Ironbark Digital is teaming up with Darwin International Film Festival as the official DCP delivery partner for DIFF 2026 🎬🎞️💫
Filmmakers will enjoy discounted access to industry-leading theatrical mastering & delivery for their film submissions, with screenings held at the iconic Deck Chair Cinema 📽️🦎🌅
@diff_nt@ironbarkfilms@deckchair_cinema
🎬 Submissions are OPEN for DIFF 2026! 🎉
The Darwin International Film Festival 2026 is officially calling for entries, and we can’t wait to see what filmmakers from around Australia and the world have been creating.
✨ New categories this year:
• Short Film – Indigenous Australia
• Short Film – Animation
• Short Film – Australian
• Feature Film – Australian
If you’ve got a story to tell, a vision to share, or a film ready for the big screen, this is your moment.
📅 Submission Deadline: 19 June 2026
🎥 Festival Dates: 10-20 September 2026
Join us in celebrating bold storytelling, fresh voices, and incredible cinema.
Submit your film 👉 filmfreeway.com/diff_nt
#DIFF2026 #FilmFestival #CallForEntries #AustralianFilm #IndigenousFilm #Animation #ShortFilm #FeatureFilm
Thank you to our supporters who backed us this year to champion local filmmakers, First Nations voices, and bring massive cinema to Central Australia.
MASIFF’s second year was supported by @diff_nt , @ntgovernment Community Benefit Fund, and @qantas whose sponsorship was much more than just funding a festival. It has helped to strengthen our creative communities, open doors for new work, and share the landscapes, humour and heart of the desert.
📷 Jez Smith Photography
DIFF may be over for another year, but you can relive all the magic right here thanks this fabulous compilation video put together by our Festival Photographer, @thebusinessphotog !
See you in 2026 🎉
DIFF hit the road last week and took 6 of the most highly acclaimed, throught provoking, hard hitting, award-winning films of 2025 to Katherine.
Opening night was a stand out event with over 60 locals attending the screening of The President's Cake.
Massive thanks to the whole Katherine community for getting behind the festival, and a special thank you to our presenting partners, @k_film_s , katherinecinema3, and @katherinetowncouncil .
Check out all the photos here 👉 diff.net.au/katherine
Photos by Emily Knight and Penny Fawkner
🌟 The audience has spoken! 🌟
We are so proud to announce that Journey Home, David Gulpilil has been voted the DIFF 2025 Audience Award Winner! 🎬✨
This moving documentary - a heartfelt tribute to one of Australia’s most iconic actors and cultural storytellers - deeply resonated with the DIFF audience and is a powerful reminder of why listening to understand, amplifying underrepresented voices, and sharing local stories are at the heart of what we do here.
Each year, DIFF celebrates the power of film as a bridge between cultures - a way for us to see, hear, and truly connect through story. Journey Home, David Gulpilil is more than a film. It's an act of cultural exchange, an invitation to walk alongside Country, memory, and spirit, all the while guided by the remarkable family and legacy of David Gulpilil.
Congratulations to the family and team behind this incredible film!
Brindle Films @milesmaggie
And thank you to everyone who joined us under the stars, voted, and helped celebrate this story 🖤💛❤️
#DIFF2025 #AudienceAward #JourneyHomeDavidGulpilil #FirstNationsStories #CulturalExchange #DarwinInternationalFilmFestival #DeckchairCinema
🌟 DIFF2DIFF Encore Screening Announced 🌟
Couldn’t make it the first time? By popular demand, the DIFF2DIFF Short Film Showcase returns for one final screening!
Curated by Lena Lenzen, Director of the Dili International Film Festival, this stunning program shines a spotlight on the fearless, emerging voices from Timor-Leste’s growing film scene.
The screening will also feature a special video introduction by José Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste and Patron of DIFF.
📅 Sunday 26 October
🕚 11:00 AM
📍Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Join us to celebrate bold new stories, fresh perspectives, and the future of Timorese cinema.
