12 International Films To Watch At Adelaide Film Festival 2026

The Adelaide Film Festival returns October 14-25, bringing some of this year’s biggest international films to Adelaide.

AFF 2026 features 122 films from 52 countries, including award winners from Cannes, Sundance and Berlin.

I’ve gone over this year’s program and picked out some of the biggest international films to watch at Adelaide Film Festival 2026.

Wild Horse Nine

CIA agents Chris and Lee face a trust-testing mission from Santiago to Easter Island during 1973 in Chile.

The Australian premiere of Wild Horse Nine will open Adelaide Film Festival 2026.

Coward

Pierre, a young Belgian soldier wants to prove himself on the battlefield during the First World War. Behind the frontlines, he meets Francis, who is asked to find a way to boost morale.

Arrives in Adelaide after winning the Best Actor award at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

Fatherland

At the height of the Cold War, Fatherland centers on the relationship between the writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika—actress, writer and rally driver—as they embark on a road trip in a black Buick cruiser across a Germany in ruins.

Paweł Pawlikowski returns with Fatherland, which earned him the Best Director award at Cannes.

Josephine

After 8-year-old Josephine accidentally witnesses a crime in Golden Gate Park, she acts out in search of a way to regain control of her safety, while adults are helpless to console her.

Arrives at AFF after winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. 

Read my review for Josephine from MIFF 2026.

Paper Tiger

Two brothers pursue the American Dream but get entangled in a dangerous Russian mafia scheme that terrorizes their family, testing their bond as betrayal becomes possible.

Pressure

In the tense 72 hours before D-Day, General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Captain James Stagg face an impossible choice–launch the most dangerous seaborne invasion in history or risk losing the war altogether.

Pressure is the latest film from Adelaide filmmaker Anthony Maras following Hotel Mumbai.

Minotaur

A high-powered executive’s meticulously controlled existence unravels when professional crises, global chaos, and marital betrayal converge, pushing him toward a dangerous breaking point.

Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur comes to Adelaide after winning the Grand Prix at Cannes and the Sydney Film Prize.

Late Fame

Legendary New York poet Ed Saxberger’s forgotten works captivate an eccentric group of young creatives, reigniting his artistic passion. Their intrigue intertwines with the bewitching presence of actress Gloria.

Victorian Psycho

In 1858, an eccentric young governess, Winifred Notty, arrives at the remote gothic manor Ensor House. As Winifred assimilates, staff begin to inexplicably disappear, and the owners wonder if something is amiss about this new governess.

Read my review for Victorian Psycho from MIFF 2026.

Rose

A woman in the early 17th century, who is disguised as a man and wants to be a good citizen at any cost.

Rose arrives at AFF after winning the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!

Haru and Luis love competing in Tokyo’s ballroom dance scene, but after tragedy strikes, Haru withdraws into isolation. When friends coax her back to the studio, she develops an infatuation with the new instructor.

Shake Your Booty! comes to Adelaide after winning the Best Director award at Sundance.

Jim Queen

A gay influencer’s life crumbles when a virus turns gay men in Paris straight. He teams up with a twink to find a rumored cure in the Marais. A satire on identity, fame and queer culture.

Jim Queen was nominated for the Queer Palm and Caméra d’Or at Cannes and will serve as AFF’s Saturday Night Party film.

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These are only some of the international films screening at Adelaide Film Festival 2026, with plenty more spread throughout the 12-day program.

Adelaide Film Festival 2026 runs from October 14-25.

Which international films are on your AFF 2026 watchlist? Let us know in the comments below.

[Information and descriptions supplied by Adelaide Film Festival]