Manchester Film Festival 2026: All you need to know

Manchester Film Festival is described as "10 days of powerful storytelling, standout premieres and inspiring conversations" which also champions stories rooted in the area.

It was founded by Neil Jeram-Croft in 2015 who said the 12th event is the "most ambitious yet".

More than 52 feature films will be showcased at the north of England's largest film festival and it will feature more A-listers from Adam Driver to Angelina Jolie and Cate Blanchett than ever before as well as some of the best home-grown talent in film-making.

Here is everything else you need to know about this year's festival.

The festival celebrates independent cinema by showcasing films from renowned directors and Oscar-winning actors to world premieres from emerging filmmakers.

It is both a BAFTA qualifying festival for British short films and BIFA qualifying for shorts and features.

Film lovers can enjoy an expansive line-up of international premieres, short and feature films with intimate Q&A sessions and the excitement of the red carpet.

The festival takes place from 19-29 March.

It is being held at venues in Manchester including HOME, Odeon Great Northern, Northern Light Cinema, Aviva Studios and Flix at the Treehouse Hotel Manchester.

After producing and starring in his own film, Croft thought more could be done to help those starting out in the industry.

He felt there was a "gap" in the market and decided to set up a film festival in Manchester.

Although initially aimed at budding filmmakers the festival director said it now focuses on audiences as well as filmmakers.

Croft said it would be "10 days of powerful storytelling, standout premieres and inspiring conversations".

He said highlights include:

• Erupcja, directed by Pete Ohs (Jethica) and starring pop icon Charli XCX
• Rose of Nevada, directed by Mark Jenkin (Bait) and starring George MacKay (1917) and Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald)
• The Manchester premiere of The Souffleur, directed by Gastón Solnicki (Kékszakállú) and starring Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe (Poor Things)
• Jim Jarmusch (Paterson) returns with Father Mother Sister Brother, starring Oscar- and BAFTA-winning actor Cate Blanchett (Tár), Oscar-nominated actor Adam Driver (Marriage Story) and Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)
• Alice Winocour (Proxima) who will present Couture, starring Oscar-winning actor Angelina Jolie
• Rhino, a documentary narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Tom Hardy and directed by Tom Martienssen

Three films made by filmmakers in Greater Manchester are also being showcased at the festival.

Chatlines co-directed by Neil Ely, from Burnage, and Lloyd Eyre Morgan, from Stockport, who also wrote and stars in it makes a world premier.

The LGBTQ+ sci-fi drama explores loneliness, intimacy and connection in the digital age, starring Heywood actor Nico Mirallegro whose previous credits include The Village, Common and Hollyoaks.

There is also a world premiere of Synthesized directed by Chris Green (Strangeways Here We Come). The bold, music-driven film is about ambition, creativity and identity, starring Thomas Turgoose (This Is England).

The Old Man and the Sea directed by Colin Offland and Marc Ingham is a contemporary reworking of a classic story, reimagined through a distinctly local lens, about businessman and Oldham FC chairman Frank Rothwell who at 73 set the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to row across the Atlantic solo.

Yes, you need to buy tickets or passes for the events.

Most of the films are rated as 15 or below with age certifications for each film included in the listings on the festival's website.

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