KLEBER MENDONÇA FILHO, PETER WEIR, MARIE KREUTZER & ANDREY ZVYAGINTSEV AMONG 100+ GUESTS ANNOUNCED FOR
SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL 2026
Media release Posted 13 may,2026
Sydney Film Festival today announces more than 100 local and international filmmakers set to attend the 73rd edition, running 3 to 14 June in Sydney, including current Palme d’Or contenders Minotaur director
The more than 100 filmmaker guests will present their films at premieres across the 12 days of the Festival, as well as take part in audience Q&A’s following screenings. Beyond the cinema, filmmakers will also participate in a series of free talks, panels and masterclasses taking place at Lower Sydney Town Hall, in SFF’s pop-up event space – The Hub.
An unmissable event taking place at 5:30pm, Wednesday 10 June at The Hub and co-presented by the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), is a landmark In Conversation that will see legendary Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Weir — the Australian New Wave icon behind Gallipoli, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Dead Poets Society and The Truman Show, and recipient of six Academy Award nominations across four decades — reflect on a career that has shaped generations of filmmakers and carried Australian stories onto the world stage.
Joining the Festival’s special events is Kleber Mendonça Filho – recent Oscar nominee for Best Picture and this year’s Official Competition Jury President – who will deliver a filmmaking Masterclass at 1:30pm, Saturday 13 June. His most recent feature, The Secret Agent, became the most awarded film at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, winning Best Director and Best Actor for star Wagner Moura, before earning nominations for Best Picture and Best International Film at the Academy Awards.
“To have all these filmmakers, including Peter Weir, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Andrey Zvyagintsev and Marie Kreutzer, at this year’s Festival is extraordinary. The
Tickets for all events including the In Conversation with Peter Weir and Masterclass with Kleber Mendonça Filho are available now at sff.org.au
OFFICIAL COMPETITION JURY AND FILMMAKER GUESTS
The 2026 Official Competition jury will judge the films in the Official Competition, awarding $60,000 to the winner of the coveted Sydney Film Prize.
The 2026 Official Competition jury is presided over by Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho (The Secret Agent, SFF 2025), alongside Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi (On Body and Soul, SFF 2017; Silent Friend, SFF 2026), Singaporean filmmaker Boo Junfeng (Apprentice), Australian cinematographer Ari Wegner (The Power of the Dog), and Australian First Nations producer and director Sally Riley (Mystery Road).
For the 18th year, the Official Competition will award the Sydney Film Prize to an “audacious, cutting-edge and courageous” piece of cinema, with the winner announced at the Festival’s Closing Night Gala on Sunday 14 June at the State Theatre.
Attending the Festival to present their films in competition will be: Australian director Adrian Chiarella (Leviticus), Rwandan director Marie-Clémentine
ParkRoyal is the Official Jury Partner.
GUEST LINEUP
The 73rd Sydney Film Festival reveals its guest lineup of esteemed international and Australian filmmakers who will attend the Australian and World Premieres of their films this June. These special guests will walk the red carpet, introduce their films, and participate in talks, panels, and Q&A sessions across the 12-day event. For the most up-to-date list of attending guests, please visit sff.org.au.
Documentary Australia Award
- Director Anthony Frith (Mockbuster)
- Directors Josef Gatti and Rob Innes (Phenomena)
- Director Natalia Laska and documentary subject Martin Tucker (The Piano Tuner)
- Director Chouwa Liang and producer Andy Huang (Replica)
- Directors W.A.M. Bleakley and Rhian Skirving, and producer Anna Charalambous (Rodeo Dreams)
- Director Selina Miles, producer Blayke Hoffman, and documentary subject Jennifer Robinson (Silenced), also Opening Night
- Directors Matasila Freshwater and Kerry Warika, and Australian director Lachlan McLeod (Sukundimi Walks Before Me)
- Director Vee Shi and producer Nicholson Ren (Time and Tide)
- Director Christopher Nelius and documentary subjects Molly Lewis, Lauren Elder, and Carol Anne Kaufman (Whistle)
- Director Grace McKenzie, writer and documentary subject Bruce Pascoe, and producer Tom Zubrycki (Yumburra)
Special Presentations at the State
- Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi (Silent Friend), also Official Competition jury member
- Director Ian Darling (The Valley)
Features
- Australian director Dean Francis, cast members Tim Pocock, Tom Rodgers, Sacha Horler, Paul Capsis, Chris Hayward, Vincent Adriano, and Duke Ironheart, songwriter and performer Greg Gould, and cinematographer Franc Biffone (Body Blow)
- Australian director Genevieve Clay-Smith and lead actress Olivia Hargroder (Boss Cat)
- Australian director Anoop Lokkur (Don’t Tell Mother)
- Australian director James J. Robinson (First Light)
- Australian director Dario Russo (The Fox)
- Australian director Hyun Lee and lead actress Mia Kidis (French Girls), also in SARTORIAL: Film On Fashion
- Brazilian director Gabe Klinger (Isabel)
- Japanese director Akio Fujimoto (Lost Land)
- Thai director Pen-ek Ratanaruang (M
orte Cucina) - South Korean director Shin Su-won and lead cast member Han Hyun-min (The Mutation)
- Australian director Clara Law (Ripples in the Mist)
- Australian director Natalie Erika James (Saccharine)
- Spanish director Jaume Claret Muxart (Strange River)
- South Korean director Yoon Ga-eun (The World of Love)
- Australian director Sam Voutas (Yesterday Island)
Box Set:
- Australian director Daniel Nettheim and writer Ben Jenkins (The Killings at Parrish Station)
International Documentaries
- Czech and Slovak director Pepa Lubojacki (If Pigeons Turned to Gold)
- Tongan director Vea Mafile’o (Lomu)
- South Korean director Kim Shin-wan (The Seoul Guardians)
- American director William D. Caballero (TheyDream)
Sounds on Screen
- American director Tamra Davis (The Best Summer)
- New Zealand directors Rebecca Tansley and Catherine Madigan, and producer Taualeo’o Stephen Stehlin (Tenor: My Name is Pati)
Freak Me Out
- British directors Noah Stratton-Twine and Jake Kuhn (The Peril at Pincer Point)
Classics Restored
- Australian director Richard Lowenstein (He Died with a Falafel in His Hand)
Joining the Festival will also be other members of the film teams for the above films, as well as filmmakers competing for the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films, along with local short filmmaking talent.
The full Sydney Film Festival 2026 program can be found online at sff.org.au.
Sydney Film Festival runs from 3-14 June 2026. Tickets and Flexipasses to Sydney Film Festival 2026 are on sale now. Please call 1300 733 733 or visit sff.org.au for more information or to book.
ABOUT SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL
The Sydney Film Festival is one of the world’s longest running and most prestigious film festivals. The 73rd edition, taking place from 3 to 14 June 2026, will showcase the very best in contemporary cinema and offer audiences the chance to experience premieres, red carpet events, and exciting special programs across Sydney.
The Festival is supported by the NSW Government through Screen NSW and Destination NSW, the Federal Government through Screen Australia, and the City of Sydney.
Stay up to date with Sydney Film Festival: eNews, Facebook, Ins
For more information, visit sff.org.au.
