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The Telluride Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its 53rd edition, headlined by world-premiere titles starring Andrew Scott (“Elsinore”), Julianne Moore (“The Debut”) and Kate O’Flynn (“Tender Loving Care”),
alongside new films from auteurs including Jordan Firstman (“Club Kid”), Joshua Oppenheimer (“The Revolution Against Death”) and Werner Herzog (“Bucking Fastard”).
The festival will also pay tribute to three exemplary artists of cinema, along with their programmed feature films — actor John Malkovich (star of Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine”), actress Sandra Hüller (star of Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland” and Markus Schleinzer’s “Rose”) and writer-director Andrew Haigh, who helms the drama “A Long Winter,” making its world premiere.
The Silver Medallion has become one of the awards season’s more dependable leading indicators, its honorees surfacing in the Oscar race with striking regularity. In each of the last four editions, at least one recipient has landed a major nomination, and several have won outright. Jane Campion took the medallion in 2021 and went on to win best director for “The Power of the Dog”; Sarah Polley followed in 2022 and won best adapted screenplay for “Women Talking,” the same year fellow honoree Cate Blanchett scored a best actress nomination for “Tár.” Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things” in 2023) and Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez” in 2024) each converted their tributes into director nominations.
Also making its world premiere is Jennifer Peedom’s “Tenzing,” a retelling of the first successful ascent of Mount Everest starring Tom Hiddleston and newcomer Genden Phuntsok.
Several titles arrive having already traveled the festival circuit this year, among them the Sundance hit “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York,” featuring veteran John Turturro — still awaiting his first Oscar nomination. French actress Léa Seydoux leads another circuit traveler from Cannes, Marie Kreutzer’s “Gentle Monster.” The film arrives alongside the Palme d’Or-winning drama “Fjord” from Cristian Mungiu, which stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, and one of the best director winners, Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, with “La Bola Negra.”
Some Venice titles are making the trek over from Italy in time for the Colorado mountains, such as the aforementioned Herzog and McDonagh with their films, as well as Danny Boyle’s newspaper drama “Ink” with Jack O’Connell and Guy Pearce, which opened the fest.
For Julie Huntsinger, marking her 20th Telluride, the year carried echoes of a not-so-distant era — one in which modestly scaled films punched far above their weight. Read from a distance, the 2026 lineup gives off a distinct mood: AI dread, exile, authoritarianism, the ache of being alone together. Huntsinger sees all of it. She just doesn’t want anyone to forget the jokes.
“My sense of humor is quite broad,” the festival director said, running through a program she has assembled. “Are we laughing harder in darkly tragic times? Yes. Or maybe we want to laugh more. I wish that comedies would be proliferating the way the genre films are. Why isn’t that happening?”
Part of the answer, this year, is that a few of them are on the mountain. Alongside the dread sit the Zellner brothers’ “Alpha Gang” and Szumowska and Englert’s “The Idiot(s),” both among the program’s stranger surprises.
Which raises the question every Telluride visitor eventually asks: Is the best picture winner up here? Huntsinger, playing along with Variety’s should-win/will-win Emmy prediction game, drew a careful line. “I definitely think the should-win is here,” she explains. “I don’t think the will-win is, because there is a Goliath out there that people are very smitten with.” She seemed to be referring to “The Odyssey,” though she didn’t name it directly.
Huntsinger’s own list of don’t-miss titles runs long. She called Markus Schleinzer’s “Rose” and Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland” — both from Mubi — “two perfect movies,” professed love “with my whole heart” for Jordan Firstman’s “Club Kid” and threw in Boyle’s “Ink,” Mungiu’s “Fjord” and Aimee Lou Wood’s “so fun and so weird” performance in “The Idiot(s)” for good measure. Of the central performance in Guy Nattiv’s “The Liberation,” starring Carrie Coon, she urged audiences to “watch it multiple times to really understand how incredible this woman actually is.”
This year’s documentary slate includes Ron Howard’s “Avedon,” Nanette Burstein’s “Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff,” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s “Everest: The Other Side,” Bryan Fogel’s “The Row,” Frank Marshall’s Pete Townshend portrait “Behind Blue Eyes” and Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The Revolution Against Death.”
Actor-director Rebecca Hall serves as this year’s guest director, curating a personal sidebar that includes Kenneth Lonergan’s “Margaret,” Charlie Kaufman’s “Synecdoche, New York” and Joseph Losey’s “The Servant.”
All eyes turn to Sunday night, where a lone “TBA” sits on the festival schedule — the only true wild card of the weekend, its title withheld until the lights go down. “You won’t know till you walk into the theater,” Huntsinger says. “The people in that room are going to be real, real lucky.”
The festival runs from Sept. 4-7. The full Telluride Film Festival lineup is below.
