2026 Red Poppy Film Festival Program

Screening at the Art Gallery of NSW from Friday 6 March till Sunday 8 March, the 2026 Red Poppy Film Festival program is wide ranging with short and feature-length documentaries, docudramas, short animations and more. All films are made by veterans or explore the experience of war or service.

Friday 6 March

New Life

New Life

New Life // 3min // Animation // 2022 // Australia

Director: Mark Bernard

Following a young person shaped by war and personal adversity, learning to cope with pain, and searching for a way forward. A story about healing, hope, and the power of a new beginning.

My Husband the Child Soldier

My Husband the Child Soldier

My Husband the Child Soldier // 54min // Documentary // 2025 // UK

Director/Producer: Tom Peppiatt

In Cambodia, former Khmer Rouge child soldier Aki Ra and his wife Hout help communities reclaim their land by undertaking the potentially lethal task of clearing unexploded landmines left over from years of war.

Bringing His Spirit Home

Bringing His Spirit Home

Bringing His Spirit Home // 14min // Documentary // 2025 // Australia

Director/Writer: Dylan Nicholls

Peter travels to France to visit his great-uncle’s grave, an Aboriginal WWI soldier, performing a traditional ceremony to bring his spirit back home to his family and country.

Saturday 7 March

The Gift of a Second Wind

The Gift of a Second Wind

The Gift of a Second Wind // 52min // Documentary // 2024 // France

Director: Laurent Etchamendy

The film addresses a topic of great human and social impact through the lens of sport: the physical and psychological rehabilitation of soldiers wounded in operations abroad once they return home.

Cassino Then and Now

Cassino Then and Now

Cassino Then and Now // 65min // Documentary // 2023 // Italy

Director/Producer/Writer: Paolo Ameli

Describing the four WWII battles of Cassino, Italy through the narratives of five soldiers from America, New Zealand, Germany, France and Poland and one Italian refugee.

Peace Wilderness Man

Peace Wilderness Man

Peace Wilderness Man // 35min // Documentary // 2024 // Australia

Director/Producer: Tim Millard

Following highly traumatic experiences serving in Afghanistan, Australian war veteran Lex Reilly slowly rebuilds his life, and himself, deep in Norway’s remote Arctic Circle aided by a near-spiritual connection to nature.

The Sessions: I’m Good

The Sessions: I’m Good

The Sessions: I’m Good // 32min // Documentary // 2026 // USA

Director/Producer: Debra Weeks
Director of Photography/Editor: Tony McVaney

A combat veteran songwriter and the father of a fallen soldier sit down to write a song together.

Decoding Jean: Secrets of WWII

Decoding Jean: Secrets of WWII

Decoding Jean: Secrets of WWII // 20min // Documentary // 2023 // USA

Director/Writer: Hannah Anderson

In the midst of the turmoil of World War II, the quaint British town of Bury St Edmonds becomes a focal point where lives intersect and secrets unravel. An 18-year-old woman finds herself caught in the throes of a great wartime secret – the breaking of the German Enigma code.

The Comfort Dogs of Uganda

The Comfort Dogs of Uganda

The Comfort Dogs of Uganda // 30min // Documentary // 2025 // Australia

Director/Producer/Cinematographer: Richard Wainwright

In the shadow of the brutal 20-year conflict in Northern Uganda, a remarkable story of resilience unfolds through the unexpected companionship of rescued dogs.

Sunday 8 March

Long Tan

Long Tan

Australia’s Battle of Long Tan // Documentary // 2025 // Australia

An episode from the Australian Army Battle Honours Series.

The Battle of Long Tan was one of the most defining battles fought by Australian forces during the Vietnam War. Highlighting the courage, teamwork, and endurance of the Delta Company, and their supporting units, this is a story that has become a key part of Australia’s military history.

Signalman

Signalman

Signalman // Animated Short // 2026 // UK

Director: Brian Colby

Inspired by a true story, Signalman follows a young sailor aboard the USS Opponent during the final months of World War II. As the war nears its end, the longing for home grows alongside a heavy uncertainty regarding his brother’s whereabouts.

New Life

New Life

New Life // 3min // Animation // 2022 // Australia

Director: Mark Bernard

Following a young person shaped by war and personal adversity, learning to cope with pain, and searching for a way forward. A story about healing, hope, and the power of a new beginning.

Lee

Lee

Lee // 117min // Docudrama // 2023 // UK

Director: Ellen Kurras

War correspondent Lee Miller travels to the front lines of World War II to embark on a mission to uncover the hidden truths of the Third Reich. But in the wake of betrayal, a reckoning will come over the truths of her own past.

Sound of the Somme

Sound of the Somme

Sound of the Somme // 12min // Short Drama // 2025 // Belgium

Director: Michaël Vermaercke

Sound of the Somme tells the true story of the last day in the journal of 20-year-old bagpiper James C Richardson that awarded him the Victoria Cross, for his bravery and action during the Battle of the Somme in WWI.

Wet Soil

Wet Soil

Wet Soil // 9min // Animated Short // 2026 // USA

Director/Writer: Jon Brovina

Set in the final years of World War II, the story follows a young soldier whose fate hangs in the balance after a battlefield incident. As a grieving mother sets out to confront him, their meeting exposes the raw and complicated truths left behind by war.

Decoding Jean: Secrets of WWII

Decoding Jean: Secrets of WWII

Decoding Jean: Secrets of WWII // 20min // Documentary // 2023 // USA

Director/Writer: Hannah Anderson

In the midst of the turmoil of World War II, the quaint British town of Bury St Edmonds becomes a focal point where lives intersect and secrets unravel. An 18-year-old woman finds herself caught in the throes of a great wartime secret – the breaking of the German Enigma code.

Bringing His Spirit Home

Bringing His Spirit Home

Bringing His Spirit Home // 14min // Documentary // 2025 // Australia

Director/Writer: Dylan Nicholls

Peter travels to France to visit his great-uncle’s grave, an Aboriginal WWI soldier, performing a traditional ceremony to bring his spirit back home to his family and country.

The Comfort Dogs of Uganda

The Comfort Dogs of Uganda

The Comfort Dogs of Uganda // 30min // Documentary // 2025 // Australia

Director/Producer/Cinematographer: Richard Wainwright

In the shadow of the brutal 20-year conflict in Northern Uganda, a remarkable story of resilience unfolds through the unexpected companionship of rescued dogs.