Environmental Film Festival 2026: films, venues and tickets
Melbourne’s Environmental Film Festival runs from Sunday 25 October to Sunday 8 November 2026, with more than 20 films, panel talks, a free community litter-pick and a closing party. Single sessions start at $16.
Two weeks of documentaries that argue the planet is still worth the effort.
Twenty years ago, An Inconvenient Truth had audiences sitting in the dark taking in some very serious graphs. This year, the Environmental Film Festival marks that anniversary with a question: Who Cares? The program answers with stories of communities taking on unbeatable odds, films about grief and custodianship, and a few short animations for lighter moments. Screenings are spread across four venues in Melbourne’s CBD, Fitzroy North and Footscray, with most sessions in the early evening.
Environmental Film Festival 2026 at a glance
- Dates: Sunday 25 October to Sunday 8 November 2026
- Where: Palace Kino (Collins Street), Queen Victoria Women’s Centre (Lonsdale Street), Champagne Video Bar (Fitzroy North) and Trocadero Projects (Footscray)
- Tickets: Single sessions from $16, passes from $36, and a free litter-pick
- Program and bookings: environmentalfilms.org.au/eff26
The festival is run by Environmental Films Australia, a volunteer-run not-for-profit that has been part of Melbourne’s arts scene since 2010. This year’s theme borrows a line from poet Salena Godden: pessimism is for lightweights.
Films and events worth booking
The full program has more than 20 films, so these are the sessions from our top picks. Check the festival website for the complete line-up, as session times and details can change.
Valve Turners, with the “Is It a Crime to Care?” panel
Tuesday 27 October, 6.30pm, Palace Kino. Steve Bonds-Liptay’s documentary (US, 2024) follows five activists who tried to shut off oil flows in the United States and faced felony charges as a result. A panel discussion about the right to peaceful protest follows the film, so allow until about 8.40pm.
People, power, protection shorts
Palace Kino, 6.30pm. Tues 27 and Wed 28 October. Six short films about people protecting land, water and community, including Biir Gardi (Guardian of the Well), The Generators and Mud Below Sun Above. Shorts are a good way to sample several filmmakers in under two hours.
Lost for Words
Thursday 29 October, 6.30pm, Palace Kino. Hannah Papacek-Harper’s debut feature (France and UK, 2025) begins with a children’s dictionary that dropped words such as “acorn” and “otter”. It looks at what happens to our care for nature when we stop naming it.
Gardens of Fez
Sunday 25 October, 4.30pm, Champagne Video Bar. Heidi Vogels’ documentary (Netherlands, 2025) explores the gardens and water systems of Fez in Morocco. It opens the festival with an afternoon start, which suits anyone who would rather be home before dark. It screens alongside the short From the Mountain, We See the Mountain.
The Unfixing
Saturday 7 November, 4.15pm, Queen Victoria Women’s Centre. Nicole Betancourt’s documentary (Spain and US, 2024) follows her recovery from illness and her reflections on nature and grief. It is one of the quieter, more personal films in the program.
The Future Cares, with 7 Seasons
Friday 6 November, 6.30pm, Trocadero Projects, Footscray. An evening of film and conversation with the makers of the short documentary 7 Seasons. Entry is pay as you feel, and proceeds support Just Futures Collab, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led giving circle working on climate justice.
Beyond the screen
Several events take place away from the screen.
The festival litter-pick. On Tuesday 3 November, the Melbourne Cup public holiday, the festival invites you to say “I Don’t Care About the Cup” and spend the morning picking up litter instead. It runs from 10.30am to noon in Footscray, with a focus on the area’s rivers and nature, in partnership with Lalala Outpick, a multicultural queer environmental group. It is free and described as relaxed and family-friendly. The meeting point is yet to be announced.
We EFF’ing Care closing party. On Saturday 7 November the festival wraps up with a get-together at the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, with drinks and plant-based snacks.
Enviro Film Club. The day after the festival closes, on Sunday 8 November, the team’s monthly film club screens the 2004 disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow, with discussion afterwards. The organisers say that after two weeks of serious viewing, sometimes you just need a popcorn blockbuster.
Tickets and passes
Single sessions
- Palace Kino: $26
- Champagne Video Bar: $16
- Queen Victoria Women’s Centre: $16
- We EFF’ing Care party: $6
- Trocadero Projects: pay as you feel
- Litter-pick: free
Passes
- Full Festival: $116
- Palace Kino Pass: $66
- Queen Victoria Women’s Centre Pass: $36
- Champagne Video Pass: $36
At $26 a session, the $66 Palace Kino Pass works out cheaper once you book a third film at that venue. The Full Festival pass suits anyone planning to move between venues.
Getting there and accessibility
Each venue is quite different, so it is worth checking before you book.
Palace Kino, 45 Collins Street
Palace Kino is on the lower ground level of Collins Place. Trams 11, 12, 48 and 109 stop nearby on Collins Street (Stop 7, 101 Collins Street, which has level access), and Parliament Station is about a five-minute walk.
The Collins Street entrance has stairs only. For step-free access, use the entrances from Flinders Lane or Exhibition Street, where ramps lead down to the lower ground level, or the internal lift. Each cinema has two wheelchair spaces with two companion seats, and assistive listening units are available from the box office for specific screenings. There is one accessible toilet at Kino, and another in Collins Place near the escalators. Drop-off is easiest at the Sofitel Melbourne driveway off Collins Street.
Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, 210 Lonsdale Street
For step-free entry from Lonsdale Street, take the ramp along Shilling Lane on the western side of the building to the automated doors at the rear. A passenger lift serves all floors, and there are accessible toilets on the ground floor. Limited on-street and disabled parking is available on Lonsdale and Russell Streets, and there is a car park beneath the building.
Champagne Video Bar, Fitzroy North and Trocadero Projects, Footscray
Champagne Video Bar is a small bar and video store with a 30-seat theatre down a hallway. Trocadero Projects is a creative space in Footscray. We are waiting on confirmed accessibility and getting-there details for both, so check with the festival before you go.
Tips for attending
- Book early for the Palace Kino sessions, particularly the Valve Turners panel night.
- Check the session time before you leave home. Several screenings are in the early evening, which suits an after-work or pre-dinner outing in the city.
- Compare the pass with the single sessions. The pass is the better value if you plan to see several films at one venue.
- Refunds may be available up to 14 days before a session, but check the booking terms when you purchase.
- For the litter-pick, wear comfortable closed shoes, bring a hat and water, and ask the organisers whether gloves and bags are supplied.
- Allow extra time for the Champagne Video Bar and Footscray sessions if you are travelling from the CBD.
Why this festival is worth your time
Most of us have lived through decades of environmental news, and it can be hard to know what to do with it. This festival offers a calmer and more constructive way to engage. You watch a film, hear from the people involved, and meet others who care about the same things. A panel follows Valve Turners, the 7 Seasons makers join the Footscray evening, and the program leaves room for lighter moments too.
Environmental Film Festival 2026: Sunday 25 October to Sunday 8 November 2026. Full program and tickets at environmentalfilms.org.au/eff26.
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