Skip to main content

Leeds International Film Festival · 2026

Leeds International Film Festival 2026

Fanomenon

Programme

31 films · 12 reviews

Jump to a film

Bagworm

Carroll’s worldview is dominated by the threat of catastrophe and the decline of morality in the face of human extinction. Then he steps on a rusty nail.

(Country: US; Year: 2026; Director: Oliver Bernsen; Writer: Henry Bernsen; Stars: Peter Falls, Michelle Ortiz, Robbie Arnett, Corbin Bernsen, Stephen Borrello, Jessy Morner-Ritt, Sydney Winbush, Francesca Galassi)

Bowels Of Hell (Privadas De Suas Vidas)

Review preview for Bowels Of Hell

The production values here are a cut above what one would normally expect for something with this theme and these characters.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
A mother battling trauma faces a surreal nightmare when toilets mysteriously transform into killer beings, forcing her to confront both her personal demons and these bizarre supernatural threats.

(Country: Brazil; Year: 2026; Director: Gurcius Gewdner, Gustavo Vinagre; Stars: Antonia Baudouin, Gurcius Gewdner, Gustavo Vinagre, Chandelly Braz, Benjamín Damini, Maria Gladys, Caetano Gotardo, Bruce LaBruce)

Full review

Chronovisor

Philosopher and neuroscientist Béatrice Courte investigates the extraordinary tale of a Benedictine monk who claimed to have invented a machine capable of replaying any moment in history, including Christ’s crucifixion.

(Country: US; Year: 2026; Director: Kevin Walker, Jack Auen; Writer: Kevin Walker, Jack Auen; Stars: Anne Laure Sellier, Nicholas Tebben, Nicole Dombrowski Risser, Alex Kolodkin, José Pacheco de Almeida, Sophie Queuniet, Laurence M. Marie, Jarin van Emmichoven, Gilles Turré, Thrash VA, Irene Zahariadis, Tremayne Miller, Eileen Auen, Zachary Lawrence Atticus Cohen, JBH Gantt)

The Days Off (Los días libres)

In the near future, during a relentless summer break and with a solar eclipse approaching, 12-year-old Bego struggles to find her place within her family but an online friend opens the door to the possibility of other realities.

(Country: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, France; Year: 2026; Director: Lucila Mariani; Writer: Lucila Mariani; Stars: Antonia Robolini, Laura Paredes, Luiza Quinteiro, Guillermo Berthold, Amanda Minujín, Gaia Garibaldi, Bruna Sigal, Rosa Scarvaci, Jenni Merla)

The Difficult Bride

Review preview for The Difficult Bride

Hossain keeps the mood claustrophobic.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
In contemporary Dhaka, a bride-to-be preparing for her dream wedding begins to lose control of her body as beauty rituals, social expectations, and supernatural forces collide, transforming her journey toward marriage into an unsettling search for freedom.

(Country: Bangladesh, Germany, France, Norway, Portugal; Year: 2026; Director: Rubaiyat Hossain; Writer: Rubaiyat Hossain; Stars: Zaineen Karim Chowdhury, Reekita Nondine Shimu, Sunerah Binte Kamal, Azmeri Haque Badhon, Dameer Khan, Saberi Alam, Shatabdi Wadud, Mohammad Bari)

Full review

Donkey Princess (Princessa Burro)

Diana is the princess of an ancient kingdom. Her father, King Arthur, forbids love. When Diana falls in love with Lalo, he banishes him. Using a magical bracelet, Diana travels to other worlds in search of her love. Discovering that her father manipulates her decisions, she must face her fears and change her destiny.

(Country: Chile, Uruguay, France, Netherlands, Germany; Year: 2026; Director: Cristóbal León, Joaquín Cociña; Writer: Alejandra Moffat, Joaquín Cociña, Cristóbal León; Stars: Antonia Giesen, Andrew Bargsted, Francisco Melo)

Furies

Amid Lebanon’s real-life, corruption-induced bank crisis – when depositors were and today still are denied access to their own savings – two women scheme a daring all-night heist to get their own money back and pay for a life-saving surgery.

