FocusFest is returning this fall on October 10 in Los Angeles after its successful debut in 2025, which featured an advance screening of the global phenomenon Obsession. The festival will be hosted by television personality Justin Sylvester and will feature special guest appearances from Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed‑Miles, the stars of Sense and Sensibility.
Hosted by indie film studio Focus Features, this year’s one-day festival follows on the heels of last year’s sold out event and has now expanded with more screenings and themed food and beverages. FocusFest continues to celebrate filmmakers and successful films from the Focus catalogue including a reshowing of Obsession this year to commemorate its success at the 2026 box office.
Obsession had a long journey before its explosive success and FocusFest was a key step in the process. Curry Barker’s film first screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September of 2025 and was the first runner-up in the “Midnight Madness” category. Focus Films acquired the movie just days after and screened it at the premiere FocusFest in October. Its appearance was a pivotal step in its eventual theatrical release that now sits at over $500 million in ticket sales. Obsession is a success story for indie film makers and shows just how beneficial film festivals are for creative young directors.
This year’s festival is split into three categories: “For The Fearful and The Fearless,” which includes horror favorites Obsession and Nosferatu; “For The Yearners,” which features a stacked lineup of Jane Austen adaptations like Sense and Sensibility, Emma, and Pride and Prejudice; and “For The Moments That Shape Us,” which highlights previous award-winning Focus titles like TÁR, The Holdovers, and the incoming Elsinore.
