Winter in Australia is about to get a lot warmer. The 2026 HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival is officially returning this June and July, bringing a carefully curated selection of over thirty films from Spain, Colombia, Argentina, and beyond to big screens across the country.
Taking audiences on a season of cinematic escapes, this year’s eclectic program spans everything from culinary adventures in Peru to gripping political thrillers, uplifting true stories, and documentaries tracing the New York origins of salsa.
“Opening a window into Spanish and Latin America cinema is to embark on a wonderful adventure,” says Benjamin Zeccola, CEO of Palace Cinemas. “Visiting exotic places, hearing the voices and accents shift across regions while navigating the challenges of love, life and freedom with a dose of salsa, a swing of the hips, a delicious dish and a glass of wine.”
Festival Highlights
Kicking things off as the Festival Opener is the Australian Premiere of the mouth-watering Peruvian drama Mistura. Set in the 1950s and starring Bárbara Mori, the film follows a woman who embarks on a transformative culinary journey after her life unexpectedly unravels.
The Centrepiece of this year’s festival is Sundays (Los domingos), the quietly spellbinding coming-of-age drama from writer/director Alauda Ruiz de Azúa that recently took home the Golden Shell for Best Film at the 2025 San Sebastián Film Festival.
Youi can also look forward to two major Special Presentations. The critically acclaimed maritime thriller The Tigers (Los Tigres) will see Antonio de la Torre and Bárbara Lennie as professional divers facing a dangerous dilemma. Meanwhile, Alejandro Amenábar’s epic historical adventure The Captive (El cautivo) explores the thrilling early life of Don Quixote author Miguel de Cervantes.
Retrospectives and Anniversaries
Film buffs will be particularly excited by the festival’s retrospective, “Uncanny Allegory”, which features rarely seen formative works from legendary directors. Highlights include the 25th-anniversary screening of Guillermo del Toro’s gothic masterpiece The Devil’s Backbone and Luis Buñuel’s surreal social satire The Exterminating Angel.
Additionally, the festival will close with a new 60th-anniversary restoration of Carlos Saura’s landmark psychological drama The Hunt (La Caza), a film that secured his first Silver Bear for Best Director in 1966.
Venues and Dates
The 2026 HSBC Spanish & Latin American Film Festival will screen at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova, and Luna Palace Cinemas nationally. Tickets are on sale now via the official festival website.
| City | Dates | Venues |
|---|---|---|
| Canberra | 10 June – 5 July | Palace Electric Cinema |
| Adelaide | 10 June – 5 July | Palace Nova Eastend, Palace Nova Prospect |
| Brisbane | 11 June – 5 July | Palace James Street, Palace Barracks |
| Perth | 11 June – 1 July | Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX |
| Melbourne | 12 June – 5 July | The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Church St, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Palace Balwyn, Pentridge Cinema |
| Ballarat | 12 June – 5 July | Palace Regent Cinema |
| Sydney | 18 June – 12 July | Palace Norton Street, Palace Moore Park, Palace Central |
| Byron Bay / Ballina | 18 June – 12 July | Palace Byron Bay, Ballina Fair Cinemas |