Tributes
- Andrew Haigh (writer, director)
- Sandra Hüller (actress)
- John Malkovich (actor)
Main Program (The Show)
- “Act 3” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Christine Molloy & Joe Lawlor
- “Alpha Gang” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. David Zellner & Nathan Zellner — World Premiere
- “Avedon” (Netflix) — dir. Ron Howard — World Premiere
- “Beau Geste” (Rialto Pictures, 1926 restoration) — dir. Herbert Brenon
- “Begotten” (World Artists Home Video) — dir. E. Elias Merhige
- “Bucking Fastard” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Werner Herzog
- “The Buffalo Miracle” and “Witt v. Air Force” — dir. Ben Proudfoot
- “Burgundy” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw
- “Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Nanette Burstein
- “Club Kid” (A24) — dir. Jordan Firstman
- “The Debut” (A24) — dir. Jesse Eisenberg — World Premiere
- “The Disciple” (Netflix) — dir. Joanna Natasegar — World Premiere
- “Elsinore” (Focus Features) — dir. Simon Stone — World Premiere
- “Everest: The Other Side” (National Geographic Films) — dir. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin
- “Fatherland” (Mubi) — dir. Paweł Pawlikowski
- “Fjord” (Neon) — dir. Cristian Mungiu
- “Gentle Monster” (Netflix) — dir. Marie Kreutzer
- “The Idiot(s)” (The Match Factory) — dir. Małgorzata Szumowska & Michał Englert — World Premiere
- “In Love Rendered” — dir. Liz Garbus
- “Ink” (Netflix) — dir. Danny Boyle
- “La Bola Negra” (Netflix) — dir. Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi
- “The Liberation” (Bleecker Street) — dir. Guy Nattiv — World Premiere
- “A Long Winter” (Mubi) — dir. Andrew Haigh — World Premiere
- “Making Marie Antoinette” (Mubi) — dir. Eleanor Coppola
- “The Man I Love” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Ira Sachs
- “Minotaur” (Mubi) — dir. Andrey Zvyagintsev
- “My Undesirable Friends: Part II — Exile” (Mubi) — dir. Julia Loktev — World Premiere
- “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” (Neon) — dir. William Greaves & David Greaves
- “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” (Sony Pictures Classics) — dir. Noah Segan
- “Pete Townshend: Behind Blue Eyes” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Frank Marshall, Nigel Sinclair & Cassidy Hartmann
- “Rehearsals for a Revolution” (Sony Pictures Classics) — dir. Pegah Ahangarani
- “The Revolution Against Death” — dir. Joshua Oppenheimer
- “Roger Corman at 100” (U.S. distribution TBA)
- “Rose” (Mubi) — dir. Markus Schleinzer
- “The Row” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Bryan Fogel
- “A Song for the Snow Lion” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Pawo Choyning Dorji
- “Stories of Resilience” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Sarah Gavron, Wafa Mustafa & Waad Al-Kateab, Bill Morrison
- “The Story of Documentary Film” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Mark Cousins
- “Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing” (ESPN Films) — dir. Erik Shirai
- “Tender Loving Care” (Bleecker Street) — dir. Mike Leigh — World Premiere
- “Tenzing” (Apple Original Films) — dir. Jennifer Peedom — World Premiere
- “The Unknown” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Arthur Harari
- “Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight Pictures) — dir. Martin McDonagh
Guest Director’s Selections (Rebecca Hall)
- “Akenfield” (BFI / Park Circus) — dir. Peter Hall
- “Margaret” (Fox Searchlight Pictures) — dir. Kenneth Lonergan
- “Portrait of Jason” (Kino Lorber) — dir. Shirley Clarke
- “The Servant” (Rialto Pictures) — dir. Joseph Losey
- “Synecdoche, New York” (Sony Pictures Classics) — dir. Charlie Kaufman
- “What’s Up, Doc?” (Warner Bros./Park Circus) — dir. Peter Bogdanovich
Student Prints
(Now in its 33rd year, this program celebrates remarkable student-produced work from around the globe. Curated and introduced by Gregory Nava.)
- “Coconut” — dir. Ravi Chand, Australia, 2025, 12m, University of Melbourne
- “Crisis Actor” — dir. Lily Platt, U.S., 2026, 12m, NYU
- “Farmacias” — dir. Martín Montellano, Mexico, 2025, 25m, Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica
- “I Want to Live” — dir. Jason Elliott, U.S./U.K./Ecuador, 2026, 26m, The National Film and Television School
- “Stem” — dir. Daeil Kim, U.S., 2026, 26m, USC
Calling Cards
(All hail the short film: unforgettable new works by the future of cinema. Curated and introduced by Barry Jenkins, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.)
- “Acid City” — dir. Jack Wedge & Will Freudenheim
- “Class Photo” — dir. Arnas Balčiūnas
- “It Lives Under the Snow” — dir. Igor Smola
- “La Hora de Irse (Time to Go)” — dir. Renzo Cozza
- “Para Los Contrincantes (For the Opponents)” — dir. Federico Luis
- “Rock Springs: 1885” — dir. Vera Miao
Great Expectations
(Untangle yourself: three exceptional short films navigate secrets, loss and the extraordinary. Curated and introduced by Barry Jenkins, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.)
