AIFF director of programming breaks down this year’s lineup

The Atlantic International Film Festival will return to Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane from Sept. 16 to 23. This year’s lineup will showcase 64 feature films and seven short film programs.

Lisa Haller, the festival’s director of programming, spoke with the Dalhousie Gazette to walk us through this year’s must-see films. 

Haller grew up in Halifax and used to volunteer for the festival. She remembers it was the only time she could see international films on the big screen, an experience that ignited her love of cinema and set her on the path to become the festival’s head programmer. 

She hasn’t forgotten what the festival provided her with when she was younger. Now, Haller ensures the festival “spotlights an amazing lineup of films you wouldn’t otherwise be able to see on the big screen in Atlantic Canada.”

If this year’s films could be summed up with one overarching theme, Haller would describe it as “intimate storytelling.” The lineup features profile films, including:

• The Last Days of April is a documentary that follows disability advocate April Hubbard as they navigate a life-changing decision to apply for medical assistance in dying.
• Smash & Grab: The Rebel Lens of Mike Jones takes audiences back to the ’70s to retread the legacy of Newfoundland filmmaker Mike Jones.
• Captain Newfoundland details the life of Geoff Stirling, the Newfoundland-born media mogul and activist.
• Al Tuck My Blues Away is a biography of Maritime songwriter Al Tuck and his folk music legacy on the East Coast. 
• Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney is a surreal and comedic reimagining of the late Canadian politician Brian Mulroney’s rise to power as the nation’s 18th prime minister.
• The Ultra Runner tells the story of Tiberiu Uşeriu, a former convict turned extreme ultramarathon champion.

Other exciting films include Fjord, the winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, and Tender Loving Care, the latest release from U.K. filmmaker Mike Leigh. 

AIFF’s annual opening night gala will feature the world premiere of 111 Echoes from Halifax. Directed by Mauro Mueller, the film depicts the aftermath of Flight 111, a Swiss plane on course to Geneva, Switzerland, from New York City, U.S., that crashed off the coast of Peggy’s Cove, N.S. 

“It’s a story about grief and the ripple effects of tragedy,” says Haller. “It’s a film we’ve been tracking for a really long time.”

Haller says that this year’s programming features a variety of films that anybody can enjoy.

“It doesn’t matter what you like. There should be something that piques your interest,” she says.

For student audiences, Haller recommends these picks from this year’s lineup:

• Permanent Damage, filmed in Dartmouth, is a dark comedy about a correctional centre escapee and his wild ride full of “surreal twists and unforgettable characters,” says Haller. 
• Unholy Night, the winner of the Audience Award for Best Canadian Feature at the Fantasia International Film Festival, is a Christmas-time horror movie about a family and their fight against their reanimated matriarch.  
• In the Heart of the South is a “really complex and innovative film,” says Haller. “This one goes a little into Jordan Peele’s satire-thriller territory.” A psychological drama, this film follows an artist forced to face the trauma that drives her art. 
• Elephants in the Fog, the winner of a jury prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, portrays a small village in Nepal and a mother grappling with her daughter’s disappearance. 

Haller also directs AIFF watchers to explore the festival’s featured short films.

“These are a lot of fun, especially if there’s film students that are interested in learning what emerging filmmakers are doing,” she says. “These are must-sees.”