Patrick Wilson and Molly Ringwald’s “Run Amok”, Matthew Giaquinto’s “Red Flag” and Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci’s “Big Night” are among the films scheduled to be screened at the Lighthouse International Film Festival. The festival will be held on Long Beach Island, New Jersey from June 10th to 14th.
LIFF’s 2026 lineup includes a variety of world premieres, Sundance and SXSW favorites, and genre showcases. Ed Banda and Stephen Halstead’s Chili Finger opens the festival, while Bayan Junam’s documentary Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real-Life Superhero closes the festival. NB Major’s “Run Amok,” also starring Bill Camp and Margaret Cho, is Saturday’s highlight, and Joe Swanberg’s “The Sun Never Sets” is Friday’s highlight.
“At a time when filmmaking is experiencing a renewed energy in New Jersey, we are proud that the Lighthouse will serve as a meeting place for artists, audiences, and the industry at large. As we gather once again on Long Beach Island for our 18th year, our lineup celebrates the vitality and uniqueness of independent film from around the world,” LIFF Executive Director Wilhelm Kuhn said in a statement.
LIFF advisory board members Jason Alexander and Tony Shalhoub will be special guests, with Alexander hosting a mini-retrospective of Shalhoub’s career. Alexander will also lead a five-day intensive performance run prior to the festival’s opening day.
See the complete list of movies here.
Monday, May 18th
“Girl Dad” and “Otra” are nominated for the American Black Film Festival Award. Stephen Caple Jr. Receives Alumni Award
Girl Dad, directed by Solvan Sulik Naim, and Otra, directed by Armani Ortiz, have been nominated for the American Black Film Festival’s Best of the ABFF award. The ceremony, to be held at 8:30 p.m. May 30 at the New World Center in Miami Beach, Florida, will honor outstanding achievements in independent film production across the festival’s competitive divisions.
Stephen Caple Jr. will also receive the festival’s Alumni Award. Described as a “true ABFF Pipeline success story,” the writer-director’s work won the HBO Short Film Award in 2013 and has since gone on to produce hits including Creed II, Transformers: Rise of the Beast, Man on Fire and I Am Legend 2.
“The Best of ABFF Awards have always been about celebrating the talent and resilience of independent creators,” Nice Crowd President Jeff Friday said in a statement. “As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, it’s incredibly poetic to welcome back Stephen Caple Jr., a filmmaker whose journey from short film competition to global blockbuster truly embodies the festival’s mission. We’re proud to celebrate him with this year’s outstanding nominees.”
Grammy Award-winning artist and actor Anthony Hamilton will perform the evening.
