Festival dates:
October 15 - October 18, 2026
Hellifax Horror Fest takes over Carbon Arc Cinema from October 15-18, 2026!
Read all about Hellifax at hellifax.com!
Screening times:
Thursday, October 22, 6:30 PM
Sunday, November 1, 7:45 PM
Jack Auen, Kevin Walker | USA | 2026 | 99m
An academic becomes obsessed with the allegedly true story of the Chronovisor, a device invented by a Vatican priest to reproduce visuals from any point in history on a TV screen.
Screening times:
Saturday, October 10, 6:00 PM
Friday, October 23, 6:30 PM
Kent Jones | USA | 2026 | 97m
A forgotten New York poet rediscovers his artistic passion after befriending an eccentric group of young creatives who profess their admiration of his work. This thoughtful, witty film is a wistful yet unromantic look at a lost idea of downtown New York.
Screening times:
Sunday, October 11, 8:00 PM - show added!
Friday, October 23, 9:00 PM - show added! SOLD OUT
Friday, October 30, 8:45 PM - SOLD OUT
Jim Sharman | UK, USA | 1975 | 100m
A couple of squares, Brad and Janet, land at a mansion with weirdos. RIP Tim Curry! We remember this icon fondly with a Double Feature. Come in costume! We will be giving away a six-punch pass to the best Rocky Horror character in the audience!
Screening times:
Saturday, October 24, 6:00 PM
Sunday, November 1, 5:30 PM
Poh Si Teng | USA | 2026 | 91m
English & Arabic with English subtitles
When three American doctors, Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian, enter Gaza to save lives, they find themselves caught between medicine and politics, risking everything to expose the truth.
Screening times:
Saturday, October 24, 8:30 PM
Alex Proyas | USA | 1994 | 102m
Eric Draven and his fiancee are brutally murdered. When he mysteriously returns from the dead with the help of a crow, it begins to guide him to his killers in this iconic gothic thriller and Brandon Lee’s last film.
Screening times:
Sunday, October 25, 5:30 PM
Peter Lord, Nick Park | UK, Mi'kma'ki | 2000 | 84m
Mi'kmaq with English subtitles
It's the 15-Year Anniversary of the Mi'kmaq dub version of Chicken Run! We partner with Deep Cuts to bring you this hilarious claymation classic for Mi'kmaq History Month.
Tickets are completely Pay-What-You-Choose!
Screening times:
Sunday October 25, 7:45 PM
Thursday, October 29, 6:30 PM
Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Japan | 2026 | 147m
Japanese with English subtitles
Inside a sealed castle during a rebellion, a besieged rebel and a captive strategist engage in a battle of wits to solve mysterious crimes.
Screening times:
Friday, October 30, 6:30 PM
Linus O’Brien | USA | 2025 | 90m
In this SXSW hit, the cult phenomenon of Rocky Horror is explored in depth like never before with an extraordinary cast of contributors. RIP Tim Curry! We remember this icon fondly with a Double Feature. Come in costume! We will be giving away a six-punch pass to the best Rocky Horror character in the audience!
Screening times:
Saturday, October 31, 6:00 PM - at Bus Stop Theatre!
Teinosuke Kinugasa | Japan | 1926 | 70m
Silent film with live score improvised by jazz ensemble Mini Worlds
A 100 year old Japanese silent experimental horror film, lost for 45 years until it was rediscovered by Kinugasa in his storehouse. The film is set in a psychiatric hospital in modern Japan. Mini Worlds will improvise a live score to this avant-garde masterpiece.
Screening times:
Friday, November 13, 6:00 PM
Orson Welles | USA | 1941 | 119m
An enduring masterpiece of Hollywood’s Golden Age celebrates 85 years this year. Following the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'
Event times:
Saturday, October 17, 6:00 PM - Midnight
A Nocturne Art At Night event presented by Animation Festival of Halifax and Carbon Arc! This event takes place in the "Board Room", same level as Carbon Arc Cinema inside the Museum of Natural History.