(Country: Lebanon, Brazil; Year: 2026; Director: Rami Kodeih; Writer: Rami Kodeih, Nora Mariana Salim; Stars: Maria Nakouzi, Rym Mroue, Hasan Akil, Issam Bou Khaled)

From Beyond

Review preview for From Beyond

A witty, gory and trippy descent into altered states of consciousness, eroticised power plays and the clash between humankind, monstrous entities and hybridised 'others'.

Neil Mitchell · 3.5 out of 5
Scientists open a door to a parallel universe, with horrific consequences.

(Country: US; Year: 1986; Director: Stuart Gordon; Writer: Brian Yuzna, Dennis Paoli, Stuart Gordon, Based on a short story by HP Lovecraft, ; Stars: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ted Sorel, Ken Foree)

Full review

Ghost In The Cell

A high-security prison run by a tyrannical warden is rocked by a spate of gruesome murders with bodies put on morbidly spectacular display.

(Country: Indonesia; Year: 2026; Director: Joko Anwar; Stars: Abimana Aryasatya, Endy Arfian, Bront Palarae, Morgan Oey)

Grotesqqque

Aliens, gyarus and vampires - oh my!

(Country: Japan; Year: 2026; Director: Atsushi Nishigori; Writer: Atsushi Nishigori)

Imposters

After a couple’s baby boy is taken, the desperate mother learns of a way to bring him back. However, her husband begins to suspect that what she has returned with isn't their son.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Caleb Phillips; Writer: Caleb Phillips; Stars: Jessica Rothe, Charlie Barnett, Yul Vazquez, Bates Wilder, Luisina Quarleri, Thomas Parobek, Ian Lyons, Taylor Karin, Lee Bennett, Declan Bennett)

Infirmary

A security guard is on his first shift at an abandoned Wilshire hospital. The facility was once notorious for unorthodox experimental practices on its mentally ill inmates, and paired with a retiring guard whose behaviour feels odd, hefinds the ambience instantly disturbing.

(Country: US; Year: 2026; Director: Nicholas Pineda; Stars: Paul Syre Lee, Mark Anthony Williams, Danielle Kennedy, Corinna Wagner-Smith)

I Love Paris

Review preview for I Love Paris

This incorporates a great deal more petulance and whining than the average mockumentary, but is sufficiently astute in its observations to remain entertaining.

Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
After being transformed into a vampire, a Parisian singer pursues stardom at the cost of her soul.

(Country: France; Year: 2026; Director: Nicky Murphy; Writer: Nicky Murphy, Aminata Thiboult; Stars: Aminata Thiboult, Leonor Oberson, Louiza Aura, Noé Hermelin, Romane de Stabenrath, Antoine Dumortier, Anton Salachas)

Full review See: Interview with Nicky Murphy, Aminata Thiboult, Leonor Oberson and Louiza Aura about I Love Paris

Jim Queen

When a virus that turns gay men straight sweeps through Paris, gym queen Jim has to race against time to find a cure before the community who worship him are wiped out.

(Country: France, Belgium; Year: 2026; Director: Nicolas Athané, Marco Nguyen; Writer: Brice Chevillard, Simon Balteaux; Stars: Alex Ramirès, Jéremy Gillet, Shirley Souagnon, François Sagat, Elisabeth Wiener, Harald Marlot, Alex Brik)

Levitating

In a town where pleasure equals being possessed by spiritual beings, Bayu aspires to be the shaman of a trance party so he can fundraise enough money to prevent an impending eviction.

