Haifa Film Festival 2026: Must-See Films Unveiled

The Haifa Film Festival 2026 is set to showcase a diverse lineup of films, including award-winning dramas, action thrillers, and animated features. Among the highlights is "Coward," a Belgian-French-Dutch production that earned its two lead actors the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Lukas Dhont, the film explores a forbidden love between two soldiers during World War I, examining themes of love, war, and the role of art.

Another anticipated film is "The Weight," an independent American-German survival drama starring Ethan Hawke as a single father navigating the Great Depression and a harsh work camp. Directed by first-time filmmaker Padraic McKinley, the movie is described as a gripping, albeit occasionally raw, Hollywood-style survival story.

"The Last Viking," from Denmark, is the latest offering from acclaimed director Anders Thomas Jensen, known for his unique blend of dark humor, tragedy, and violence. The film stars Nikolaj Lie Kaas as a released convict searching for hidden money, with Mads Mikkelsen in a scene-stealing role.

"The Electric Kiss," a French-Belgian comedy by Pierre Salvadori, will serve as the festival's opening film. It tells the story of a painter mourning his lost love who becomes entangled with a medium at a traveling fair. The festival will also feature "Tangles," an animated black-and-white film from the US and Canada based on a graphic novel, which deals with a young Jewish lesbian's struggle with her mother's Alzheimer's disease, and "The Furious," a Hong Kong action film praised for its brutal and expertly choreographed martial arts sequences.

Other notable films include "3 Days in September," a Romanian film that uses the conventions of contemporary Romanian cinema to create a romantic comedy about a wedding disrupted by an unexpected revelation, and "The Stranger," a French adaptation of Albert Camus's classic novel, directed by François Ozon, exploring existential themes. A special screening of the 1969 classic "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" will also be presented.