Dark Nights – Program 2026 unleashed!

ONE DAY. 30 FILMS.

10 AUSTRALIAN NIGHTMARES.

ONE VERY DARK COFFEE TABLE.

Sydney’s Dark Nights Film Fest has unveiled its 2026 program and is embracing the intimate, immersive experience of the micro-cinema, across a single, unmissable day and night of horror and dark genre films – Saturday, 10 October 2026.

Australia’s darkest film festival takes over The Reservoir Cinema in Surry Hills, transforming the boutique space into a gathering place for horror lovers, genre obsessives, filmmakers, and anyone looking to experience something a little darker than the multiplex.

The festival’s program brings together thirty films from around the globe, showcasing the weird, wild, frightening, and fantastically twisted art of independent dark genre filmmaking. Among them are ten Australian short films and nineteen international short films, many of them having their World Premieres.

Headlining the program is the exclusive Australian Premiere of a movie you’re not likely to forget, THE TURKISH COFFEE TABLE, the latest feature from acclaimed Turkish genre filmmaker Can Evrenol, director of cult horror favourite BASKIN and action thriller SAYARA (DNFF 2024).

Dark Nights Film Fest director and curator, Bryn Tilly, said the 2026 program reflects the festival’s commitment to championing bold, independent filmmaking while maintaining a curated, festival experience audiences simply can’t get at home.

“Dark Nights is about discovering the edge of your seat, together in the dark,” said Tilly. “We wanted this year’s festival to feel intimate, immediate, and a little dangerous. The Reservoir Cinema gives us the perfect setting for that — you’re right there with the film, right there with the audience, and there’s nowhere to hide.”

Audiences can make a full day and night of Saturday October 10, with the program’s four short film showcases and the feature presentation creating a potent, concentrated hit of contemporary horror and dark genre filmmaking. “It’s a compact program, packed with films designed to really get under your skin,” adds Tilly.

But Dark Nights isn’t just about what happens on screen.

Sydney Brewery sits adjacent to The Reservoir Cinema, giving festivalgoers the perfect place to gather, grab a drink, and talk horror movies. Beverages purchased at Sydney Brewery can even be taken directly into the cinema! It’s all part of Dark Nights Film Fest’s framing of the micro-cinema experience: great films, intimate environment, and a great space to discuss the nightmares straight after.

The complete program is now available to view online, with all ticketing directly through the official Dark Nights Film Fest website. Patrons can book individual tickets capped at $20 or take advantage of discount options.

DARK NIGHTS FILM FEST 2026

VIEW THE FULL PROGRAM AND BOOK TICKETS NOW VIA THE OFFICIAL FESTIVAL WEBSITE: https://darknightsfilmfest.com/program