Drop in, no pressure studio! Experience the magic and joy of making animation by hand. We provide the materials; you provide the imagination! For the full NOCTURNE program visit https://nocturnehalifax.ca/
Screening times:
Sunday, October 11, 5:30 PM
Gil Kenan | USA | 2006 | 91m
Preceded by NFB short film "Land of the Heads" | Cédric Louis & Claude Barras | 2009 | 6m
An animated horror-comedy that blends scares with a unique motion-capture style. Preceded by stop-motion short “Land of the Heads” (Cédric Louis & Claude Barras, 2006)!
Screening times:
Saturday, October 10, 8:30 PM
David Cronenberg | Canada | 1996 | 112m
The strange allure of the auto collision provokes a human fascination with death and the tendency to eroticize danger. For a select few, a car collision is a sexual turn-on, and a jolting life force they come to crave.
Screening times:
Friday, October 9, 6:30 PM - director attending!
Larry Weinstein | Canada | 1994 | 92m
Filmmaker Larry Weinstein stages a wide range of performances in tribute to the compositions of Kurt Weill. Performers include Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Elvis Costello, Lou Reed and many others!
Screening times:
Thursday, October 8, 7:00 PM
Stamos Tsamis | Greece | 2026 | 125m
Greek with English subtitles
The GREEK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TOUR OF CANADA (GIFFT) is a showcase and celebration of Greek cinema, with films showing in venues across Halifax. Don't miss the film festival finale, Saint Paisios, at Carbon Arc! The film explores the famed ascetic’s deep faith, his calling to monasticism, and his profound spiritual legacy. For tickets and to view trailers for all festival films, please visit https://gifft.ca/.
Screening times:
Sunday, October 4, 5:30 PM - followed by Q&A with director Daniela Uriza!
Daniela Uriza | Mexico | 2026 | 105m
Spanish with English subtitles
In gym slang, “rómpete la madre” symbolizes total commitment, relentless effort, and the mentality of leaving everything in every training session. More than a boxing story; this doc is a direct look at the reality of women who don’t ask for space, but earn it with every punch and every night in the ring.
Admission is FREE and granted on a first come, first serve basis from when doors open 30 min before showtime!
Screening times:
Sunday, October 4, 2:00 PM
José Luis López-Linares | Spain | 2023 | 101m
Spanish with English subtitles
This documentary serves up a sumptuous invitation to enjoy the surprising variety and delicious secrets behind Spain’s most well-known wine.
Admission is FREE and granted on a first come, first serve basis from when doors open 30 min before showtime!
Screening times:
Saturday, October 3, 5:30 PM
Marco Panatonic | Peru | 2023 | 157m
Quechua and Spanish with English subtitles
A young man moves between his mountain home and Cusco, pursuing engineering studies while staying connected to his family roots. His journey leads to new friendships, but his heart remains split between two worlds.
Admission is FREE and granted on a first come, first serve basis from when doors open 30 min before showtime!
Screening times:
Saturday, October 3, 2:00 PM
Yolanda Cruz | Mexico | 2024 | 85m
Spanish with English subtitles
The mysterious appearance of a refrigerator in the outskirts of La Raya, a remote village in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, promises business, money and success for 11-year-old Papio.
Admission is FREE and granted on a first come, first serve basis from when doors open 30 min before showtime!
Screening times:
Friday, October 2, 8:15 PM
Patricia Ramos | Cuba | 2024 | 95m
Spanish with English subtitles
Rita, a woman in her mid-40s, decides to end a relationship that has no future and begins the search for a new love in the days before the historic Rolling Stones concert in Havana.
Admission is FREE and granted on a first come, first serve basis from when doors open 30 min before showtime!
Screening times:
Friday, October 2, 6:00 PM
Hilda Hidalgo | Costa Rica | 2017 | 87m
Spanish with English subtitles
Recently divorced, 72-year-old Violeta discovers the bank is about to take away her house. She breaks all the rules to hold onto her home and her freedom.
