As the film world’s focus shifts to the Fall 2025 festival circuit, including Venice, Telluride, Toronto, and New York, a powerful roster of films is set to debut, promising to shape the trajectory of the upcoming 2026 awards season. These festivals are often the launching pads for Oscar frontrunners, and this year’s lineup, filled with heavy-hitting directors and star-studded casts, is no exception.
Visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino returns with his psychological thriller, After the Hunt, starring Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield. The film centers on a college professor who is forced to confront her secretive past when a star student accuses one of her colleagues of misconduct. The plot’s timely themes of accountability and secrets make it a strong contender for a dramatic Oscar push.
Another heavyweight, Kathryn Bigelow, is set to debut her political thriller, A House of Dynamite. The film follows U.S. government officials as they race to respond to the detection of a single, unattributed missile. Known for her kinetic, real-time filmmaking, Bigelow’s work with a cast that includes Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson is already generating buzz for its tense and frighteningly plausible scenario.
Fans of the macabre and fantastic are eagerly awaiting Guillermo del Toro’s take on Frankenstein. The film, which stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the monster, is described as an emotional and gothic exploration of Mary Shelley’s classic tale. Given del Toro’s track record with films like The Shape of Water and Pinocchio, Frankenstein is a definite frontrunner for awards in both technical and creative categories.
Other notable films making their festival rounds include Park Chan-wook’s highly anticipated No Other Choice, a chilling drama that follows a laid-off manager who grows increasingly desperate and violent. Similarly, Yorgos Lanthimos will present Bugonia, a sci-fi comedy starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons about two men who believe the CEO they’ve kidnapped is an alien. Directors like Jim Jarmusch and Noah Baumbach also have new projects set to debut, adding to the festival’s star power.
This year’s lineup is packed with auteur-driven projects that blend genre with profound emotional and social commentary. From sci-fi to thrillers and dramas, the films promise not just to entertain but to challenge and provoke thought, making the upcoming months a critical period for shaping the 2026 film landscape.
