The 24th Annual New Hampshire Film Festival Announces 2026 Film Lineup
PORTSMOUTH, NH (September 14, 2026) – The New Hampshire Film Festival (NHFF) today announced its 2026 film lineup, featuring more than 100 films from across the globe screening throughout downtown Portsmouth during the festival’s 24th annual edition, taking place October 15–18, 2026. “This year’s program brings together exciting discoveries from emerging filmmakers, new work from established voices and standout films that have appeared at Cannes, Venice, Sundance and Tribeca — all alongside stories with deep New Hampshire connections,” said Ian McCarthy, lead programmer for the New Hampshire Film Festival. “Audiences can expect four days of films that surprise, challenge and entertain, and we can’t wait to welcome them and the filmmakers to Portsmouth.”
Highlights include:
Rose, Markus Schleinzer
Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff, directed by Nanette Burstein
Clarissa, directed by Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri
Love+War, from Academy Award-winning filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi
Minotaur, directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
NARRATIVE FEATURES
A Man of His Time, directed by Emmanuel Marre
A Safe Distance, directed by Gloria Mercer
Act One, directed by Sophia Takal
Caity, directed by Lindsay Calleran
Can’t Go Over It, directed by Ethan Fuirst
Clarissa, directed by Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri
Cotton Fever, directed by Daniel Blake Schwartz
The Diary of a Chambermaid, directed by Radu Jude
Everytime, directed by Sandra Wollner
Fatherland, directed by Paweł Pawlikowski
Frogtown, directed by Costa Karalis
Here I’m Alive, directed by Joshua Z Weinstein and Daniel Finkelman
Human Theories, directed by Jess Zeidman
La Gradiva, directed by Marine Atlan
The Last Critic, directed by Matty Wishnow
The Last Day, directed by Rachel Rose
Look Back, directed by Hirokazu Koreeda
Minotaur, directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Mouse, directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson
Out of the Woods, directed by Sal Bardo
Queen at Sea, directed by Lance Hammer
Road To L’Etape Du Tour, directed by Julia Coulter
Rose, directed by Markus Schleinzer
See You When I See You, directed by Jay Duplass
She Keeps Me Young, directed by Doron Max Hagay
Sour Minnows, directed by Harrison Atkins
Test, directed by Sam McConnell
Their Town, directed by Katie Aselton
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
Adam’s Apple, directed by Amy Jenkins
All About the Money, directed by Sinéad O’Shea
Boatbuilders, directed by Luke Lorentzen
Bucks Harbor, directed by Pete Muller
Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff, directed by Nanette Burstein
Ceremony, directed by Banchi Hanuse
Entangled Minds, directed by Julie Mallozzi
I Got Bombed at Harvey’s, directed by Bryan Storkel and Amy Bandlien Storkel
Jail Time Records, directed by Steve Happi and Dione Roach
Joy Bubbles, directed by Rachael J. Morrison
The Last Yztari, directed by Tim O’Donnell and Sam Oldmeadow
The Life We Leave, directed by JJ Gerber
My NDA, directed by Juliane Dressner and Miriam Shor
Nuisance Bear, directed by Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman
Once Upon a Time in Harlem, directed by William Greaves and David Greaves
School For Defectors, directed by Jeremy Workman
Soul Patrol, directed by J.M. Harper
Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing, directed by Erik Shirai
We Are The Shaggs, directed by Ken Kwapis
Yo (Love Is a Rebellious Bird), directed by Anna Fitch and Banker White
NARRATIVE SHORTS
A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil, directed by Daniel Straub
A Taste of Hate, directed by Madeleine Shenai
Astronauta, directed by Giorgio Giampà
Beneath the Night, directed by Maximilian Karakatsanis
