Dark Nights Film Fest

16/09/2026

True Believers, our PROGRAM 2026 has been unleashed and is live on our website!

darknightsfilmfest.com/program

We're embracing the intimate, immersive experience of the micro-cinema, across a single, unmissable day and night of horror and dark genre films – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 - at The Reservoir Cinema, Surry Hills.

30 films from around the globe, showcasing the weird, wild, frightening, and fantastically twisted art of independent dark genre filmmaking.

10 Australian short films and 19 international short films, many of them having their World Premieres.

Headlining the program is the exclusive Australian Premiere of THE TURKISH COFFEE TABLE, the latest feature from acclaimed Turkish genre filmmaker Can Evrenol, director of cult horror favourite BASKIN and action thriller SAYARA (DNFF 2024).

The complete program is now available to view online, with all ticketing directly through the website. Patrons can book individual tickets capped at $20 or take advantage of discount options.

BOOK NOW! SEE YOU IN THE DARK!

DARK NIGHTS FILM FEST 2026

Date: Saturday, 10 October
Time: 11am – 9pm
Venue: The Reservoir Cinema,
Rydges Hotel Central,
Level 3, 28 Albion Street, Surry Hills

And if you're in our neck of the woods, join us to celebrate our program launch this evening, Wednesday, 16 September, from 6.30pm, at Sydney Brewery Surry Hills.

09/09/2026

It's one week til we announce the full program for 2026. Are you excited? 🎥📹🎬🎟🍿🍺👹

Support indie horror and dark genre films and filmmaking from Australia and around the world - be part of the community that surrounds them.

Black out your calendar for Saturday, October 10th, and join us in the Darkness!

Program launch and tickets on sale: Wednesday, September 16th.

More details to follow.

04/09/2026

THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED!

In conjunction with the awesome folk at Sydney Underground Film Festival we have a couple of double-pass giveaways for the screening of the wild new body horror SPECIES, at their upcoming 20th edition at The Factory, on Friday, September 11th.

The French feature traces a young intern's struggles at a prestigious ER as she battles with intense work demands and pursues the truth about a mysterious affliction affecting numerous patients - and herself. For fans of THE SUBSTANCE and RAW.

In the comments section, tell us your favourite horror movie that deals directly with an infection or disease.

We'll pick the two that itch our fancy the most.

Competition is only open to greater Sydney residents.

03/09/2026

THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED!

In conjunction with the awesome folk at Sydney Underground Film Festival we have a couple of double-pass giveaways for the screening of the fantastic documentary BOORMAN AND THE DEVIL, at their upcoming 20th edition at The Factory, on Friday, September 11th.

The doco traces John Boorman's struggle to make a spiritual movie that became one of the biggest critical and box office failures in Hollywood history, EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC. It's as heartwarming as it is hilarious.

In the comments section, tell us your favourite film (fiction or non-fiction) about the joys and/or despair of making movies.

We'll pick the one that tickles our fancy the most.

Competition is only open to greater Sydney residents.

02/09/2026

☕️ SYDNEY. YOUR COFFEE IS ABOUT TO GET VERY, VERY DARK.

We’re thrilled to announce the AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE of Can Evrenol’s THE TURKISH COFFEE TABLE at Dark Nights Film Fest 2026.

From the director of BASKIN and SAYARA, Can Evrenol’s latest twisted descent gets its first Australian cinema screening — and this may be your ONLY chance to experience THE TURKISH COFFEE TABLE on the big screen anywhere in Australia.

“Builds excruciating, darkly funny tension” – Projected Figures

“Pushes its human drama to such an extreme that it repeatedly takes your breath away” – Movie Pilot

“Meaner, bloodier, and even darker than the infamous original” – The People’s Movies

📽️ THE RESERVOIR CINEMA - 10 OCTOBER

One night. One micro-cinema. One very dark cup of coffee.

🎬THE TURKISH COFFEE TABLE — AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
🗓Saturday evening, October 10th
📍 Reservoir Cinema, Surry Hills
👹 Dark Nights Film Fest 2026

Black out your calendar – Don’t miss the darkest comedy of the year!

🎟Tickets coming soon. Full program launch – September 16.

19/08/2026

It's creepin' up on ya! Less than two weeks 'til our Call for Entries for 2026 closes! Our appetite remains insatiable, feed us your nightmares!

19/08/2026

We're very excited to be co-presenting the documentary, BOORMAN AND THE DEVIL, from director David Kittredge, at this year's 20th edition of the legendary Sydney Underground Film Festival.

In the mid-70s, John Boorman - the successful English director behind neo-noir POINT BLANK (1967) and horror-thriller DELIVERANCE (1972) - was offered the script for the sequel to THE EXORCIST, titled THE HERETIC.

He took it and ran with it.

But, EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC, released in 1977 and Warner Brothers most expensive movie at the time, was a disaster, a massive box office failure that nearly ended Boorman's career.

In this fascinating doco, cast and filmmakers, including Linda Blair, Louise Fletcher, Joe Dante, Karyn Kusama, Mike Flanagan, and Boorman himself, reflect and discuss the movie's ambition and wild artistic swings.

"Dazzling" -- Indie Wire
"A truly great film" -- Edgar Wright
"One of the best movies about the making of a movie" -- Deadline

BOORMAN AND THE DEVIL has its Australian Premiere on Friday, September 11, 7.45pm, screening at The Factory Theatre, Marrickville, as part of SUFF. Don't miss it!

Tickets available here: https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/167577

Check out the devilish trailer here:

AUSTRALIAN PREMIEREHow did one of the greatest filmmakers of his ...

12/08/2026

Our good mates Sydney Underground Film Festival have released the program for their upcoming 20th edition!

Congrats on the awesome milestone SUFF!

We're excited to be co-presenting a devilish dark delight in the form of the documentary BOORMAN AND THE DEVIL, about the weirdest sequel to ever be made, John Boorman's outlandish THE EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC.

Check out the packed program via the digital flipbook below.

Twenty years deserves one hell of a party. The 20th annual Sydney Underground Film Festival runs from the 10-13 September 2026 at the Factory Theatre, Marrickville. Sydney.

28/05/2026

I'll just leave this here.

'Obsession' proves horror fans are still way ahead of Hollywood, which continues to ignore the genre until the box office forces it to pay attention.