by FilmInk Staff
MIFF’s 2026 Industry programs wrap up: Prize winners, premiere screenings and 3,300+ meetings round out a record year
Melbourne International Film Festival’s industry programs have closed out its 2026 edition on a high, with Friday night’s world premiere of Mad Rush – directed by MIFF Accelerator Lab alumna Maddelin McKenna – providing a fitting finale to a buzzy period of dealmaking, mentorship and discovery across 37°South Market and the Accelerator Lab program.
This past weekend also saw the announcement of the inaugural Accelerator Lab Pitch Prize, supported by Westgarth Foundation, with Victoria Boult’s The Sisterhood taking home the $4,000 prize.
MIFF CEO Damien Hodgkinson, said: “The real measure of success for MIFF Industry programs is what happens beyond the room – the connections made, the ideas exchanged and the opportunities that follow. This year’s 37°South Market and Accelerator Lab have delivered that in spades, bringing together an exceptional depth of Australian, New Zealand and international talent and industry, and creating thousands of opportunities for collaboration, investment and discovery.
“We’re proud that MIFF Industry is a place where emerging talent can build relationships, where ambitious projects can find their champions, and where Australian and New Zealand filmmakers can connect with the world. The energy and engagement across this year’s programs reflects the strength and ambition of our screen sector, and we’re excited to see where these connections lead next.”
37°SOUTH MARKET: A RECORD EDITION
Now in its 19th year, 37°South Market once again cemented its place as the region’s premier screen co-financing marketplace, connecting Australian and New Zealand producers with international financiers, distributors and industry leaders across four packed days.
Across the market, delegates took part in more than 3,300 scheduled meetings with 458 delegates fuelled, by MIFF Industry’s count, by some 1,150 cups of coffee along the way.
A record 174 producers from across Australia and New Zealand were in attendance, alongside 61 local and international financing guest companies attending in person, including AGC Studios, Amazon MGM Studios, Anonymous Content, Architect, Beta Cinema, Blue Fox, Concourse Media, Disney+, Federation Studios, Goodfellas, HanWay, Kismet, Rocket Science, Madman, Mister Smith, MUBI, Netflix, Pinky Promise Films, Roadshow, Stan, StudioCanal, Umbrella and Upgrade Productions.
Production companies including ArenaMedia, Brouhaha, Carver, Causeway, Curio, Fremantle, Goalpost, Easy Tiger, Good Thing, Jungle, Ludo and Princess Pictures were also on the ground for development and project meetings.
Industry leaders convened across the market’s State of Play talks series to discuss screen financing, production, distribution and other sector challenges and opportunities, with sessions spanning audience-led development, international distribution trends, private investment and the mechanics of co-production – featuring voices from Anonymous Content, Upgrade Productions, Concourse Media, Bankside, Goalpost, Vertigo Releasing, Saban Films, Blue Fox, Minderoo Pictures, Causeway, Princess Pictures, WeirAnderson, ArenaMedia, Federation Studios, Beta Cinema, Obsidian Creek Capital, Pinky Promise, Sons of Rigor, among others.
Ahead of its rapturous International Premiere screening as the 2026 Opening Night Gala film, the market also hosted a Books at MIFF case study with Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer, exploring the path from page to screen of their much buzzed about second feature, Wicker.
This year’s PFM Prize winners – securing the only guaranteed entry for Australian and New Zealand producers into Film London’s Production Finance Market – were announced as Djali House (Huna Amweero and Hunter Page-Lochard) and Angie Fielder and Velvet Riot Films (Rachel Forbes and Celyren Leckie). The New Talent Prize was awarded to Lucie McMahon, Pat Mooney, Emma Mortimer and Lani-rain Feltham.
Huna Amweero of Djali House, said: “This was Djali House’s first 37°South and we were floored by the effort that goes into creating a space for Australian creatives to establish global relationships to finance and distribute work. We were shocked to receive the PFM prize, however it affirmed that 37°South was a space to be authentically ourselves while still making strides forward professionally. Would recommend this intense experience for local producers and creatives as it is great preparation for international markets like EFM, TIFF and Content London.”
Along with the inaugural Accelerator Lab Pitch Prize, 2026 also marked the introduction of two new initiatives aimed at widening the pipeline of talent entering the international market – both made possible by a major philanthropic gift from Westgarth Foundation. Producer Accelerator, a half-day program ahead of the market, equipped emerging and early-career producers with pitching skills and market insights, while 37°South: Pathways supported producers from underrepresented backgrounds with complimentary registration, travel assistance and a place in the Producer Accelerator program.
ACCELERATOR LAB
Nurturing tomorrow’s top screen directors on their path towards first long-form works, the 2026 MIFF Accelerator Lab brought together 25 emerging directors for five days of workshops, screenings, panels and networking events spanning the business and creative sides of the film industry.
This year’s program featured a standout lineup of guest speakers, including Sophy Romvari (Blue Heron), Robert Connolly, Dario Russo (The Fox), Paloma Schneideman (Big Girls Don’t Cry), Bonnie Moir (The Airport Chaplain), Josef Gatti (Phenomena), Corrin Evans (Corpus), Sean Wallace and Jordan Dodson (Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant), Chouwa Liang (Replica), Hyun Lee (French Girls), James J. Robinson (First Light) and Pietra Brettkelly (Crocodile).
The 2026 Accelerator Lab program was also enriched by a strong line-up of international guest speakers, including John Nein (Sundance), Gabor Greiner (Films Boutique), David Kwok (Cercamon/Vorteks), Joe Yanick (Yellow Veil Pictures), Juliette Louchart (Flow Art Sales), Ulrich Ziemons (Berlinale Forum Expanded) and Dana Cox (NorthStar Management).
Across the festival, the Accelerator Lab’s alumni network was out in full force. Friday night’s World Premiere of Mad Rush was joined by a strong showing of fellow alumni titles throughout the MIFF 2026 program, including James Hunter‘s psychological thriller The Latcher, Paloma Schneideman‘s Bright Horizons-competing Big Girls Don’t Cry, and Vee Shi’s unique hybrid documentary, Time and Tide.