Admission is FREE and granted on a first come, first serve basis from when doors open 30 min before showtime!
Screening times:
Thursday, October 1, 8:15 PM
Diego Fernández | Uruguay | 2021 | 80m
Spanish with English subtitles
Claudio is promoted to policy coordinator in his insurance company, but he has to move to a remote small town for the position, and after arriving numerous cars begin to be set on fire in this Uruguayan comedy.
Admission is FREE and granted on a first come, first serve basis from when doors open 30 min before showtime!
Screening times:
Thursday, October 1, 6:00 PM
Bernardo Quesney | Chile | 2023 | 90m
Spanish with English subtitles
Gioconda Martínez, a well-remembered comic television actress, decides to return to her hometown to stage a play about the conquest of Chile, which will allow her to regain the artistic recognition she thought she had lost, but never had.
Admission is FREE and granted on a first come, first serve basis from when doors open 30 min before showtime!
Screening times:
Sunday, September 27, 1:00 PM - Best of Filmapalooza (International)
Sunday, September 27, 2:00 PM - Best of Atlantic Canada
Various Directors | 2026 | Various Countries | 120m
For 25 years, the 48 Hour Film Project has encouraged amateur and professional filmmakers from around 130 editions worldwide to make 4-7 minutes films in only one weekend. The Best Film from each city or region competes internationally at Filmapalooza for the Cannes Short Film Corner. This year marks the 25th anniversary for the international 48 Hour Film Project, and the 11th edition of Atlantic Canada 48 Hour Film Project!
Screening times:
Friday, September 25, 7:00 PM
Anna Fitch, Banker White | USA | 2026 | 78m
Lunenberg Doc Fest comes to Halifax! Anna creates a small replica of her late friend Yo's house at 1/3 scale, just big enough to enter, with a puppet of Yo inside. They met when Yo was 73 and Anna was 24.
Screening times:
Thursday, September 24, 7:00 PM
Barbara Kopple | US | 2026 | 106m
Lunenberg Doc Fest comes to Halifax! Barbara Kopple looks at three crucial labour battles as they unfold in New York City involving workers from UPS, Amazon, and deliveristas for DoorDash and GrubHub.
Screening times:
Sunday, September 20, 7:00 PM
Doors open 6:30 PM
Various Directors from Atlantic Canada! | Previews of brand new work!
Discover bold new voices as participants from this year’s AIFF Filmmaker Lab screen their short films and share the stories behind their creative process in a post-screening Q&A.
This event is free and open to all!
Awards Ceremony time:
Sunday, September 20, 2:00 PM
Gates open 1:30 PM
Join AIFF as we celebrate the outstanding talent showcased throughout the festival. This special event is named after filmmaker and Atlantic Film Co-operative staff member Linda Joy (1950-1984). It honours the Atlantic filmmakers, performances, and projects that captivated audiences, impressed juries and helped shape another unforgettable year of cinema.
Event starts 2:00 PM sharp! Event is free and open to all.
As is the case every year Carbon Arc is (mostly) CLOSED in September, while the Atlantic International Film Festival (September 16-23) saturates the city with over 100 new films!
There are a handful of exceptions where Carbon Arc will be operating in September: including partnership screenings with AIFF, and Lunenberg Documentary Film Festival.
Carbon Arc will officially reopen on Thursday October 1, and resume screening four nights a week until December 20.
Screening times:
Thursday, September 3, 7:00 PM - BOOKED OUT! Rush tickets may be available in event of no-shows and cancellations
Doors open 6:00 PM
Enjoy trailers from the 2026 AIFF lineup, complete with exclusive behind-the-scenes commentary from the AIFF programming team! Connect with fellow film lovers and collect an exclusive printed program guide before everyone else!
