Europa! Europa Film Festival is set to return for its fifth year in early 2026, expanding its footprint further than ever before. Alongside its established Melbourne and Sydney screenings, the festival will debut in Brisbane, Hobart and Auckland, bringing a month-long celebration of European cinema to new audiences across the region.
Running from 19th February to the 19th March, the 2026 program will showcase 43 films from 22 countries, continuing the festival’s commitment to bold, distinctive storytelling from across Europe.
The festival will open with Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee, a striking and unconventional musical portrait of the 18th-century religious leader who founded the Shakers. Fastvold’s third feature, co-written with longtime collaborator and partner Brady Corbet, following their Academy Award-winning The Brutalist, stars Amanda Seyfried, whose performance has earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
An ambitious and visually arresting work, The Testament of Ann Lee traces the life of a woman whose spiritual vision challenged the conventions of her time. Seyfried plays Ann Lee with measured intensity and reverence, anchoring a film that blends historical drama with musical expression. The opening night screening will take place simultaneously on Thursday, 19th February across all participating cities. In Sydney, audiences will have the rare opportunity to see the film projected in 70mm at Ritz Cinemas, Randwick.
Artistic Director Spiro Economopoulos said the film was a natural choice to launch the festival’s expanded edition; “We couldn’t be more excited to open our festival with this impressive feature from Mona Fastvold that is as propulsive and passionate as its subject. This film encapsulates what Europa is all about: bold filmmaking and epic storytelling that spotlights fascinating subjects and showcases European talent.”
In addition to its contemporary selection, Europa! Europa has also announced its first-ever retrospective strand, Michelangelo Antonioni: Modernist Master. The program celebrates one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century, presenting four films from Antonioni’s creative peak: L’Avventura, La Notte, L’Eclisse and Red Desert. Created in collaboration with actor and muse Monica Vitti, these works reshaped cinematic language, exploring alienation, desire and modernity with a cool, disquieting elegance. The retrospective will screen throughout the festival in Melbourne and Sydney.
Opening Night Screenings:
Europa! Europa Film Festival will open on Thursday 19 February with The Testament of Ann Lee screening simultaneously across all participating cities. In Melbourne, opening night events will take place at Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick and Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn, with events beginning at 6:45pm followed by the film at 7:30pm. Tickets at Lido Cinemas include drinks, a DJ and nibbles. In Sydney, the opening night event will be held at Ritz Cinemas in Randwick, beginning at 6:45pm, with a 7:30pm screening presented in 70mm, also accompanied by drinks, a DJ and nibbles. In Brisbane, Hobart and Auckland, audiences will receive a drink on arrival from 7:15pm, ahead of 7:30pm screenings at Angelika Cinemas in Woolloongabba, State Cinema in North Hobart, and Bridgeway Cinema in Auckland.
Festival Dates and Venues:
The 2026 Europa! Europa Film Festival runs from 19 February to 19 March. In Melbourne, screenings will be held at Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick and Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn throughout the full festival period, with Cameo Cinemas in Belgrave joining the program from 20 February to 2 March. In Sydney, the festival will screen at Ritz Cinemas in Randwick from 19 February to 19 March. The festival’s expanded footprint includes Angelika Cinemas in Woolloongabba (Brisbane) and State Cinema in Hobart, both hosting screenings from 19 February to 1 March, as well as Bridgeway Cinemas in Auckland, which will present the program from 19 February to 4 March.
For more information on the festival, head to the official site here.
