The 2026 Seattle International Film Festival, or SIFF 2026, is a film festival that was screened in theaters from May 7 to May 17, 2026. It consisted of 71 narrative features, 34 documentary features, and 98 short films. According to , there were 18 world premieres, 12 North American premieres, and 10 US Premieres.
The festival opened with I Love Boosters at the Paramount Theatre followed by a party afterwards at Cannonball Arts. The closing night film was The Invite. The RSVP-required community screening of Reservation Redemption occurred at the Seattle Central Library auditorium on the first Saturday of the festival.
The festival was entirely in person in 2026, having eliminated the virtual screenings that started in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued as part of a hybrid festival from 2022 through 2025. The 2026 festival also eliminated the closing-night party. SIFF reported an attendance of 44,841, an increase of more than 3,000 from the previous year.
Venues The festival occurred at the SIFF Cinema Uptown (3 screens), the SIFF Cinema Downtown, and two venues at Seattle Center, the SIFF Film Center and the PACCAR IMAX Theater. The venues were relatively close enough to each other and could be traversed on foot, by bus, or by monorail.
Festival programs SIFF 2026 had a variety of film programs: Alternate Cinema, Archival Films, cINeDIGENOUS, Culinary Cinema, Documentary Films, Face the Music, Films4Families, New American Cinema, Northwest Connections, ShortsFest, WTF, and World Cinema. The latter included categories such as African Pictures, Asian Crossroads, Ibero-American Cinema, and others.
Films
Narrative features Title Director(s) Production country Premiere Program 100 Sunset Kunsang Kyirong Tenzin Canada Amrum Fatih Akin Germany Another World Tommy Kai Chung Ng Hong Kong April X Michel K. Parandi US, Romania Assets & Liabilities Zach Weintraub US Balandrau, Where the Fierce Wind Blew Fernando Trullos Spain North American Becoming Human Polen Ly Cambodia Black Burns Fast South Africa North American Body Blow Australia, US Burn Japan Camp Avalon Fast Canada WTF Case 137 Dominik Moll France Chili Finger Edd Benda, Stephen Helstad US Bolivia Cotton Queen Suzanna Mirghani Germany, France, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan Crystal Cross Richie James Follin US Kiwi Chow Taiwan, Hong Kong, UK North American Mejbaur Rahman Sumon Bangladesh Drunken Noodles Lucio Castro US, Argentina Edie Arnold Is a Loser Megan Rico, Kade Atwood US En Route To Yoo Jaein South Korea Fifteen , Yossy Zagha Mexico, Argentina WTF Franz Agnieszka Holland Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Grance, Turkey The Friend's House Is Here , Iran The Furious Kenji Tanigaki Hong Kong, China WTF The Garden We Dreamed Mexico, North American Gaua Spain North American WTF Happy Birthday Sarah Goher Egypt Hen György Pálfi Germany Hijra Shahad Ameen Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, UK Hot Water US I Want Your Sex Gregg Araki US If I Go Will They Miss Me Walter Thompson-Hernández US It Would Be Night in Caracas Mariana Rondón, Mexico, Venezuela Iván & Hadoum Ian de la Rosa Spain, Germany, Belgium North American Lady Samuel Abrahams UK North American Late Fame Kent Jones US Lucky Lu Lloyd Lee Choi US, Canada Mārama Taratoa Stappard New Zealand Maspalomas Aitor Arregi, Spain Meadowlarks Tasha Hubbard Canada Rémi Bezançon France North American Obsession Curry Barker US WTF Primavera Damiano Michieletto Italy, France Prisoners of the Earth Mario Soffici Argentina Promised Sky Erige Sehiri Tunisia Queen Kelly Erich von Stroheim US Juan Pablo Sallato Chile, Argentina, Italy Renoir Chie Hayakawa Japan, France, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Qatar, US Glenn McQuaid Ireland WTF Salvation Emin Alper Turkey, France, Netherlands, Greece, Sweden, Saudi Arabia See You When I See You Jay Duplas US Shape of Momo Tribeny Rai India, South Korea Silent Friend Ildikó Enyedi Germany, Hungary France Sons of the Neon Night Juno Mak Hong Kong, China Strange River Spain, Germany Sundays Aluda Ruiz de Azúa Spain Alli Haapasalo Finland, Denmark North American Three Goodbyes Isabel Coixet Italy, Spain Denmark US Trial of Hein Germany Valentina Tatti Ribeiro US