- “In Search of the Grey Bird With Green Stripes” — dir. Saïd Hamich Benlarbi
- “Triangle” — dir. Anaël Dang
- “Yawman Ma Walad (Someday, a Child)” — dir. Marie-Rose Osta
Backlot
- “The Golden Age” (with “The Stars Watch From Long Ago”) (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Bérenger Thouin & Stacey Steers
- “House of Criticism” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Alison Chernick
- “The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Alessandra Sanguinetti
- “Into the Breach” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Freddie Fox
- “Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean” (with “To Escape”) (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Barnaby Thompson & David C. Roberts
- “The Natural State” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Mathew Dougherty
- “One More Time” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Cindy Kleine
- “Zero Intention of Living Quietly” (U.S. distribution TBA) — dir. Edward Lovelace
Special Screenings and Restorations
- “2001: A Space Odyssey” (Warner Bros.) — dir. Stanley Kubrick
- “Across the Universe” (Park Circus) — dir. Julie Taymor
- “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (Sony Repertory) — dir. David Lean
- “Christine” (courtesy of Antonio Campos) — dir. Antonio Campos
- “The Intruder” (Carlotta Films), with the “Roger Corman at 100” tribute — dir. Roger Corman
- “Marie Antoinette” (Sony Repertory) — dir. Sofia Coppola
- “Moonlight” (A24) — dir. Barry Jenkins
- “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” (Mubi) — dir. Jane Schoenbrun
Festivities
“Wildwood: Inside the Frame” — Sheridan Opera House Gallery, Friday-Monday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
For 20 years, Laika, whose animated feature films have been nominated for five Academy Awards, has pursued one idea above all else: that handmade films can move audiences in powerful and meaningful ways. “Wildwood,” Laika’s upcoming release, is the culmination of that pursuit. The exhibition showcases the cinematic language, emotional journey and creative processes that shaped the eagerly awaited film.
Live Discussion With the Creators of “Wildwood” — Sheridan Opera House, Sunday, 1:15 p.m.
The upcoming Laika film “Wildwood” grew from an innovative collaboration: director-producer and Laika president and CEO Travis Knight and celebrated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, a six-time Academy Award nominee, approached the film’s stop-motion animation with the instincts of a live-action filmmaker.
The result is a visual language unlike any previous Laika film, one that treats every puppet, every set and every frame as though they existed within a live-action movie. Knight, Deschanel and moderator Dave Karger of Turner Classic Movies will discuss the film and provide a Telluride-only sneak peek of key scenes before it is released in theaters on Oct. 23.
Marfa Stance Studio: A Groundbreaking Collaboration — Telluride Science & Innovation Center, 300 S. Townsend, Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Monday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Marfa Stance, the British outerwear company whose modular garments evolve with you, brings its innovative process to the festival. Inspired by founder and designer Georgia Dant’s London studio, this installation showcases a new project: the Women Filmmakers Jacket.
This evolving garment was shaped by conversations with directors, producers, cinematographers, and creatives across the international film industry. Designed for the realities of women on set, the jacket serves as a symbol of collaboration, visibility and presence, celebrating the creativity, resilience and leadership of women in film.
Women Directors Roundtable — Marfa Stance Studio, Sunday, 3 p.m.
Festival Director Julie Huntsinger will host a panel of distinguished filmmakers. In this first-of-its-kind discussion at Telluride, these acclaimed women leaders in film will share their creative visions and describe their successes and challenges.
Step Inside the F-Stop — Mountain Village, Friday-Monday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Don’t miss the immersive traveling Airstream experience celebrating the bold, auteur-driven cinema of Focus Features. Featuring “Elsinore” and inspired by the legacy of Telluride favorites such as “Brokeback Mountain,” “Hamnet,” “Conclave” and “The Holdovers,” the space offers engaging visuals, exclusive merchandise and a creative respite between screenings.
Filmmaking and Technology With Empathy: AI for Societal Benefit — Telluride Science & Innovation Center, 300 S. Townsend, Sunday, 9 a.m.
Join Primordial Soup and the creative team behind “Love, Rendered” for an insider’s look at how the team documented the realities of cognitive decline and memory loss with a multigenerational family using cutting-edge AI technology to unlock previously “lost” moments.
Through an ongoing strategic partnership with Google DeepMind, Primordial Soup (“Goodnight Lamby,” “Ancestra”) is an AI-driven creative studio founded in 2025 that merges bold narrative, emotional depth and experimental workflows to develop original stories and the tools to tell them.
“The Humanity Dilemma” — Sheridan Opera House, Saturday, 11 a.m.
Made possible by a donation from Melony and Adam Lewis, with additional support from Marni Grossman.
From the team behind “The Social Dilemma,” “The AI Dilemma” and “The AI Doc,” Tristan Harris, Joy Mauthe and Aza Raskin present a multimedia experience that explores the defining invention of our time.
Blending original music, live projections and narration with sharp insight, it explores the “species-level event” of AI’s birth, the race accelerating beneath it and what’s required of us now. Is an AI-dominated future inevitable? This talk offers grounded, non-naive hope for a different path.
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