New/Next Film Festival, presented by Baltimore Public Media and taking place Oct. 1-4 at The Charles Theatre, announced the first 12 films from its 2026 lineup of more than 125 features and shorts.
“Rolling out the 2026 New/Next feels particularly invigorating,” said New/Next Programmer and Co-Founder Eric Hatch. “From where I’m sitting, the future of film looks vibrant, diverse, and inspiring. It’s humbling trying to encapsulate that future in one weekend, but the 30+ features and 100+ shorts we’ve begun announcing attempt to deliver exactly that.”
A limited number of All Access Passes are on sale now.
Feature films announced so far:
A City in the Forest
DIRECTED by Lev Omelchenko, Nolan Huber
In Atlanta, a decentralized resistance movement rallies to defend an urban forest from the construction of Cop City, the United States’ largest police training facility.
Gimme Truth
DIRECTED by Brad Abrahams, Simon Ennis
False flags. Forbidden archeology. Chemtrails. Nefarious extraterrestrials. Fake pandemics. What’s it like to live down a rabbit hole? GIMME TRUTH follows truth-seekers and ex-believers into the gravitational pull of conspiracy culture, exploring what draws them in, and if there’s a way out.
Human Theories
DIRECTED by Jess Zeidman
Isn’t it funny to be alive? Through forty interconnected vignettes, Human Theories is a comedic kaleidoscope exploring how people try, and often fail, to connect with one another in this weird world. Filmed over a year on location in New York City with a diverse ensemble cast of over 50 actors and non-actors, the film is an experimental love letter to the awkward struggle of modern city living.
It Goes That Quick
DIRECTED by Joe Stankus, Ashley Connor
Two filmmakers attempt to capture the everyday lives of their own family members. But as the years progress and the lines between fact and fiction blur, what begins as a humorous documentation of the mundane transforms into a poetic meditation on the act of filmmaking, the passage of time, and the simple tasks and chores that end up defining our lives.
The Lorraine
DIRECTED by Sam Pollard
Sam Pollard tells the story of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis – site of Dr. King’s assassination – and its remarkable owners, Walter and Loree Bailey.
Mackenzie
DIRECTED by Mylissa Fitzsimmons
An 11-year-old girl runs away from home hoping to meet her celebrity crush. Lost in the desert, she confronts the fragile boundaries between childhood innocence and growing up.
Mother Future Self
DIRECTED by Tori Lancaster
Years after a falling out, Sofi and Jordan reunite at an experimental dance camp in rural Maine. Their fragile reconnection wavers between affinity and distrust, driving Sofi to a breaking point.
Ponderosa
DIRECTED by Rob Rice
WHEN the buffet where Zeke’s mom works closes down, he’s forced to entertain the advances of a rich regular who is weirdly obsessed with becoming his dad.
Sour Minnows
DIRECTED by Harrison Atkins
Two friends stumble upon an unusual sight: six men sensually licking the pavement on an empty LA street. For Ricky, this moment ruptures something. As his reality grows porous, and his memories begin to slip and slide, he finds himself in contact with “The Yellow Thing,” an entity that wears people like costumes. As Ricky adapts to his expanding worldview, a delirious new logic takes hold.
There’ll Likely be Michael Jackson Vigils Throughout the Night
DIRECTED by Marcus Julian Batto
Through nearly a thousand found footage videos from the early internet, artist Marcus Batto recreates the day of Michael Jackson’s passing, assembling a vast, fragmented portrait of the cultural earthquake. Equal parts elegy, musical, and excavation into the death of the King of Pop, viewed through the lens of strangers, critics and bystanders.
The Tower
DIRECTED by Auden Lincoln-Vogel, Philip Rabalais
Religion of mess.
You Don’t Know My Name
DIRECTED by Tommy Franklin
Separated from his incarcerated mother at birth, the filmmaker searches for her identity and uncovers deep ancestral bloodlines. As he gets closer to this life-altering truth, he must navigate his way through systems designed to keep him in the dark.
