AFI Fest Presented By Canva Announces 2026 Festival Passes Now On Sale

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Category: Entertainment News

Published on Wednesday, 19 August 2026 11:53

Written by AFI

AFI FEST presented by Canva, the annual celebration of the best in global cinema, announced that passes for the festival are now on sale. The 40th edition of the film festival will take place October 21-25, 2026.

The five-day festival, premiering at the historic TCL Chinese Theatres in the heart of Hollywood, will once again feature a curated selection of Red Carpet Premieres, Special Screenings, World Cinema, Documentaries and Short Films. A festival pass is the best way to experience all that AFI FEST has to offer.

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Starting today, festivalgoers can choose from the Star Pass, Patron Pass and the new Marquee Pass. The AFI FEST Star Pass features access to all screenings (excluding Red Carpet Premieres), early screening selection and theater access, access to the AFI FEST Festival Lounge, AFI FEST merch and free rush access. The Patron Pass features all the benefits of the Star Pass, plus access to Red Carpet Premieres and priority screening selection and theater access.

New for 2026, the Marquee Pass combines premium access, personalized service and elevated hospitality to create the ultimate AFI FEST experience. To learn more or reserve a Marquee Pass, please contact Peter Indall at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The number of available AFI FEST passes is limited. Learn more at https://fest.afi.com/passes/.  

AFI is a nonprofit, donor-powered organization. Join AFI's Premiere Circle to support the American Film Institute and enjoy access to exclusive one-of-a-kind opportunities at AFI events, including AFI FEST. To learn more, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Canva, the all-in-one visual communication and collaboration platform, returns as the exclusive Presenting Sponsor of AFI FEST 2026. Built to empower everyone across the entertainment industry, from screenwriters and directors to producers, production teams and studios, Canva helps bring ideas from early concept to screen. Entertainment professionals use Canva to pitch projects and secure buy-in, develop storyboards and mood boards, plan productions, collaborate with cast and crew, create marketing campaigns and promotional assets, and build presentations that bring creative visions to life.

Canva will be integrated throughout AFI FEST including hosting industry networking events, hands-on training workshops for filmmakers, while powering the festival's digital and printed materials. Entertainment professionals can explore resources to pitch projects, plan shoots and bring creative visions to life at canva.com/entertainment.

Program highlights from AFI FEST 2025 presented by Canva included BUGONIA, CHRISTY, THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER, DEAD MAN'S WIRE, IS THIS THING ON?, JAY KELLY, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, NUREMBERG, RENTAL FAMILY, SONG SUNG BLUE, THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: THE SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS, SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE, THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE and TRAIN DREAMS, as well as screenings of 20 Best International Oscar® Submissions (including ALL THAT'S LEFT OF YOU (Jordan), EAGLES OF THE REPUBLIC (Sweden), FIUME O MORTE! (Croatia), HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Egypt), KOKUHO (Japan), LEFT-HANDED GIRL (Taiwan), THE LOVE THAT REMAINS (Iceland), MAGELLAN (Philippines), MY ARMENIAN PHANTOMS (Armenia), MY FATHER'S SHADOW (United Kingdom), THE MYSTERIOUS GAZE OF THE FLAMINGO (Chile), ORPHAN (Hungary), PALESTINE 36 (Palestine), A POET (Colombia), THE PRESIDENT'S CAKE (Iraq), SOUND OF FALLING (Germany), THE TALE OF SILYAN (North Macedonia), A USEFUL GHOST (Thailand), THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (Tunisia), and YOUNG MOTHERS (Belgium).

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To learn more about AFI FEST, visit FEST.AFI.com.

About the American Film Institute (AFI)

The American Film Institute (AFI) is a nonprofit organization with a mandate to champion the moving image as an art form. Established in 1967, AFI launched the first comprehensive history of American film and sparked the movement for film preservation in the United States. In 1969, AFI opened the doors of the AFI Conservatory, a graduate-level program to train narrative filmmakers. The Conservatory, which counts Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Ari Aster, Deniese Davis, Affonso Gonçalves, Susannah Grant, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch and Rachel Morrison as Alumni, is ranked one of the top film schools in America. AFI's enduring traditions include the AFI Life Achievement Award, which honors the masters for work that has stood the test of time; AFI AWARDS, which celebrates the creative ensembles of the most outstanding screen stories of the year; and scholarly efforts such as the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and the AFI Archive that preserve film history for future generations. AFI exhibition programs include AFI FEST presented by Canva and year-round exhibition at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Maryland. AFI Movie Club is a destination for movie lovers from around the world to celebrate and engage with the art form every day. Other pioneering programs include workshops aimed at elevating emerging storytellers and technology, including AFI DWW+ and the AFI Cinematography Intensive Workshop.

Read about all of these programs and more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, X.com/AmericanFilm,

TikTok.com/@americanfilminstitute and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.

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About AFI FEST
Celebrating its 40th edition, AFI FEST is a world-class event, showcasing the best films from across the globe. This year's edition takes place in Los Angeles from October 21-25, 2026. With an innovative slate of programming, the five-day festival presents screenings, panels and conversations, featuring both master filmmakers and new cinematic voices. AFI FEST includes high-profile films with Q&As featuring the films' cast and crew and a robust lineup of fiction and nonfiction features and shorts, providing a one-of-a-kind experience for movie fans. Additional information is available at FEST.AFI.com.

Connect with AFI's film festival at Facebook.com/AFIFEST, X.com/AFIFEST,

Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, TikTok.com/@AmericanFilmInstitute and YouTube.com/AFI.

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About Canva

Launched in 2013, Canva is the world's leading all-in-one platform for visual communication and collaboration. Built to empower everyone to design, the company serves the creative and design needs of enterprises, small businesses, consumers and students in more than 190 countries worldwide.

Whether you're a novice taking your first steps in design, or a creative professional seeking powerful tools, Canva ensures users have what they need to transform an idea into something beautiful. Underpinned by the world's most comprehensive library of designer-made content, Canva is powered by a suite of products and proprietary AI tools which elevate how individuals and teams create, collaborate, and communicate with ease.