‘Skybreaker’, the first major fantasy filmed in Albania, to world-premiere at the Sydney festival

The 2026 Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival will open with the world premiere of “Skybreaker”, the epic fantasy by Australian director Steven Kastrissios, as FilmInk reports. The exclusive screening will be held on Saturday, 10 October 2026, at 18:00 at EVENT Cinemas George Street, with the director himself present on the red carpet — the cinema’s official listing confirms it is the film’s world premiere.

The film is, according to the producers, the first major fantasy ever filmed in Albania, with an entirely local cast and crew. Inspired by local mythologies, magic and legends of the region, “Skybreaker” follows Vlora, a young woman who undertakes a cosmic journey across present-day Albania to save her beloved from a ruthless witch.

In the lead role is Albanian actress Xhulia Musagalliu, for whom this is the first major role of her career. “I knew she was our protagonist within five minutes of meeting her. She is fierce and can play anything you throw at her,” Kastrissios said, according to FilmInk. The cast also includes Ina Gjonci as the antagonist Emina, Igli Zarka as Tori, Vlora’s beloved, and Romir Zalla as Ilir, an outcast magician who becomes her mentor.

This is the second film Kastrissios — known for the cult thriller “The Horseman” (2008) — has shot in Albania, after the Albanian-language thriller “Bloodlands”. The director lived in Albania for two years to complete the project, filming from the mountains to the sea, and filled the film with around 1,000 visual effects shots to compete with the genre’s giants. “Skybreaker”, a co-production of Kastle Films and Black Box Films with Albanian producer Tan Kazazi, runs 122 minutes and is expected to begin its European theatrical rollout during 2027.

“Steven Kastrissios has pushed the boundaries of international and independent cinema by creating this sprawling fantasy epic,” festival director Simon Foster said in the announcement published by FilmInk. The director will personally present the film in Sydney — his first return to Australia in a decade.