Wellington Film Society’s 2026 programme is out! It consists of beloved classics and underseen gems from around the world and in a variety of genres, from action, drama, horror and musical. The programme features directors like Aotearoa icons Merata Mita and Geoff Murphy, Alfred Hitchcock, Lynne Ramsay, Wong Kar-wai, and Mikhail Kalatozov. Plus a bonus 80th Anniversary weekend film festival in June!
The 2026 programme boasts more than 33 films from around the world, screening from February through to December. All films will be shown at the iconic 750-seat Embassy Grand Theatre on Monday nights.
Due to a fantastic increase in membership over the last few years, each film now screens twice: first at 6pm and again at 8.30pm*. Full details, complete with bespoke programming notes from members of their committee, are available on our website: wellingtonfilms.nz.
In addition to this core programme, the society is holding a special one-off 80th Anniversary Film Festival for members across the weekend of 5–7 June, also at the Embassy Theatre. More details about this will be announced in coming weeks.
The season opens on 23 February with Peter Weir’s Australian New Wave masterpiece Picnic at Hanging Rock. This hypnotic classic kicks off our previously announced ‘Disappearing Acts’ theme. The theme also contains our closing night film, Hitchcock’s Vertigo, often cited as one of the best of all time.
Another key highlight is the return of live cinema, where a classic film is accompanied by a live, newly-commissioned score. 2026’s live cinema performance will accompany a film with a strong Wellington flavour: Victor Sjöström’s The Wind.The score will be composed and performed by two Wellington-based musicians: acclaimed Indonesian singer-songwriter Hara and Thomas Arbor. Both musicians know what it’s like to live somewhere so windy that it’s impossible to get used to it, and we can’t wait to see them incorporate Te Whanganui-a-Tara soundscapes into their composition.
Other exciting programme features include...
Two documentaries about art in Aotearoa:
- Hotere, Merata Mita’s classic portrait of painter Ralph Hotere, and a more recent film, 2025’s
- Toitū Visual Sovereignty, which gives unprecedented insight into the curation of the Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery.
Contemporary films from high-profile directors who have films competing in this year’s awards season:
- Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth
- Iranian dissident Jafar Panahi’s 3 Faces
- Uncompromising Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay’s Ratcatcher.
Iconic classics from across the last century:
- watch Marlene Dietrich dance in The Blue Angel
- see the visuals of the four classic Japanese ghost stories that make up Kwaidan
- experience the powerful 70s cult classic, Don’t Look Now
- laugh your troubles away in the company of Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story.
Membership is a bargain, and there are flexible options. For just $120 a year, members gain access to all screenings bringing the cost per film to less than $4. Plus you have the choice of coming to the earlier or later screening each week. A $40 Three Film Sampler Pass is also available, which can be upgraded to a full membership. Memberships purchased now are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.
For 80 years, Wellington Film Society has been enriching the cultural lives of Wellingtonians. Whether you're a lifelong cinephile or a curious newcomer, they invite you to make Monday night movies a treasured ritual – with friends, family, or solo.
Of course - to join, head HERE!