Newport Beach Film Festival rolls out its 2026 lineup

Back for another installment, the Newport Beach Film Festival has announced a lineup that will undoubtedly draw cinema lovers to its storied screenings.

This year’s festival, which runs from Oct. 15 to Oct. 22, will showcase over 100 feature films and 250 shorts from 21 countries in inviting attendees to “be a part of the scene.”

“The Newport Beach Film Festival is thrilled to once again unite audiences with some of the most talked-about films of awards season and an extraordinary group of filmmakers from around the world,” said Gregg Schwenk, the festival’s executive director, in news release. “We look forward to sharing these impactful films with our incredible Orange County community and celebrating the artists behind them.”

The festival will also likely be a farewell to Regal Edwards Big Newport as a key venue. The cherished movie theater is set to close in June or sooner to make way for condominium towers approved by Newport Beach City Council this year.

But before that change, the centerpiece films rolled for this year’s festival promise to be a star-studded affair.

Highlights includes the Danny Boyle-direct biopic “Ink,” which casts Jack O’Connell as Larry Lamb and Guy Pearce as Rupert Murdoch in retelling how they turned The Sun into a brash British tabloid.

Festivalgoers will also have the opportunity to see the James Gray crime drama “Paper Tiger,” which stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.

In making its West Coast premiere at the festival, “Jimmy” stars KJ Apa of “Riverdale” fame as the late U.S. actor Jimmy Stewart.

Films spanning the globe from almost two dozen countries—including Iran, Ireland, Japan and Spain—round out the international spotlight at the event.

Iranian filmmaker Ali Asgari will bring “A Bit of Light” to North American audiences for the first time in offering a redemption tale about a doctor on the edge of suicide after losing his ability to practice once freed from prison for treating injured protesters.

There is also a historical thriller by way of the Philippines in “Sisa.” The film is set in the last years of the Philippine-American War and chronicles a victim who harbors a secret that may turn into revenge.

Documentaries help round out much of the festival’s lineup. “Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff” revisits the life of the famed U.S. astronomer. “Smooth World” explores the relaxed soundscapes of smooth jazz music.

There remains an air of intrigue about next month’s festival as organizers plan to announce opening and closing night screenings at a later date.

Until then, tickets for the festival are on-sale now.