Screening times:
Friday, August 21, 6:30 PM
Sunday, August 30, 5:30 PM
Cherien Dabis | Palestine, Jordan, Greece, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Cyprus | 2025 | 145 mins
English, Arabic with English subtitles
Spanning seven decades, this deeply moving film traces the hopes and heartaches of one uprooted Palestinian family, bearing witness to the scars of dispossession and the enduring legacy of survival.
Screening times:
Saturday, August 29, 8:30 PM
Gregg Araki | USA | 2004 | 105 mins
Two young men are haunted by abuse in their past in this lyrical and disturbing work, newly restored under the direct supervision of Gregg Araki. The legendary American auteur makes a vibrant return to the big screen after 12 long years with I Want Your Sex. To celebrate, we're pairing it with this brand new 4K restoration of Mysterious Skin!
Screening times:
Saturday, August 29, 6:00 PM
Gregg Araki | USA | 2026 | 90 mins
Elliot is a kind-hearted if unmotivated twentysomething whose fantasies quickly come true when he lands a job with renowned artist and provocateur Erika. Legendary American auteur Gregg Araki makes a vibrant return to the big screen after 12 long years with I Want Your Sex. We're pairing it with a brand new 4K restoration of Mysterious Skin for our Gregg Araki Double Bill!
Screening times:
Sunday, August 9, 5:30 PM - SOLD OUT
Saturday, August 22, 6:00 PM - SOLD OUT
Thursday, August 27, 8:30 PM - show added!
Friday, August 28, 9:00 PM - another show added!
Sasha Waters | United States | 2026 | 91m
A moving documentary portrait of poet Mary Oliver, who was America’s unlikely contemporary mystic.
Screening times:
Thursday, August 13, 6:30 PM
Friday, August 28, 6:30 PM
Milagros Mumenthaler | Argentina | 2025 | 104 mins
Spanish with English subtitles
A quietly gripping psychological mystery with dreamlike, hallucinatory threads that weave a portrait of a woman struggling to understand herself.
Screening times:
Friday, August 14, 6:30 PM
Thursday, August 27, 6:30 PM
Lucio Castro | USA, Argentina | 2025 | 82 mins
English, Spanish with English subtitles
Over two summers, between city streets and forest paths, young art student Adnan has a series of unexpected intimate encounters both artistic and erotic.
Screening times:
Sunday, August 23, 7:45 PM
"Awakening in the Valley" | Giulia Maria Di Matteo, Isabel Oleschuk | Canada | 2026 | 15m
"Awakening in the Valley" will be preceded by...
"Willow” | Chabinaa Ariette | Canada | 2026 | 11m
Two new shorts by Halifax-based filmmakers! Cast and crew will be in attendance. Doors open 7:15 PM, screenings start 7:45 PM. Screenings will be followed by post-film chats.
Screening times:
Thursday, August 6, 6:30 PM
Sunday, August 23, 5:30 PM
John Early | USA | 2026 | 101 mins
A pitch-perfect blend of satire, melodrama, daring tonal shifts and intimate performances, John Early’s debut feature marks a bold new voice in contemporary cinema.
Screening times:
Saturday, August 22, 8:30 PM
Lynne Ramsay | 2018 | UK, France | 90m
A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, his nightmares begin to overtake him. Men, By Women is our August Retrospective Series, screening Saturday nights at 8:30 PM! Masculinity perceived, portrayed and perforated by female directors!
Screening times:
Thursday, August 20, 6:30 PM
Brandt Johnson | USA | 2025 | 86m
Ellen Jovin and Brandt Johnson attending!
A grammar guru takes her pop-up grammar advice stand on an epic road trip across all 50 US states to show that comma fights can bring us closer together in a divided time.
Come hang out with the filmmaker and film’s subject before the show! The film's protagonist, Ellen Jovin, will be at her internationally acclaimed Grammar Table to answer your most pressing grammar questions. After the movie, please stick around for a Q&A with director Brandt Johnson and Ellen, followed by a book signing of Ellen’s grammar bestseller.
