The Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF) is returning for its 17th season, beginning in New York before traveling to cities across North America and the world. As the largest film festival dedicated to architecture and design, ADFF offers audiences an opportunity to experience the power of personal stories and broader histories at the intersection of the built environment, culture, and community.
ADFF 2025/26 Season
ADFF:NY October 14–18, 2025, tickets
ADFF:LA October 22, 26, and 27, 2025, tickets
ADFF:Vancouver November 5–9, 2025, tickets
ADFF:Toronto November 12–15, 2025, tickets
ADFF:Mumbai January 8–11, 2026, tickets
ADFF:Humanity in Architecture January 30–31, 2026, tickets
ADFF:Chicago February 18–21, 2026, tickets
“ADFF was created to bring a wide range of people together to celebrate the creative and social impact of architecture and design through film,” said Kyle Bergman, Founder and Festival Director of the Architecture & Design Film Festival. “As the festival continues to grow, returning to cities where it has a long history and expanding to new ones, we consistently see how ADFF inspires dialogue and ideas, not only among architects and designers but also general audiences who discover the way design informs everything.”
This year’s edition features a dynamic lineup of world and US premieres that highlight urgent issues such as sustainability, housing, community resilience, and artistic legacy. Films are selected for their cinematic quality and their ability to expand public appreciation of architecture and design beyond professional circles. Screenings will be accompanied by talkbacks with directors and cultural luminaries, interactive events, and conversations that connect films with the communities and contexts they portray.
Highlights of ADFF:NY 2025 include:
Opening night: Tuesday, October 14, 6:30–8:45pm
The US premiere of Identity: A Czech Graphic Design Love Story, followed by a Q&A with the film’s narrator, Nicholas D. Lowry, President and Principal Auctioneer of Swann Auction Galleries and Antiques Roadshow appraiser. Debbie Millman, celebrated designer, author, educator, curator, and host of the pioneering podcast Design Matters, will lead the conversation.
Design Dialogue: Wednesday, October 15, 8:00–9:30pm
An in-depth conversation with global design leaders Bisi Williams and Bruce Mau of Massive Change Network will follow the screening of I Have A Name.
The Big Brutal Quiz: Thursday, October 16, 6:30–8:15pm and Friday, October 17, 8:45–10:30pm
The Big Brutal Quiz is an interactive architecture-meets-cinema trivia night led by architect and filmmaker Jord den Hollander. This first-of-its-kind ADFF event examines the intersection of brutalist design and film, challenging architects, designers, and film buffs to match legendary buildings with more than 20 on-screen appearances.
Changing Lanes: Friday, October 17, 6:00–7:45pm
Architecture critic Michael Kimmelman and Former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation Janette Sadik-Khan will participate in a post-screening discussion.
The Space Architect: Friday, October 17, 6:30–8:00pm
Journalist, editor, and critic Julie Lasky and Founding Principal of TenBerke and Dean of the Yale School of Architecture Deborah Berke will participate in a post-screening discussion.
The full ADFF schedule, including the speaker lineups for all cities, is available at adfilmfest.com.
Special Offer: e-flux readers can receive reduced-priced tickets for New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto screenings with the discount code: e-flux.