Documentary features
Title Director(s) Production country Premiere Program American Doctor Poh Si Teng US [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild] Mia Moore, Heather Ballish US World The Ascent Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, Francis Cronin US Barbara Forever US Beat the Lotto Ireland The Best Summer Tamra Davis US The Big Cheese Sara Joe Wolansky US The Birds of War , UK Boorman and the Devil David Kittredge US Broken English Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard UK Bucks Harbor Peter Muller US Cookie Queens Alysa Nahmias US Ukraine Eight Bridges James Benning US Ghost in the Machine Valerie Veatch US Hanging by a Wire Mohammed Ali Naqvi Pakistan Jaripeo , Mexico , Kenya The Life We Leave JJ Gerber US Love Chaos Kin Chithra Jeyaram US Maintenance Artist Toby Perl Freilich US Nuisance Bear Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman US One of Our Own: A Tribute to Joan Roca Jorge Fernández Mayoral, Virginia Jönas Urigüen Spain Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero Bayan Joonam US Powwow People Sky Hopinka US RADIOHEART: The Drive and Times of DJ Kevin Cole Peter Hilgendorf, Andrew Franks US Reservation Redemption Brenda Fisher, US Rising Through the Fray Canada Jong-woo Kim, Shin-Wan Kim, Chul-Young Cho South Korea US J.M. Harper US To Hold a Mountain , Serbia, France, Montenegro, Slovenia Under a Million Stars US When A Witness Recants Dawn Porter US Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird) , Banker White US
Shorts The ShortsFest consisted of these packages:
Title Director(s) Production country Package or Film A City Fights BackBrandon TauszikUSThe Seoul Guardians (doc.) Acid City Jack Wedge, Will FreudenheimUSBrave New World (pack.) Aquí nadie sabe quién fuiVanessa Navari, Alejandra Villegas, Kate VelaMexicoBest of NFFTY 2026 (pack.) Are You Native?Victoria CheyenneUSPowwow People (doc.) As Told by a CorpseYace SulaUSAlt Shorts (pack.) At Night Pooya AfzaliIranAnimation4Adults (pack.) Bako Removal ActBoma IlumaNigeria, USBrave New World (pack.) The Baker's HotlineEmily Schuman, Dave SchumanUSThe Big Cheese (doc.) Be Careful What You Ask ForAmie V SimonUSWTF! Nightmare Fuel (pack.) Best of LuckAlex BensonUSSound Visions (pack.) Blooky: The Book Who Wanted to Be ReadPablo Diaz De Leon HicksUS, Mexico, CanadaThe Family Picture Show (pack. Brothers of FaithGákte BieraNorwayTeachings of the Elders (pack.) Brown MorningLuxembourg, FranceAnimation4Adults (pack.) Burcu's AngelsÖzgün GündüzCanadaSpacing OUT (pack.) Carcassone-AcapulcoMarjorie Caup, Olivier HéraudFranceAnimation4Adults (pack.) Charlie is Not a BoyUS, Hungary, FranceSpacing OUT (pack.) Children & AnimalsWalker KalanUSReality Check (pack.) Correct Me If I'm WrongHao ZhouGermany, US, ChinaReality Check (pack.) Dancing in the rainChao-chun YehJapan, TaiwanThe Family Picture Show (pack.) Dick's-A-ThonDylan YoungUSSound Visions (pack.) Diwata Shea FormanesUS, PhilippinesSound Visions (pack.) Dog AloneMarta Reis AndradePortugal, FranceAnimation4Adults (pack.) EmbodiedSamuel Wright SmithUS, CanadaBest of NFFTY 2026 (pack.) EmbraceMatthew RushUSSpacing OUT (pack.) ERUCTATIONVictoria TrowUSReality Check (pack.) Facing the SunMathew CerfUSUnder a Million Stars (doc.) Fitted SheetUSSound Visions (pack.) Flink's Pigeon ProblemsSusan Fitzer, Brian PimentalUS, SpainThe Family Picture Show (pack.) Force Times DisplacementAngel WuTaiwanAlt Shorts (pack.) The Gnawer of RocksCanadaTeachings of the Elders (pack.) HaintJahmil EadyUSWTF! Nightmare Fuel (pack.) Halal DreamsMohammed MamdouhUnited Arab EmiratesValentina () HeartsickMK QuaneIrelandBeat the Lotto (pack.) Holy G Thy AngelJack-Henry LeeUS, UKAnimation4Adults (pack.) HomebodiesRachel OlsonUSShortsFest Opening Night (pack.) HomecomingSkyler KnutzenUSWTF! Nightmare