Manchester Film Festival has announced further additions to the line-up for its 2026 edition, which takes place from 19-29 March, including its opening night and closing night films.
Alongside the 52 feature films and short film strands previously announced, the festival will also present the Manchester premiere of The Good Boy, starring Stephen Graham; the Manchester premiere of California Schemin’, directed by James McAvoy; and the Manchester premiere of The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford, starring Peter Mullan.
The festival has also announced that Kit Harington will attend the festival for an in-person Q&A following the previously announced world premiere of his directorial debut, Psychopomp, which will screen as part of the opening night programme.
Neil Jeram-Croft, festival director, said: “We can’t wait for March and to welcome the teams behind Psychopomp, The Good Boy, California Schemin’ and The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford to Manchester.
“Having the people who made – and star in – these films with us in person is a huge part of what makes the festival special, and we’re excited to share those moments with our audiences.”
Harington, director of Psychopomp, said: “To have Psychopomp play on opening night at Manchester Film Festival means a great deal to me. I’m thrilled to bring the film to Manchester and share it with festival audiences, and I’m looking forward to being there.”
McAvoy, director of California Schemin’, added: “I am so proud to have California Schemin’ close this year’s Manchester Film Festival.
“Manchester’s music heritage and fearless creative energy feel like a perfect fit for our film, and the city’s long history of artists pushing boundaries and taking risks runs right through this story.
“I’m very much looking forward to sharing the film with Manchester audiences.”
The festival will also host the world premiere of short film Box of Frogs, directed by Ian Puleston-Davies (Tin Star, Peaky Blinders, Coronation Street).
The film stars Mathew Horne (Gavin & Stacey), alongside Mark Lewis Jones (The Crown), Anna Chancellor (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and Amit Shah (Happy Valley), and will screen on Friday 20 March, followed by an in-person Q&A with Puleston-Davies and Horne.
Additionally, Anything That Moves, directed by Alex Phillips, will receive its Manchester premiere at the festival.
A surreal, psychedelic horror-thriller, the film promises a “bold and immersive cinematic experience”.
Finally, the festival has announced its archive screenings for the 2026 edition: AI on Screen.
The selection of films includes I, Robot (Alex Proyas, 2004), Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009), Ex Machina (Alex Garland, 2014), Demon Seed (Donald Cammell, 1977) and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg, 2001).
More information is available on the Manchester Film Festival website.
