores the essential connection between the salmon, Alaska’s ecosystems, and its people, illustrating how this species’ survival is vital to the region's balance and prosperity.

Reefs: Our Sustenance Beneath the Waves

2026 · 1h 30m

In 2024 El Salvador declared a marine sanctuary at the richly biodiverse and beautiful, Maculís Reef. This vibrant ecosystem is vital not only for its extraordinary marine life, including soft corals, oysters, lobsters, nurse sharks, and endangered species like hawksbill turtles, but also for the local communities that rely on its resources. The protection of Maculís Reef strengthens the conversation of one of the El Salvador's richest coastal-marine ecosystems and affirms the country's world-leading reputation in environmental protection and sustainable development. This visually stunning film celebrates the Reef and its protection and raises awareness of the invaluable and irreplaceable ecosystems found beneath the waves of El Salvador's shores.

PARANOIA

2026 · 0h 10m

In a series of recent home invasions, a teenage girl must fight her delusive suspicions when she is left home alone.

Operation Wolf Foster

2026 · 0h 18m

Once nearly extinct, the critically endangered Mexican wolf is making a comeback - thanks to a bold conservation effort that places captive-born pups into wild dens. Operation Wolf Foster takes you inside this high-stakes recovery program, following the delicate journey of newborn wolves as they’re flown across the country and carefully introduced into the wild, offering hope for the species’ future.

2026 · 0h 12m

The Trump administration has turned immigration courts into deportation traps. As ICE agents wait to arrest their targets outside of courtrooms, their banal conversations clash with the severity of their actions. ​ This documentary short — filmed in New York's Federal Plaza from November 2025 through January 2026 — captures the virulent callousness of ICE agents detaining migrants who are trying to stay in the country legally.

Chronically Yours

2026 · 0h 23m

Chronically Yours follows Aubrey, a 27-year-old living with Multiple Sclerosis and how that affects her dating life.

2026 · 0h 6m

Szymon, preparing for the race, spends time in the paddock surrounded by family and friends. However, just before heading out onto the track, he is left alone, enjoying a moment of silence before the start. Film produced as part of the Lighthouse Film Community.

Sleep Call

2026 · 0h 17m

A lonely young man finds love online when a late-night sleep call with a stranger blossoms into an intimate digital romance.

Broken Glass

2026 · 0h 8m

Broken Glass is the name of a jelly dessert beloved by the filmmaker's daughter. The film begins as a simple cooking video and gradually unfolds into a zoetrope-cake animation experiment, accompanied by the author's reflection on her childbirth experience. As motherhood challenges the self-destructive perfectionism deeply ingrained in her creative process, she searches for a gentler way back to artistic practice within the routines of meal preparation - one that embraces imperfection, vulnerability and transience.

2026 · Film

Photographer Pauly V. navigates life with chronic illness through Eco-experimental film photography.

2026 · Film

The video work revolves around a single bicycle ride—from the author's home to the home of his grandfather, who is supposed to hand over tapes from his personal archive for digitalization. While the visual component is entirely focused on the meditative spin of the wheels, the narrative is detached from the image.

Renee Groux: "We're Not Friends"

2026 · 0h 44m

"We're Not Friends" is the debut comedy special and album from Canadian stand-up comedian Renee Groux. Her debut special has her celebrating and shaking her fist at the ups and downs of parenting and marriage. Seen at the Guelph Comedy Festival, Don't Tell Comedy, Fever Dream Comedy and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Renee's comedy is smart, upbeat and raunchy as she takes you through her first years of parenting her toddler while trying to stay cool/relevant/feminist/sane!

2026 · 0h 5m

Film produced as part of the Lighthouse Film Community. A young boy is making a dazzling sports career, but an unexpected crisis reveals that his greatest ambition was never victory.

Breakfast for Dinner, Too

2026 · Film

Detective Albert Sneeval is tasked with finding the rare sapphire that has been stolen from the new museum that just opened up in town. Through cigarettes, cocaine, and stupidity, the gang of characters join together to find the culprit.

Between Moon Tides

2026 · 0h 25m

In a ribbon of saltmarsh in coastal New England, an intergenerational group of citizen scientists is trying to save the Saltmarsh Sparrow from extinction, one nest at a time.

The Hands that Feed

2026 · 0h 13m

The Hands That Feed is a lovingly made tribute to the Stellenbosch restaurant Decameron, which has become a staple for anyone with a love of Italian food and tradition.

Broken Windows

2026 · 0h 5m

In Benoni, communities confront crime and neglect by cleaning their environment, revealing how resilience found in collective action challenges cycles of violence, poverty, and institutional failure.

