AFF Goes to Cannes 2026
Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) has again partnered with the Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film to showcase Australian filmmaking as part of the world’s largest film market, at the prestigious Festival de Cannes, 12–26 May 2026.
We take five fresh and original feature projects (Fiction or Documentary) that are near completion/or are works-in-progress to showcase as part of the coveted Goes to Cannes platform that has a unique cut through in the market.
The objective of this initiative is to connect Australian films with the global market, to uplift sales and prospects such as international festival premieres for the projects. The five films selected are presented to an audience of sales agents, distributors, investors, programmers and other market delegates.
We are proud to present our 2026 selections: Wilderness, Tiber, River, Polina, and Death of a Shaman.
Director: Martin McKenna
Australia, Feature Fiction
in post production
Release Year 2026
Allie’s poor choices unshackle her from life as a doctor, a mother, and a wife. When she ventures into the Victorian high country with former school friend Kaz, the trip soon spirals into conflict, danger, and near disaster - forcing Allie to confront her life and discover the power of listening.
contact: mat@futurepictures.tv
Director: Dominic Allen
Australia, Feature Fiction
Completed
Release Year: 2026
After losing his job in Rome, art historian Marco returns to Tuscany and sets out with his young daughter Lucia toward the River Tiber. Travelling through an Italian summer shaped by art, history and memory, he is drawn toward a reckoning with the loss he has long tried to contain.
Contact: dominic@reddogsvr.com
Director: Zane borg
Australia, Feature Fiction
Completed
Release Year: 2026
After her mother’s death, 16 year old River struggles to navigate a teenage existence reshaped by grief. She finds solace in an unlikely friendship with Marcus, a troubled teen with wounds of his own. Together, they steal a car and drive to South Australia, in search of Marcus’ estranged mother.
Contact: zane@pancakeoriginals.com
Director: Agnes Burrell
Australia, Feature Documentary
Work seeking additional investment and potential Eurimages/Media co-pro partner
Release Year: 2027
In 2022, ten year old Polina’s village near Kyiv is destroyed and her family is forced to live beside the remains of their home. War becomes her everyday environment and the setting of her adolescence.
Contact: michael@invisiblerepublic.tv
Director: Dan Jackson
Australia, Feature Documentary
in post production
Release Year: 2026
Ancient wisdom meets modern revolution as a shaman’s family rise against IMF-backed oil forces, catalysing an Indigenous uprising that seeks to oust the Ecuadorian President.
Contact: dan@futureparadigmpictures.com
Successful selections receive a complementary Marché accreditation and are included as an official ‘AFF Goes to Cannes’ selection. These projects will be eligible for a suite of prizes including a €10,000 cash prize presented by Sideral.
For more information about the Cannes Marche and Goes to Cannes, visit: marchedufilm.com/programs/goes-to-cannes/
For additional inquiries:
Kath McIntye, AFFIF Coordinator, AFFIF@adelaidefilmfestival.org
For information about festival or travel funding please contact your relevant state film agency.
