Unsurprisingly, whistling as a competitive sport attracts an eccentric crowd. Wrangling this multifarious mob, is ‘Whistling Diva’ producer Carole Anne Kaufman, a contentious figure, who’s on a mission to elevate the artform and the competition. Directed by Christopher Nelius (Girls Can’t Surf, SFF 2021), this highly entertaining documentary in the tradition of Best in Show and The Golden Spurtle, celebrates persistence and lip-pursing talent as it captures the highs and lows of competitive musical whistling.

An animal protagonist to rank alongside the heroes of Red Dog and Babe, Hen begins life as a black-feathered outcast in an ocean of golden chicks bound for slaughter. Capturing the personality of this creature, Pálfi charts the funny adventures and hair-raising escapes along the Greek coast. As the humans around Hen come into focus, Pálfi delivers a sobering study in human nature and a commentary on burning social issues. Made without CGI, animatronics or AI, Hen is technically brilliant and boldly innovative.

Romanian-Norwegian couple Mihai (Stan, A Different Man, TFF 2024) and Lisbet (Reinsve, Sentimental Value, TFF 2025) relocate with their five children to a fjord village in Norway. As they settle in, their daughter Elia befriends a rebellious local teen. When Elia arrives at school with bruises, scrutiny of her parents’ conservative parenting methods escalates into crisis in the village and far beyond. With Fjord Mungiu challenges the audience to contemplate the limits of secular contemporary societies in dealing with minorities and, as always, poses resonant ethical questions.

Bull riding is eight seconds of fast and furious tension – preceded by months of determined graft. It’s a risky sport for youthful dreamers like Peter Jnr, living in remote Doomadgee with his ex-bull rider father; tenacious Camicka, plus Mount Isa local favourite Donovan; and talented larrikin Darcy. This engrossing documentary captures the grit and determination of the four Queenslanders, with their stories accompanied by a soulful score from Sam Teskey (Teskey Brothers).

Kabul, 2021. In the lead up to the Taliban’s return to power, Naru is the sole camerawoman at Kabul’s main TV station. Having left her cheating, abusive husband, and struggling to gain custody of her young son, it is no wonder that Naru feels that there are " no good men " left in Afghanistan. Assigned to a major news story, she partners with journalist Qodrat, and an unexpected connection forms. Adeptly playing with rom-com conventions, with the backdrop of a society on the brink of tumult, Sadat has made a film as daring as it is delightful.

A mighty gingko tree in a German university town witnesses the intertwined lives of three generations. In 1908, a pioneering botanist becomes the institution’s first female student. In 1972, two classmates bond over a geranium in politically charged times. In 2020, a lonely neuroscientist (Leung Chiu-wai), stuck on campus, seeks meaning from the tree’s electromagnetic signals under the guidance of a French biologist (Seydoux). Returning in resplendent form, Ildikó Enyedi crafts a perceptive, time-spanning exploration of humanity’s enduring connection to nature.

Said to be the "true and twisted tale of a deceiver of land and folk, who, defying her birth as a woman, comported herself as a man and committed many a wicked deed," what follows is far more complex. Battle-worn, 'the soldier' arrives in a village, and lays claim to an abandoned farmstead. As the soldiers is pressured to marry – a series of surprising and tragic events unfold. Based on historical characters, and with a wry humour, this is an ode to a gender non-conforming stalwart.

This epic documentary tells an incredible true story of adventure and romance. In Delhi, 1975, young street artist PK meets Lotta, who is visiting from Sweden, and paints her portrait. Certain she is the true love foretold to him by an astrologer, PK embarks on the mission of his life – to cycle from India to Sweden. Award-winning director Orlando von Einsiedel (Virunga) tells this rousing story through sumptuous, vivid reenactments and wonderful interviews with PK and Lotta.

This year, André Rieu celebrates a spectacular milestone, the 20th anniversary of his iconic summer concerts on the magnificent Vrijthof square with a new concert recorded in 2026, welcoming artists never before seen on the Vrijthof stage.