AFI Fest 2026 Opens With Laika's Stop-Motion Epic "Wildwood" at the TCL Chinese Theatre

The American Film Institute's annual festival, now in its 40th edition, opened on October 21, 2026, at the TCL Chinese Theatres on Hollywood Boulevard with the U.S. premiere of "Wildwood," the latest feature from Laika — the Portland-based stop-motion studio behind "Coraline" and "Kubo and the Two Strings." Directed by Travis Knight from a screenplay by Chris Butler, the film is described as "a sweeping adventure about love, sacrifice and the magic that reveals itself when we dare to look beyond the familiar." The voice ensemble includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Jemaine Clement, Tom Waits, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, and Richard E. Grant. AFI Fest 2026, presented by Canva, runs through October 25 and screens 157 films across five red-carpet world premieres, 12 special screenings, 18 discovery titles, 16 world cinema selections, and 17 documentaries. The closing film is Siân Heder's biographical drama "Being Heumann." The festival is a major awards-season launching pad for the films shown.