Returning for its 7th orbit as Australia’s leading speculative cinema event, the 2026 SYDNEY SCIENCE FICTION FILM FESTIVAL has officially announced the line-up of films set to screen October 9-11 at EVENT Cinemas George Street. Delivering once again on its mission to provide the largest launching pad possible for ground-breaking works from Australia and across the globe, this year’s curation offers a unique celebration of visionary science fiction and fantasy storytelling.

At the forefront of the 2026 festival are highly anticipated World Premieres of three ambitious Australian feature films, demonstrating the depth of local talent in the genre. Opening Night honours go to Enzo Tedeschi's generations-spanning drama, RESONANCE, starring Barbara Bingham as a woman gripped by manifestations of her troubled past and the planet’s tenuous future. The Saturday evening centrepiece is Steven Kastrissios' expansive, brooding, Albanian-set fantasy, SKYBREAKER, and closing the festival will be Sean Bell's vibrant, propulsive ELECTRIC FEEL, an ode to the inner-city denizens of our city’s future.

The festival continues its tradition of bringing unique international visions to local audiences with a precisely selected slate of premieres. Enjoying its Australian Premiere will be Mike Jackson's riotous Canadian time-travel romp, TIME HELMET, while a diverse array of features will make their New South Wales premieres - Bram Conjaert's beautifully cinematic factual film, THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE BELGIAN TRIANGLE; Pete Bridge's moving drama, DEJA VU, starring Ryan Corr and Tamika Wilson; and Zeke Morgan-Hind's timely examination of A.I. ethics and technology, PROMPT: MAKE A DOCUMENTARY.

In addition to looking forward, the 2026 program pays homage to the genre's rich history through its retrospective events. Attendees will be treated to the Australian Premiere of the 2K Restoration of great Italian director Mario Bava's atmospheric masterpiece, PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES. And their will be a fun cosplay element, tied to a special 25th anniversary screening of the outer-space/slasher cult classic, JASON X (no weapons, please).

The festival also welcomes a unique partnership with the The Italian Cultural Institute of Sydney, who have overseen a Special Event screening celebrating the 90th anniversary of the iconic Italian comic, SATURN VS THE EARTH (Saturno contro la Terra). Director Luciana Sympa’s breathtakingly beautiful digitised rendering of this landmark 1936 anti-fascist classic, first published in defiance of pre-WWII right-wing sentiment, will be accompanied by an extensive interview with Prof. Lorenzo Benadusi, Europe’s leading expert on speculative Italian literature.

Rounding out the cinematic offerings, the festival’s Animation, Australian, and International short film strands will showcase 28 amazing works, having earned their big-screen stripes from a record field of 300+ submissions. The 2026 Sydney Science fiction Film Festival promises audiences a three-day weekend of wonder, terror, sadness, and joy, capturing the truly unique viewing experience that only this festival can promise.