The Melbourne International Film Festival has unveiled the nominees for its 2026 awards, with more than $300,000 in prize money on offer across categories celebrating emerging filmmakers, Indigenous creatives and Australia’s leading directors.

The headline prize remains the Bright Horizons Award, one of the richest film awards in the world. Backed by VicScreen, the competition offers $140,000 to a first- or second-time feature filmmaker and spotlights 10 Australian-premiere films from around the globe.

Among this year’s contenders are Wicker, from filmmaking partners Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer, Sweet Milk Lake by Australian director Harvey Zielinski, Josephine from Beth de Araújo, Blue Heron by Sophy Romvari and Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep from Rakan Mayasi.

“In its fifth year, Bright Horizons has become one of MIFF’s most essential programs, continuing to showcase the work of extraordinary breakout filmmakers from all around the world,” MIFF Artistic Director Al Cossar said in a statement.

“The first- and second-features you’ll find throughout the Bright Horizons Competition are some of the boldest and most brilliant works of new auteur cinema that you’ll see this year, anywhere.”

Many of the nominated filmmakers will attend the festival in Melbourne, including Wilson and Huston Fischer for the Opening Night Gala screening of Wicker, alongside fellow Bright Horizons nominees Abinash Bikram Shah, Beth de Araújo, Hossein Keshavarz, Maryam Ataei, Paloma Schneideman, Rakan Mayasi, Sophy Romvari and Harvey Zielinski.

The festival also announced nominees for the Uncle Jack Charles Award, which recognises outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander screen creatives and carries a $20,000 cash prize.

The 2026 nominees are Charles Perrurle Perkins (The Native Police), Keinan William McGillivray Pethybridge and Marcus Raymond (Man Wearing a Helmet), Kieran Satour and Tyson Perkins (Facing the Numbers), Talia Liddle(Protest on the Dancefloor) and Tammy Lee Rock (Queens to the Front).

Meanwhile, four filmmakers are in contention for the Blackmagic Design Best Australian Director Award, which includes $50,000 in prize money plus a fully equipped Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K camera valued at $27,500.

The nominees are Dario Russo (The Fox), Harvey Zielinski (Sweet Milk Lake), Hyun Lee (French Girls) and Maddelin McKenna (Mad Rush).

The festival’s broader awards program also includes the MIFF Schools Youth Jury Award, presented by Collarts, which awards $10,000 to a film selected by a jury of emerging filmmakers, while audiences will once again vote for the Intrepid Audience Award throughout the festival.

Celebrating its 65th year, the MIFF Shorts Awards will return with a $50,000 prize pool. Winners in key categories will again qualify for Academy Award consideration and be eligible for BAFTA submission.

The 2026 MIFF Awards will be presented on Aug. 22 at Rydges Melbourne, while the MIFF Shorts Awards and Talent of Tomorrow Party will take place on Aug. 16 at Melbourne Town Hall.

The 2026 Melbourne International Film Festival runs Aug. 6-23, with MIFF Online streaming selected titles Aug. 14-30.