Underground Sound

2026 · 0h 8m

For a DJ, keeping up with the latest trends is par for the course, but DJ Brian d’Souza, is forging his own path. Under his stage name, Auntie Flo, he learned to create innovative soundscapes from the subtle vibrations of living plants and mushrooms His musical exploration highlights the living ecosystem that exists all around us, urging us to see nature as living collaborator in the symphony of existence. Beyond the stage, his music promotes mental healing and environmental conservation, encouraging listeners to engage with nature in a new way. By collaborating with the natural world, Brian reshapes how we interact with the environment, giving Mother Earth a voice in the symphony of life and inviting us to listen to what’s hidden in plain sight.

2026 · 0h 9m

In a small one room apartment on a rainy day, an inner monologue reveals a woman’s confession of longing and separation from a young relationship that ended long ago.

Ghatak Was Here

2026 · Film

A personal essay film about the life, death and resurrection of the great Bengali director Ritwik Ghatak

The Birdman of Skomer

2026 · 0h 16m

For over 50 years, Tim Birkhead has dedicated his life to studying a resilient bird colony on the brink of survival. Once nearly wiped out, the birds have fought their way back - but new threats now loom on the horizon. As Tim grapples with their uncertain future, he also faces a deeper question: what will become of his life’s work?

Intertidal

2026 · 0h 23m

Pioneering Asian and Native Hawaiian marine scientists grapple with questions of belonging as they confront the long history of exploitation in coral reef research. Their work questions who holds authority in science—and what is lost when indigenous perspectives are dismissed. Grounded in the Hawaiian concept of kuleana — a sacred reciprocal responsibility between people and place — they are building new research models that prioritize the needs of local communities.

I want a president

2026 · 0h 8m

1992. United States of America. Bush and Clinton are presidential candidates, as is Myles, a candidate who at the time identifies as a woman, working-class, and openly lesbian. The issue inspires a poem to Zoe Leonard. 2024. The poem was augmented with new demands and translated into Acadam, a post-binary language, by the Bye Bye Binary collective.

The Space Between

2026 · 0h 11m

After a failed suicide attempt, art student Evangelina Roman finds herself in a surreal liminal space between life and death. There, she meets Evi, a 17th-century girl who helps Evangelina rediscover her passion and will to live through art and self-acceptance.

2026 · 0h 13m

“Opera di Muxaro: Ballata dell’Africana Errante” (Ballad of the Wandering African) is a new short film by British-Nigerian artist Zina Saro-Wiwa shot entirely in Sant’Angelo di Muxaro in the Agrigento region of Sicily. The film, which was conceived, shot and edited in two weeks is about existing in peace during war and existence as war during peace time. The film is about the cognitive and emotional dissonance of surviving societal collapse but finding yourself in an almost problematically beautiful place that suggests sanctuary and maybe even the afterlife.

Smardiez

2026 · 0h 20m

Smallz tries to earn money for his grandmas dying wish before she goes to hell. So why not make money by selling Smarties?

2026 · 0h 10m

After being unnoticed and doubted for years, a 16-year-old Chinese ice hockey player faces the question every student-athlete in China must confront: should he follow the path designed by his parents and give up the sport he loves? As expectations and uncertainty pulls him into a spiral of self-doubt, an American football coach enters the story, and the boy must decide what truly matters to him.

2026 · 0h 7m

Another day at the bookmaker’s, another string of losing horse bets. His latest attempt to win leads the protagonist to look deep within himself. Film produced as part of the Lighthouse Film Community.

2026 · 2h 57m

At Zhuzi School, Liu Feng, homeroom teacher of Grade 1 Class 6, and parent Mu Ren develop a learning system beyond the “Hengshui Model,” focusing on students’ body, mind, and brain. Opposing exhausting competition and utilitarian education, they advocate respect and space for healthier, more balanced high school development.

NEXT

2026 · 0h 3m

A young filmmaker finds himself caught between his passion for cinema and the choices that shapes his future.

And Where Now?

2026 · 0h 20m

An archive of video footage shot on Ukraine's Eastern Front in 2022–2023 views the landscape as a space of rupture, where layers of time overlap and familiar meanings lose their stability.

Wild Hope: Building for Birds

2026 · 0h 16m

Millions of birds pass through our yards during their bi-annual migrations, but they face an invisible killer along the way: glass windows. In the US alone, an estimated one billion birds die each year when they collide with windows. Now, two organizations help pave the way to a bird-friendly future.

Master of Puppets

2026 · 0h 7m

A young man watches a film. But when something strange occurs, he starts to doubt the world he's in.