Montclair Film Festival Unveils Exciting Lineup for 2026

The Montclair Film Festival is gearing up for its 15th edition with a stellar lineup, announcing its opening, closing, and centerpiece films that promise to captivate audiences. The festival will commence with Martin McDonagh’s highly anticipated film Wild Horse Nine, featuring performances by acclaimed actors John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell.

Scheduled for a grand opening, Wild Horse Nine recently made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and is set for release on November 6. The festival will conclude with the screening of Behemoth!, directed by Tony Gilroy and starring Pedro Pascal, which will premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 2 before its official release on December 4.

This year's event will also showcase a diverse selection of centerpieces. The animation feature will spotlight Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn, available on Netflix starting December 18. In addition, the fiction centerpiece will be Simon Stone’s Elsinore, starring Andrew Scott and set for release by Focus Features on November 20. Finally, Ava DuVernay’s documentary 14th, which premiered at the NY Film Festival, will serve as the documentary centerpiece, hitting select theaters via Netflix on November 27.

Artistic director Tom Hall expressed his enthusiasm for the festival’s milestone year, noting, "2026 marks the 15th anniversary of the Montclair Film Festival, and it is shaping up to be an extraordinary year for cinema. As we look back on the past 15 years, we have seen remarkable connections forged at our festival, in our education programs, our cinemas, and our community. All of that is due to the work of great filmmakers. This year’s festival program features remarkable films made by artists who continue to inspire our work. We can’t wait to share them with our audiences."

Source: www.hollywoodreporter.com