(Country: Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, France; Year: 2026; Director: Wregas Bhanuteja; Writer: Wregas Bhanuteja, Alicia Angelina, Defi Mahendra; Stars: Angga Yunanda, Maudy Ayunda, Anggun, Chicco Kurniawan, Bryan Domani, Indra Birowo, Ganindra Bimo, Ivonne Dahler, Muhammad Asyrof Al-Ghifari, Buyung Ispramadi)

Light Pillar (Han Ye Deng Zhu)

In a future winter where space travel exists, a solitary janitor maintains a defunct film studio with only a retired cat actor. He then begins a romantic adventure with a woman in a stunning virtual realm.

(Country: China; Year: 2026; Director: Jingwei Xu; Writer: Jingwei Xu; Stars: Da Peng, Qing Yi)

Marama

Review preview for Marama

One of the most impressive films of the year to date.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
A young Māori woman travels to Victorian England after receiving a letter promising information about her birth parents. As she peels back the layers of colonial deceit, she is driven to avenge her shattered ancestry.

(Country: New Zealand/Aotearoa; Year: 2025; Director: Taratoa Stappard; Writer: Taratoa Stappard; Stars: Ariana Osborne, Toby Stephens, Umi Myers, Evelyn Towersey, Errol Shand)

Full review See: Interview with Taratoa Stappard about Marama, part 2 , Interview with Taratoa Stappard about Marama

Mutter: The Diary Of A Mother (Mutter: Bir Annenin Hatira Defteri)

On the fog-drenched Black Sea coast, a woman gives birth to a being that defies nature. As her body and mind begin to unravel, love becomes both her devotion and her disease.

(Country: Turkey; Year: 2026; Director: Alphan Eseli; Writer: Alphan Eseli; Stars: Hazar Ergüçlü, Güven Kıraç, Erdeniz Kurucan, Ulvi Kahyaoglu, Incinur Dasdemir)

Never After Dark

Review preview for Never After Dark

Like all the best supernatural tales, it keeps the rules simple but still manages to wrongfoot viewers.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
A wandering medium, Airi spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living. Summoned to an isolated country house, she comes face to face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy her experience - but the biggest danger she faces comes from the living.

(Country: Japan; Year: 2025; Director: Dave Boyle; Writer: Dave Boyle; Stars: Moeka Hoshi, Kento Kaku, Kurumi Inagaki, Mutsuo Yoshioka, Bokuzo Masana, Tae Kimura)

Full review

No Way Down

Fresh out of prison, Idriss enters the derelict Kraken apartment complex to find his ex-girlfriend's brother, only to be dragged back into violence by a ruthless squatter tied to the past Idriss is fighting to leave behind.

(Country: France; Year: 2026; Director: Mohamed Chabane, Théo Jourdain)

Oddities

Best friends who inadvertently killed their drug dealer stop at a seemingly sleepy roadside antique shop, only to discover that the owner is not as sweet as she seems.

(Country: US; Year: 2026; Director: Tyler Savage; Stars: Adrienne Barbeau, Xander Berkeley, Lovie Simone, Lilimar)

Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto Del Fauno)

Review preview for Pan's Labyrinth

A masterpiece of accomplishment.

Chris · 5 out of 5
In the midst of the Spanish Civil War, a lonely girl encounters a mysterious faun.

(Country: Mexico, Spain, US; Year: 2006; Director: Guillermo del Toro; Writer: Guillermo del Toro; Stars: Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ariadna Gil, Doug Jones, Álex Angulo, Manolo Solo, César Vea, Roger Casamajor, Ivan Massagué, Gonzalo Uriarte)

Full review See: 2006 Readers' poll

Papaya

Review preview for Papaya

Told entirely without dialogue but with an upbeat, summery score from Talita Del Collado, it has an eco-conscious vibe.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
Papaya, a tiny seed in the Amazon rainforest who is passionate about flying, must keep moving to avoid taking root. But when she discovers the power of her roots, it triggers a revolution that transforms her world and fulfils her dreams in an unexpected way.

(Country: Brazil; Year: 2025; Director: Priscilla Kellen; Writer: Priscilla Kellen; Stars: Tulipa Ruiz, Aretha Garcia, Maria Vitória Garcia)

Full review

Persepolis

Review preview for Persepolis

Seen purely in aesthetic terms, Persepolis is an object of rare beauty, with no obvious precedents or parallels in the history of anime.

