The film festival season is heating up with the announcement of the 2026 lineups for the Hudson Film Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Both festivals promise a rich tapestry of cinematic experiences, from world premieres to special retrospectives, ensuring there’s something for every film enthusiast.
From August 6-9, the Hudson Film Festival will take over Upstate New York, expanding its reach to include the town of Catskill. This year’s festival features 25 films, a curated video art collection, and a variety of special events. Tickets and passes are now available on the festival’s website.
The Hudson Film Festival: A Celebration of Diverse Voices
The festival kicks off on Thursday, August 6 with the Hudson Valley premiere of Filipiñana a sundance 2026 World Cinema Special Jury Award winner. The lineup also includes other Sundance award winners such as American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis ValdezBarbara Forever and How to Divorce During the War. Local filmmakers will also shine with the screening of Comparsa a Denver documentary audience award winner.
Spotlight showcase screenings include Pillion a queer romance that has garnered praise from IndieWire, and a celebration of the Studio Ghibli classic Spirited Away. The festival’s shorts program is organized around themes like Connection and DesireThe Unexpected and UnpredictableGrowth and Courage and The Darker Side: Kisses, Crimes and Cults. Notable shorts include AttachedThe Boys and the Bees and Two People Exchanging Saliva an Oscar-winning film.
Expanding Horizons and Community Engagement
The Hudson Film Festival co-founders, John Maybee, Sarah Peters, and Sonia Marcela Freeman, expressed their excitement about the festival’s growth. They highlighted the addition of more short films and the expansion of the Free Youth Film Workshop in partnership with Stockade Works and the Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene (MHACG). The festival’s collaboration with XFR Collective aims to preserve at-risk audiovisual media and provide educational opportunities for youth.
The festival week kicks off with the Free Youth Film Workshop on Saturday, August 1, designed for middle school students. The workshop focuses on location-scouting and culminates in a video compilation of student work screened on August 7. The festival returns to its venue partners Hudson Hall, Time & Space Limited, Basilica Hudson, and The Spark of Hudson, with the addition of new venue partners Community Theater and Avalon Lounge in Catskill.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival: A Blend of New and Classic
From August 13-19, the Edinburgh International Film Festival will celebrate its 79th edition with a lineup that includes 38 new feature films and 21 world premieres. The festival opens with The Incomer a debut feature from Louis Paxton, and closes with the world premiere of Bel a documentary about Kenyan-Scottish musician Beldina Odenyo.
The competition selection features ten feature-length world premieres, with the winning filmmaker awarded £50,000 to support future projects. Notable films include CapsizedFirst ZoneMission and Out There starring Michael Sheen. Out-of-competition screenings include I Want Your Sex by Gregg Araki and Sheep in the Box by Hirokazu Kore-eda.
Retrospectives and Industry Events
The festival also features special retrospective screenings, including a 30th anniversary screening of Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet and a 20th anniversary screening of Little Miss Sunshine. The industry program includes the inaugural U.K. Film Conference, aimed at bringing together filmmakers, producers, exhibitors, distributors, and film professionals to engage with the future of independent film in the U.K.
Festival director Paul Ridd expressed his enthusiasm about the festival’s lineup, highlighting the balance of emerging voices and established stars. The Edinburgh International Film Festival promises to be a dynamic and exciting event, offering a panoramic vision of cinema at its most compelling.
