Haifa Film Festival Unveils Star-Studded 2026 International Program
The 42nd Haifa International Film Festival unveiled its 2026 lineup featuring major global premieres, Oscar winners, and a tribute to Barbra Streisand.
The 42nd Haifa International Film Festival has unveiled its international artistic lineup, set to take place during the Sukkot holiday from September 26 to October 3. The announcement follows the reveal of the Israeli program last week and the news that the opening film will be "Our Loves", acclaimed director Avi Nesher’s new film about the events of October 7.
Highlights of the International Program
The international program is headlined by the opening films from three of the world's most prestigious film festivals: "Electric Kiss", a French-Belgian co-production by Pierre Salvadori that opened this year’s Cannes Film Festival; "No Good Men Left", by Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat, which opened the Berlinale; and "Empire", British director Danny Boyle’s film about the rise of The Sun tabloid, which opened the Venice Film Festival.
The festival's closing film will be "It Will Happen Tonight" by Italian director Nanni Moretti, based on the bestselling novel "Hungry Heart" by Eshkol Nevo, arriving straight from the Venice competition.
Premieres and Masterpieces
Additional high-profile premieres include "Mentor" by Andrey Zvyagintsev, winner of the Grand Prix at the recent Cannes Film Festival; "Suddenly" by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and "Coward" by Lukas Dhont, winners of the acting awards at Cannes; "Time After Time" by Sandra Wollner, winner of the Un Certain Regard best film award; "The Stranger", a new adaptation of Albert Camus' novel by François Ozon; "Everybody Loves Bill Evans", winner of the Berlinale Directing Prize; "Parallel Fables" by Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi; and "Kremlin Secrets", a political satire by Olivier Assayas starring Jude Law as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tribute to Barbra Streisand and International Guests
The festival’s classics section will pay tribute to legendary singer and actress Barbra Streisand, featuring special screenings of "A Star Is Born", "Funny Girl", "Hello, Dolly!", and "Yentl". Among the international guests slated to attend the festival in Haifa with their new works are filmmakers Tudor Giurgiu, Alberto Shammah, and Mirielle d'Ansembourg.