Anton Bitel · 4.5 out of 5
A girl's eye view of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

(Country: France/US; Year: 2007; Director: Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud; Writer: Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud, based on the original graphic novels by Marjane Satrapi; Stars: voices of Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian, Gabrielle Lopes, François Jerosme, Sean Penn, Gena Rowlands, Iggy Pop) , Trailer

Full review

Prosecution (Staatsschutz)

After surviving a racist attack, state prosecutor Seyo Kim takes her own case to court – confronting both the perpetrators and a justice system that turns a blind eye to right-wing extremism.

(Country: Germany; Director: Faraz Shariat)

Recluse

Follows Joan, an audio engineer who lives a solitary life, struggling to determine whether the horrors she encounters are real and caused by past actions of her father, or if they are manifestations of her own troubled mind.

(Country: US; Year: 2026; Director: Henry Chaisson; Writer: Henry Chaisson; Stars: Sasha Frolova, Kimball Farley, Toby Poser, Mia Vallet, Xander Berkeley, Thomas Cancellara, Gillian Cooper, Christine Nyland)

Salvation (Kurtulus)

In a remote village, an exiled clan returns, reviving a decades-old land feud. Seized by divine visions, Mesut challenges his brother’s leadership to save his people. Will this new path bring salvation or tragedy?

(Country: Turkey, France, Netherlands, Greece, Sweden, Saudi Arabia; Year: 2006; Director: Emin Alper; Stars: Caner Cindoruk, Berkay Ateş, Feyyaz Duman, Naz Göktan, Özlem Taş, Eren Demirbaş, Mehmet Selim Akgul, Hichi Demi)

Sheep In The Box

Review preview for Sheep In The Box

Suffers from an underdeveloped subplot and over-indulged length.

Amber Wilkinson · 2.5 out of 5
A couple take a humanoid robot into their home as a replacement for their dead son.

(Country: Japan; Year: 2026; Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda; Writer: Hirokazu Kore-eda; Stars: Haruka Ayase, Daigo Yamamoto, Kuwaki Rimu, Nana Seino, Kanichiro Sato, Hinata Hiiragi, Akihiro Kakuta, Kayo Noro, Mari Hoshino, Ayumu Nakajima, Kimiko Yo, Min Tanaka)

Full review

Wicker

A fisherwoman asks a basketmaker to weave her a husband.

(Country: United Kingdom, US; Year: 2026; Director: Eleanor Wilson, Alex Huston Fischer; Writer: Eleanor Wilson, Alex Huston Fischer; Stars: Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki, Marli Siu, Nabhaan Rizwan)

Wild Horse Nine

Review preview for Wild Horse Nine

Malkovich and Rockwell are magnetic.

Andrew Robertson · 4 out of 5
Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris and Lee are dispatched from Santiago to Rapa Nui.

(Country: UK, US, Chile; Year: 2026; Director: Martin McDonagh; Writer: Martin McDonagh; Stars: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey, Tom Waits, Mariana di Girolamo, Paola Giannini, Ailín Salas, Samuel Wayt)

Full review

Wolfram

Review preview for Wolfram

Thornton demands a certain level of patience from the audience as the narratives mosey along, but his control of mood is a major asset.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
A couple of kids try to find their mother in a land full of colonial outlaws and danger.

(Country: Australia; Year: 2025; Director: Warwick Thornton; Writer: Steven McGregor, David Tranter; Stars: Deborah Mailman, Eloise Hart, Hazel May Jackson, Pedrea Jackson, Thomas M. Wright, Erroll Shand, Joe Bird, Matt Nable, John Howard, Ferdinand Hoang, Aidan Du Chiem, Jason Chong, Anni Finsterer, Luka May Glynn-Cole, Natassia Gorey Furber)

Full review See: Warwick Thornton on survivors and storytelling in Wolfram