A Year of Film Festivals —International Cinema Events Worth the Trip
For us film fans, watching a movie is a lot like travel. It combines wanderlust with movie magic, transporting us through time and space.
Film festivals are one of the best ways to experience that feeling in the real world. They’re where new and emerging talent breaks through, where you can stumble across an indie gem, encounter cinema from a part of the world you’ve never visited. Or simply earn the bragging rights of seeing a buzzy title well before its general release.
Better still, film festivals let travellers soak up local culture, international cinema, and a sense of community all in the one trip. As a festival director once said to me, going to the Venice Film Festival is great because when you step out of a good or bad film, you’re still in Venice.
The beautiful State Theatre hosts the Sydney Film Festival every June. Image courtesy SFF.
How This Guide Works
This is a month-by-month guide to some of the best film festivals worth travelling for. It’s by no means exhaustive. Instead, I’ve aimed for a mix of the Big Five (marked with a ⭐), smaller festivals with a specific focus, and a handful of personal favourites in places that are simply great to visit.
All dates are current at the time of writing, but follow the links to individual festival sites for the latest schedules and line-ups.
Festival Calendar — A Month-by-Month Guide to 2026
January
Sundance Film Festival — Park City, Utah, USA — 22 January to 1 February 2026 ⭐
Still one of the world’s most influential indie festival, where breakout films, industry buzz, and snowy mountain scenery collide.
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) — Rotterdam, Netherlands — 29 January to 8 February 2026
A cinephile favourite focused on bold, experimental, and globally diverse filmmaking. Home of the Tiger Competition.
February
Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) — Berlin, Germany — 12 to 22 February 2026 ⭐
A major European festival known for politically engaged cinema, public accessibility, and the Golden Bear award.
March
CPH:DOX — Copenhagen, Denmark — 11 to 22 March 2026
Any excuse is a good one to go to Copenhagen. This Danish festival focuses on documentaries.
SXSW Film & TV Festival — Austin, Texas, USA — March
The annual Austin gathering (now with offshoots in Sydney and London) blends film, TV, tech, and music, with increasingly high-profile premieres in recent years.
April
Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF50) — Hong Kong, SAR — 1 to 12 April 2026
Celebrating it’s 50th anniversary in 2026, it’s one of Asia’s oldest festivals, annually showcasing a diverse selection of nearly 200 international and local films.
May
Cannes Film Festival — Cannes, France — 12 to 23 May 2026⭐
Festival de Cannes is arguably the most prestigious film festival on the calendar. Grab your tuxedo, rub elbows with the stars and wow over high fashions in the south of France.
June
Sydney Film Festival — Sydney, Australia - 3 to 14 June 2026
As one of the first major international festivals following Cannes, . Sydney in June is wet, but film is always warming.
Tribeca Film Festival — New York, USA — 3 to 14 June 2026
Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2002, it’s now an annual event showcasing storytelling in NYC.
Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival — San Francisco, USA — 17 to 27 June 2026
The longest-running and largest queer film event in the world.
Annecy Animation Festival — Annecy, France — 23 to 26 June 2026
The world’s largest festival dedicated just to animation. It’s a gathering of industry professionals, filmmakers, and fans, often with sneak peaks and early workprints too.
July
Fantasia International Film Festival — Montreal, Canada — 16 July to 2 August 2026
The absolute peak of genre cinema, including horror, science fiction, and fantasy films with a solid focus on Asian films.
August
Melbourne International Film Festival — Melbourne, Australia — 6 to 23 August 2026
One of Australia’s oldest film festivals goes for over two weeks, showcasing local and international features, premieres and immersive experiences.
Locarno International Film Festival — Locarno, Switzerland — 5 to 15 August 2026
Discover the next Golden Leopard winner in one of the open-air screenings held in the stunning Piazza Grande.
Venice International Film Festival — Venice, Italy ⭐
One of the oldest and most prestigious festivals in the world, it’s another that kicks off the award season and signals some of the big winners.
A crowded BIFF Square in between rounds of the prestigious Busan International Film Festival.
September
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) — Toronto, Canada — 10 to 20 September 2026⭐
One of the ‘big five’ festivals, it’s always good to watch this one closely for hints at the year’s Oscar contenders.
Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) — Busan, South Korea — Dates TBA
The film festival that is loved by other film festivals, it’s Asia’s premiere film event. Also: check out our guide to Busan as a UNESCO city of film!
October
BFI London Film Festival — London, UK — 7 to 18 October 2026
The weather may be getting cooler in London, but the festival season hots up with a two-week showcase of the best new British and international cinema.
Tokyo International Film Festival — Tokyo, Japan — Dates TBA
Autumnal Japan is beautiful in October, and this major festival is the only Japanese competitive event accredited by FIAPF.
November
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival — Taipei, Taiwan — Dates TBA
Home of the Golden Horse Awards, which are often called the ‘Oscars of Chinese language film.’
Cairo International Film Festival — Cairo, Egypt — 11 to 20 November 2026
The oldest accredited film festival in the Middle East, the CIFF competition has a significant representation of films from the MENA region.
December
Les Arcs Film Festival — French Alps — 12 to 19 December 2026
Why not end the year in the French Alps watching European independent cinema with a focus on sustainability and diversity?