Darwin International Film Festival

12/03/2026

🎬 The Darwin Film Society goes to Sundance!

We love seeing DFS repped around the globe. Some of our superfans recently made the trip all the way to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, wearing their Deckie and DIFF tees with pride! They also came back with some juicy film tips for us this season 😉

04/03/2026

🎬 Submissions are OPEN for DIFF 2026! 🎉

The Darwin International Film Festival 2026 is officially calling for entries, and we can’t wait to see what filmmakers from around Australia and the world have been creating.

✨ New categories this year:
• Short Film – Indigenous Australia
• Short Film – Animation
• Short Film – Australian
• Feature Film – Australian

If you’ve got a story to tell, a vision to share, or a film ready for the big screen, this is your moment.

📅 Submission Deadline: 19 June 2026
🎥 Festival Dates: 10-20 September 2026

Join us in celebrating bold storytelling, fresh voices, and incredible cinema.

Submit your film 👉 filmfreeway.com/diff_nt

13/01/2026

✨ Golden Globes Glory ✨

The award season has begun and we're always very pleased with ourselves when we see our film picks take out the big awards 😉👏

🏆 HAMNET
Winner of Best Motion Picture - Drama

Plus a showstopping win for Jessie Buckley, taking home Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

This powerful, poetic triumph is set to captivate audiences at Flix in the Wet in 2026.

🎬 Darwin Premiere
📍 Flix in the Wet at MAGNT
📆 28 Feb | 7 Mar (OC) | 15 Mar
🎟️ flixinthewet.com

🏆 SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Premiered in Darwin at DIFF 2025 and back by popular demand at Flix in the Wet 2026.

Starring the incomparable Stellan Skarsgård, who won Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture.

Subtle, moving, and masterfully performed.

🎬 Darwin Encore Screenings
📍 Flix in the Wet at MAGNT
📆 7 Mar | 21 Mar | 28 Mar
🎟️ flixinthewet.com

🏆 THE SECRET AGENT

Lead actor Wagner Moura claimed Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, cementing the film’s status as one of the year’s most gripping performances.

🎥 Screened at DIFF 2025 and now officially Golden Globes approved.

03/11/2025

DIFF may be over for another year, but you can relive all the magic right here thanks this fabulous compilation video put together by our Festival Photographer, The Business Photographer - Darwin!

See you in 2026 🎉

03/11/2025

DIFF hit the road last week and took 6 of the most highly acclaimed, thought provoking, award-winning films of 2025 to Katherine.

Opening night was a stand out event with over 60 locals attending our screening of The President's Cake.

Massive thanks to the whole Katherine community for getting behind the festival, and a special thank you to our presenting partners, Katherine Film Society, Katherine Cinema 3 and Katherine Town Council.

Check out all the photos here 👉 diff.net.au/katherine

Photos by Emily Knight and Penny Fawkner.

23/10/2025

🌟 The audience has spoken! 🌟

We are so proud to announce that Journey Home, David Gulpilil has been voted the DIFF 2025 Audience Award Winner! 🎬✨

This moving documentary - a heartfelt tribute to one of Australia’s most iconic actors and cultural storytellers - deeply resonated with the DIFF audience and is a powerful reminder of why listening to understand, amplifying underrepresented voices, and sharing local stories are at the heart of what we do here.

Each year, DIFF celebrates the power of film as a bridge between cultures - a way for us to see, hear, and truly connect through story. Journey Home, David Gulpilil is more than a film. It's an act of cultural exchange, an invitation to walk alongside Country, memory, and spirit, all the while guided by the remarkable family and legacy of David Gulpilil.

Congratulations to the family and team behind this incredible film!

Brindle Films Maggie Miles Journey Home, David Gulpilil

And thank you to everyone who joined us under the stars at Deckchair Cinema, voted, and helped celebrate this story 🖤💛❤️

03/10/2025

🌟 DIFF2DIFF Encore Screening Announced 🌟

Couldn’t make it the first time? By popular demand, the DIFF2DIFF Short Film Showcase returns for one final screening!

Curated by Lena Lenzen, Director of the Dili International Film Festival, this stunning program shines a spotlight on the fearless, emerging voices from Timor-Leste’s growing film scene.

The screening will also feature a special video introduction by José Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste and Patron of DIFF.

📅 Sunday 26 October
🕚 11:00 AM
📍Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

Join us to celebrate bold new stories, fresh perspectives, and the future of Timorese cinema.

🎟️ Tickets at diff.net.au

02/10/2025

📣 DIFF Down the Road in Katherine is back! 📣

Darwin International Film Festival 2025 is hitting the road and bringing award-winning world-class cinema to Katherine Cinema 3. From 30 October - 2 November, experience six powerful screenings straight from this year’s DIFF program.

Proudly presented in partnership with Katherine Film Society, Katherine Town Council and Katherine Cinema 3.

📍 All screenings at Katherine Cinema 3, 1/20 First Street
🎟 Tickets available at diff.net.au

🍰 THURSDAY 30 OCT | 6.30PM
The President's Cake (UC15+)
Drama | Iraq | 2025 | 102 min
🏆 Cannes Audience Award and Camera d’Or winner

🔪 FRIDAY 31 OCT | 6.30PM
Sirât (UC18+)
Thriller | France, Spain | 2025 | 115 min
🏆 Cannes Jury Prize winner

🐺 SATURDAY 1 NOV | 3.30PM
The Wolves Always Come at Night (PG)
Documentary | Australia, Mongolia, Germany | 2024 | 96 min
🏆 Australia's official selection for Best International Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards

🕵️ SATURDAY 1 NOV | 6.00PM
The Secret Agent (UC18+)
Thriller | Brazil, France, Netherlands, Germany | 2025 | 160 min
🏆 Cannes Best Director, Best Actor and the International Critics’ Prize winner

🌏 SUNDAY 2 NOV | 1.30PM
Yurlu | Country (PG)
Documentary | Australia | 2025 | 79 min
🏆 Doc Edge The Edge of Impact winner

🚀 SUNDAY 2 NOV | 4.00PM
U Are The Universe (UC15+)
Sci-Fi, Comedy, Drama | Ukraine | 2024 | 90 min
🏆 Boston Science Fiction Film Festival Best Feature winner

From gritty thrillers to moving documentaries and a romantic sci-fi, DIFF Down the Road in Katherine is your chance to catch the festival highlights without leaving town.

Make the most of this year's festival with a FESTIVAL PASS which gives you access to all six screenings in Katherine.

01/10/2025

One week on and we're still talking about DIFF! Here are some highlights from this year’s festival - films, friends, family, special guests, and plenty of that Darwin energy.

You can check out all the photos from the festival here 👉 diff.net.au/festival-photos

Thank you to everyone who came along and celebrated cinema with us.

Keep an eye out for some very special announcements coming soon!

01/10/2025

Massive congratulations to Gabrielle Brady and the team behind The Wolves Always Come at Night - Australia's official selection for Best International Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards.

Caught this film at DIFF 2025? Let us know what you think!

👉 Audience Survey | http://bit.ly/4gQmLTc

Gabrielle Brady's The Wolves Always Come at Night is Australia's official selection for Best International Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards.