FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Stony Brook Film Festival Unveils 2026 Lineup; Festival Returns July 16–25
STONY BROOK, NY — The 31st Annual Stony Brook Film Festival, presented by Stony Brook Medicine, returns to the Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University from July 16–25, 2026, with 36 films from 23 countries, filmmaker Q&As, special events, and some of the year's most acclaimed independent cinema. The festival annually attracts approximately 10,000 attendees and is recognized as one of the region's premier showcases for independent film.
The festival opens with the New York premiere of Once Upon My Mother, the inspiring true story of Esther Perez, a Moroccan-Jewish immigrant in France, portraying a mother's determination to help her son overcome a severe disability against all odds.
Many films in this year's lineup explore themes of family and connection through stories from around the world. A Mosquito in the Ear follows an American couple traveling to India to meet the 4-year-old girl they have adopted; and the timely The Sea, which follows a Palestinian father trying to find his son who has decided to journey illegally from the West Bank through Israel to visit the sea; and the mesmerizing If I Go Will They Miss Me, in which a 12-year-old tries to connect with his recently incarcerated father.
American independent cinema thrives in Downbeat, a zero-budget kinetic drama about a self-sabotaging, down-on-his-luck drummer trying to eke out a living as a street performer in Boston; plus indie gemThe Art of Quitting Gracefully, and the meta Bravado, while lighter offerings include the crowd-pleasing It Takes Two to Tango; and the delightfully unpredictable road-trip adventure Crystal Cross, in which a small-town, church-going singer decides to run away from her problems by hitching a ride with a depressed stranger she thinks looks like Jesus.
Acclaimed international selections include Frontier, a WWII epic about small-town residents in a Spanish border town hiding Jewish refugees; HEYSEL 85, a heart-pounding film about the 1985 European Cup; and Hungarian Wedding, a spirited crowd-pleaser set against the rich backdrop of Hungary’s vibrant folk traditions.
Closing this year's festival is the East Coast premiere of Swiss blockbuster Hello Betty, the story of the woman behind Switzerland's most beloved culinary icon.
Notable cast from the films include Jake Lacy (A Mosquito in the Ear), Daniel Rashid (Downbeat), Daniel Bruhl (BerlinHero), Danielle Brooks (If I Go Will They Miss Me), Adele Exarchopoulos (DOG 51), and more. Many of the filmmakers, along with cast members, will attend the festival, participate in Q&A’s with the audience, and attend the afterparties following their premiere screenings.
The Stony Brook Film Festival and Stony Brook Southampton’s Avram Theater will present an encore screening of the award-winning film Westhampton on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the Avram Theater in Southampton. A reception will precede the event at 6:30 pm, followed by a post-film Q&A with the filmmakers. Admission is free; RSVP is recommended at StonyBrook.edu/avram.
The complete festival schedule is now available at StonyBrookFilmFestival.com. Festival passes are on sale now, with individual tickets available beginning July 1.
Key Dates
- Festival Dates: July 16–25, 2026
- Single Tickets On Sale: July 1, 2026
- Stony Brook Southampton Encore Screening: July 26, 2026
Pricing – Passes & Tickets: The Festival offers incredibly reasonable entry prices. Go to all ten days (plus parties, awards ceremony & events!) with a Gold Pass ($250), or attend all ten days and the awards ceremony ($100), or choose your favorite five days with a Flex Pass ($75) (excludes closing night). Passholders also receive discounts at hospitality partner locations (Bliss, Curry Club, Saghar, Bagel Express, Elaine’s, etc.). Ten days of films for less than a single night out—the best deal on Long Island.
- Gold Pass ($250) Passholder perks, all ten days, VIP reserved seating, awards ceremony, afterparty access, VIP gift.
- Regular Pass ($100): Passholder perks, all ten days, and the awards ceremony.
- Flex Pass ($75) Passholder perks, choose your favorite five days, excludes closing night.
- Single Tickets ($15) Available July 1. Access to one film slot (1 feature; 1 short).
Festival Schedule
View all trailers.
(s) – short (f) – feature
Opening Night
Thursday, July 16, 2026
7pm
The Doorman (S) (20 min)
Once Upon My Mother (F) trailer
Friday, July 17, 2026
7pm
Shaba Daba (S)
A Mosquito in the Ear (F) trailer
9:30pm
The Sentry (S)
Downbeat (F)
Saturday, July 18, 2026
7pm
This Conversation Has Been Removed (S)
Berlin Hero (F)
9:30pm
Robinzon? (S)
It Takes Two to Tango (F) trailer
Sunday, July 19, 2026
7pm
Broken Dawn (S)
Frontier (F) trailer
9:30pm
The Acres (S)
The Art of Quitting Gracefully (F) trailer
Monday, July 20, 2026
7pm
113 Words for You Today (S)
Anne Packard: An Artists Resolve (F)
9pm
Body of Work (S)
Colours of Time (F) trailer
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
7pm
So, Boom (S)
If I Go Will They Miss Me (F) trailer
9:30pm
Sound Asleep (S)
The Soundman (F) trailer
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
7pm
Serenity (S)
Crystal Cross (F) trailer
9:30pm
Light Bunny (S)
HEYSEL 85 (F) trailer
Thursday, July 23, 2026
7pm
Francine, East-West (S)
The Sea (F) trailer
9:30p
To-Go (S)
Bravado (F) trailer
Friday, July 24, 2026
7pm
Last Minute (S)
Hungarian Wedding (F) trailer
9:30pm
Everything Between Us (S)
DOG 51 (F) trailer
CLOSING NIGHT
Saturday, July 25, 2026
7pm
Mother (S)
Hello Betty (F) trailer
About Stony Brook Film Festival: The Stony Brook Film Festival, produced by the Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University and presented by Stony Brook Medicine, is independently funded through philanthropic support from individual donors, corporate partners including Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP, Strata Alliance, News 12, WLIW, Davidow, Davidow, Siegel & Stern, LLP, and Suffolk County.
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Contact: Samantha Clink | Samantha.Clink@stonybrook.edu | (631) 632-7233 StonyBrookFilmFestival.com