🎟️ Tickets at diff.net.au
📣 DIFF Down the Road in Katherine is back! 📣
Darwin International Film Festival 2025 is hitting the road and bringing award-winning world-class cinema to Katherine Cinema 3. From 30 October - 2 November, experience six powerful screenings straight from this year’s DIFF program.
Proudly presented in partnership with @k_film_s , @katherinetowncouncil and @katherinecinema3 .
📍 All screenings at Katherine Cinema 3, 1/20 First Street
🎟 Tickets available at diff.net.au
🍰 THURSDAY 30 OCT | 6.30PM
The President's Cake (UC15+)
Drama | Iraq | 2025 | 102 min
🏆 Cannes Audience Award and Camera d’Or winner
🔪 FRIDAY 31 OCT | 6.30PM
Sirât (UC18+)
Thriller | France, Spain | 2025 | 115 min
🏆 Cannes Jury Prize winner
🐺 SATURDAY 1 NOV | 3.30PM
The Wolves Always Come at Night (PG)
Documentary | Australia, Mongolia, Germany | 2024 | 96 min
🏆 Australia's official selection for Best International Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards
🕵️ SATURDAY 1 NOV | 6.00PM
The Secret Agent (UC18+)
Thriller | Brazil, France, Netherlands, Germany | 2025 | 160 min
🏆 Cannes Best Director, Best Actor and the International Critics’ Prize winner
🌏 SUNDAY 2 NOV | 1.30PM
Yurlu | Country (PG)
Documentary | Australia | 2025 | 79 min
🏆 Doc Edge The Edge of Impact winner
🚀 SUNDAY 2 NOV | 4.00PM
U Are The Universe (UC15+)
Sci-Fi, Comedy, Drama | Ukraine | 2024 | 90 min
🏆 Boston Science Fiction Film Festival Best Feature winner
From gritty thrillers to moving documentaries and a romantic sci-fi, DIFF Down the Road in Katherine is your chance to catch the festival highlights without leaving town.
Make the most of this year's festival with a FESTIVAL PASS which gives you access to all six screenings in Katherine.
#DIFF2025 #DIFFDownTheRoadInKatherine #KatherineFilmSociety #KatherineTownCouncil #KatherineCinema3 #InternationalFilm
One week on and we're still talking about DIFF! Here are some highlights from this year’s festival - films, friends, family, special guests, and plenty of that Darwin energy.
You can check out all the photos from the festival here 👉 diff.net.au/festival-photos
Thank you to everyone who came along and celebrated cinema with us.
Keep an eye out for some very special announcements coming soon!
#ThankYou #DIFF #DarwinInternationalFilmFestival #DIFF2025 #Darwin #Film #DarwinFilmSociety #MoreToCome #ComingSoon
The official festival pics are in! Thank you to the @diff_nt , sponsors @envirocentrent , @peterrgarrett for jumping up on stage and everyone who attended our phenomenal sold-out screening at the @deckchair_cinema on Thursday 18th September.
🎬✨ We're calling cut on Darwin International Film Festival 2025 ✨🎬
What an incredible 11 days it has been celebrating the best of international film right here on Larrakia Country. 35 sessions were held across 5 venues, with the progam including 28 feature films and 55 shorts. We welcomed a record 5,000+ patrons throughout the festival and hosted more than 40 special guests! 🎥✨
DIFF 2025 was a true cultural exchange of stories and community through the power of film. From breathtaking premieres to thought-provoking conversations, this year’s festival has left us feeling challenged, inspired, and full of hope.
Sending a huge thank you to our patrons, filmmakers, guests, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and the whole DIFF team who made this festival so special.
Relive the magic here 👉 diff.net.au/festival-photos
See you in 2026💫
#DIFF2025 #DarwinInternationalFilmFestival @mag_nt@skiclubdarwin@cityofpalmerston@deckchair_cinema
Festival Photographer | @thebusinessphotog