Fuel (pack.) Honey, My Love, So SweetJT TrinidadPhilippinesBest of NFFTY 2026 (pack.) Horse FlyAlex ParkUSSound Visions (pack.) HUGSNicolas FongBelgiumAnimation4Adults (pack.) HyenaChina, USBrave New World (pack.) I Found a BoxRon Dyens, FranceThe Family Picture Show (pack.) In the Heavenly Cutting RoomEmma Penaz EisnerUSAlt Shorts (pack.) It's a Wonderful Night of the Living DeadJohn Bell, Dan BellUSAlt Shorts (pack.) KatyaTimofey PozhitkovUSSound Visions (pack.) The Last Cinnamon RollMichael LanganUSAssets & Liabilities (pack.) Late ShiftBritta JohnsonUSSound Visions (pack.) Latent HorizonJulie OrserUSThe Family Picture Show (pack.) Little Stories, Big Echoes: Beads of HopeDawn RichardUSThe Family Picture Show (pack.) Man Eating PussyEmily LawsonCanada, USWTF! Nightmare Fuel (pack.) MateriaAlisi TelengutCanadaAlt Shorts (pack.) MurmurZiyu Wang, Jinhong YuChinaAnimation4Adults (pack.) My Grandmother's TipiLindsay ChewanishCanadaTeachings of the Elders (pack.) My name is LilithLeo Luna Robert-TourneurBelgium, FranceSpacing OUT (pack.) Night PlaneSalise HughesUSAlt Shorts (pack.) Nobody Knows the WorldPeru, Colombia, Spain, MexicoShortsFest Opening Night (pack.) Oh WhaleWinslow Crane-MurdochUSShortsFest Opening Night (pack.) Once in a BodyColombia, USAnimation4Adults (pack.) Open MicJano PitaSpainWTF! Nightmare Fuel (pack.) Ordinary LifeFrance, JapanAnimation4Adults (pack.) OtherworldLokotah SanbornUSMeadowlarks (nar.) Paper TrailDon HertzfeldtUSShortsFest Opening Night (pack.) PASALUBONG!Sophia UyUS, PhilippinesBest of NFFTY 2026 (pack.) PatchMeg CookUSThe Family Picture Show (pack.) Plague SeasonEcuador, Spain, USBrave New World (pack.) Praying MantisJoe HsiehTaiwan, Hong KongWTF! Nightmare Fuel (pack.) Ramon Who Speaks to GhostsShervin KermaniSpain, Mexico, CanadaReality Check (pack.) RaptorLibby HakaraiaNew ZealandMārama (nar.) refrigerator humJade WongUSAlt Shorts (pack.) The ReturnNew Zealand, USTeachings of the Elders (pack.) The Road to Plan CMorgan DukesUSSound Visions (pack.) Roll ModelzYahir Tzec-Carasco, Oliver Rodriguez DicksonUSBest of NFFTY 2026 (pack.) ScissorsUSWTF! Nightmare Fuel (pack.) Scout's HonorIsabel PaskUSEdie Arnold is a Loser (nar.) ScratchAliya KamalovaUSShortsFest Opening Night (pack.) Sea SongAn-Phuong LyUSReality Check (pack.) Sea StarTyler Mckenzie EvansCanadaShortsFest Opening Night (pack.) Skin on SkinGermanySpacing OUT (pack.) Still StandingVictor Tadashi Suarez, USReality Check (pack.) Story Drive: Voices UnveiledMarcelese Cooper, Annalise BreauxUSSpacing OUT (pack.) The Sun & the WindSoyeon Kim, Todd HemkerUSThe Family Picture Show (pack.) Sunny OaksMax DaviesUKBest of NFFTY 2026 (pack.) SunsparkDanny BourqueUSThe Family Picture Show (pack.) TalliyahFritz BitsoieUSReservation Redemption (doc.) TankhaAkexander Moruo (Sakha), Markel MartynovRussia, New ZealandThe Family Picture Show (pack.) TheyRenée ZellwegerUKThe Family Picture Show (pack.) The Things We Lose on Our Way to the SkyYaeji KimUSBest of NFFTY 2026 (pack.) Two Old WomenPrincess Daazhraii JohnsonUSTeachings of the Elders (pack.) VisitorsMinnie SchedeenUSBrave New World (pack.) Wall UdderAlexandra HaydenUSWTF! Nightmare Fuel (pack.) Water SportsPhilippinesAlt Shorts (pack.) We Act Like ChildrenEvelyn PakinewatikCanadaAanikoobijigan[ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild] (doc.) We Get Better When We Tan Moose HidesBrittany Woods-OrrisonUSA, Canada, Greenland, Norway, FinlandTeachings of the Elders (pack.) We Were HerePranav BhasinIndiaBrave New World (pack.) WildKindJohn McDaidUnited KingdomThe Family Picture Show (pack.) Estonia, ArmeniaReality Check (pack.) With Tapes and Toasts in the Car Germany, FranceAnimation4Adults (pack.) You & MeKiera Faber, Jes ReyesUSAlt Shorts (pack.) YugenNayelli OjedaMexicoThe Songbirds' Secret (nar.)
Film competitions and awards There were several juried competitions for prequalified films: Official Competition Documentary Competition Ibero-American Competition New American Cinema Competition New Directors Competition