Bruised Sky, directed by Gary Kent
Chicken Lady, directed by Shuqi Yuan
Copy, Save, directed by Alyssa Loh
Entertainment Evolved, directed by Matt Chan
Gang of One, directed by Sam Hamad
GOG, directed by Kara Grace Miller
Going Dark, directed by Kate diRienzi
Hariksee, directed by Eva Rini May
How the Lonely Keep, directed by Nathan Sellers
I. Thou Shall Not Worship False Idols, directed by Christian Banda
Intimité, directed by Poppy Gordon
Jada, directed by Giles Perkins
Jane, directed by Eva Ravenal
Just One Time, directed by Coe Brown Northwood Academy students
The Kalgan Horse, directed by Zichen Zhao
Linus, directed by Corey Quinn Farrell
Lucky Liam, directed by Thomas Hefferon, TJ Hundtofte
Mouthfeel, directed by Max Tullio
Night of Silence, directed by Henry Armstrong
Prime, directed by Meagan Coyle
Saba, directed by Shahin Gorgani
Stranded, directed by Raina Liwen Yang
Unlimited, Forever and Ever, No Matter What, directed by Jayme Coveliers
The Waddles, directed by Max Jenkins
We Were Here, directed by Pranav Bhasin
Welcome Party, directed by Mengsheng Valen Zeng
Welcome to Paris, directed by Al Karr
Where’s Your Sunset Spot, directed by Matt Haller
WHOA, directed by Elizabeth O’Donnell
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
A Derailment, directed by Nathan Truesdell
A Town Called Needville, directed by Audrey Lane
A Woman’s Place Is Everywhere, directed by Fanny Texier
Asaparagus Red, Cherries Dead, directed by Nina Moog and Elisabeth Wilke
Born to Kill, directed by Sally Tran
Divorce Resort, directed by Coby Becker
The Dreaming Game, directed by Jordan Salvatoriello
IS GANG STALKING REAL, directed by Theodore Collatos
Leroy Truth Versus, directed by David Dominguez and Ryan Cavataro
like little earthquakes, directed by Matteo Moretti and Freddie Gluck
Listen, directed by Taliesin Black-Brown
Man in the Wave, directed by Greg Shea
Respirateur, directed by Paul Moakley
Sea Song, directed by An-Phuong Ly
The Showcase, directed by Brie Larson
Some Kind of Refuge, directed by Alexandra Kern
Terri & Richard, directed by Alex Bijan Zandi
Testing Testing Sandi Bochman, directed by David France and Paul McGuire
Vivian Campbell: Between Stages, directed by Michael Venn
Water Cooler, directed by Emma V.F.
ANIMATION SHORTS
A Game of Chance, directed by Gordon LePage
APART, directed by Pola Maneli
Cartoon Physics, directed by Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter
In the Beginning, directed by Ala Nunu
Le bain des sirènes (Sisters’ Song), directed by Lola Degove
Living Without, directed by Cecilia De Jesus
Please, directed by Anna Mantzaris
Saba directed by Liron Topaz
Something Greater than You, directed by Gordon LePage
This Is Your Captain Speaking, directed by Nienke Deutz and Digna van der Put
NEW HAMPSHIRE PROGRAM
Adam’s Apple, directed by Amy Jenkins
A Game of Chance, directed by Gordon LePage
A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil, directed by Daniel Straub
A Woman’s Place Is Everywhere, directed by Fanny Texier
The Dreaming Game, directed by Jordan Salvatoriello
Entangled Minds, directed by Julie Mallozzi
Frogtown, directed by Costa Karalis
Just One Time, directed by Coe Brown Northwood Academy students
The Last Yztari, directed by Tim O’Donnell and Sam Oldmeadow
Man in the Wave, directed by Greg Shea
Road To L’Etape Du Tour, directed by Julia Coulter
School For Defectors, directed by Jeremy Workman
The Showcase, directed by Brie Larson
Something Greater than You, directed by Gordon LePage
Vivian Campbell: Between Stages, directed by Michael Venn
We Are The Shaggs, directed by Ken Kwapis
In addition to the independent films above, the 24th Annual New Hampshire Film Festival will feature fascinating conversations with film industry experts, fun parties, and more!
Now is a great time to plan your film festival fun. Grab your PASSES!