| The 83rd Venice International Film Festival, which took place from September 2 to 12, 2026, featured a strong German presence across its program. A total of 22 German productions and co-productions screened in different sections, including Venice Immersive, while twelve more projects were presented at the Venice Production Bridge. Among the highlights was DAU by Ilya Khrzhanovsky in the Venezia 83 Competition. The German-French-Swedish co-production received the Silver Lion for Best Director. Several German productions and co-productions also received prizes from independent juries. OASIS (OASE) by Jannis Lenz won the Bisato d’Oro Grand Jury Prize, DEAR AJAYI by Damilola Orimogunje received two awards, and THE GIRL WITH THE LEICA, FALLING HOUSE and LETTERS FROM THE SILENCED COUNTRY were also among the prize-winning German co-productions. Alongside the screenings and industry activities, German Films, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg hosted the German Cocktail on the Lido. The reception brought German film and immersive project teams together with international industry and festival guests and provided an opportunity for networking around the German projects represented in Venice. | |
| From September 10 to 20, 2026, the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) brought together audiences and industry professionals, with 18 German productions and co-productions represented across the program. As one of North America’s leading film festivals, this year's TIFF combined major premieres with an extensive public program and, for the first time, the newly established TIFF Market. The Centrepiece section featured the majority German productions EVERYTIME by Sandra Wollner and THE DREAMED ADVENTURE by Valeska Grisebach, both of which had premiered in Cannes. Both films will be in the race for the International Feature Film award at the Oscars. In Discovery, Tony Vahl’s KRUX and Katharina Rabl’s MEMORIES OF A FOREST celebrated their world premieres. The Primetime section presented the world premiere of David Nawrath’s six-part thriller series BLINDSPOT BERLIN, while MASAO ADACHI TAKES A PASSPORT PHOTO by Kamal Aljafari and THIS SUFFOCATING NOW by Vika Kirchenbauer screened in Wavelengths Short. Angela Schanelec’s MY WIFE CRIES, which had premiered at the Berlinale, was also shown in the Wavelengths feature section. Former and current ambassadors of the FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS campaign were in Toronto to present their projects. Bayan Layla, a participant in this year's campaign, starred in the series BLINDSPOT BERLIN. Alongside DoP Tim Kuhn, an ambassador from the 2025 group, and composer Dascha Dauenhauer, who took part in the 2023 campaign, the trio presented their project, which was scheduled in the Primetime section. With TIFF: The Market, held from September 10 to 16, the festival launched its first official content market, featuring screenings, pitching sessions, industry events and co-production meetings. Eight world sales companies participated in the Europe!Hub, including five from Germany. German Films also hosted a successful lunch together with the Goethe Institute and the German film teams in Toronto, providing an opportunity for exchange and networking during the festival. | |
| The 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival brought together established filmmakers, emerging voices and international co-productions on the Basque coast. A total of 14 German productions and co-productions were represented across the festival program. One major highlight was GHOST SONG by Fatih Akin, which opened the festival’s Official Selection. Also competing for the Golden Shell was KRUX, Tony Vahl’s feature-film debut. German filmmakers were strongly represented in the New Directors section, with BODY OF GLASS by Naëmi Ada emerging as one of the major German successes of the festival. Ada’s first feature film, a German-French co-production, won the Kutxabank-New Directors Award, presented to the best film in the section for first and second features. The psychological drama follows dancer Tian, who flees her controlling partner after a violent incident and becomes entangled in the grieving circle surrounding a young man she never knew. Produced by Germany’s Soilfilms in co-production with French company Soldats Features, BODY OF GLASS celebrated its world premiere in San Sebastián and marked a significant international recognition for Ada at the very beginning of her feature-film career. The New Directors line-up also included Tatjana Moutchnik’s FEBRUARY, SEVEN DAYS. In Zabaltegi-Tabakalera, Salka Tiziana presented the short film GLUEY FEATHERS, while the German-Spanish production THE GUESTS by Cristina Diz and Stefan Butzmühlen screened in Made in Spain. Further awards went to films with German production involvement. Hans Petter Moland’s Norwegian-Danish-German co-production GROWTH OF THE SOIL received two prizes in the Official Selection: Asta Kamma August won the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance ex aequo, while cinematographer Oskar Dahlsbakken received the Jury Prize for Best Cinematography. The French-Japanese-German-Belgian co-production ALL OF A SUDDEN by Ryusuke Hamaguchi was honoured with the RTVE–Another Look Award. Alongside the screenings, German Films hosted a lunch in San Sebastián that brought together the attending film teams with international programmers and industry experts, providing an opportunity for networking, exchange and new industry contacts. Another major German highlight was the presentation of the Donostia Award to Werner Herzog in recognition of his lifetime achievement. The Festival’s highest honorary distinction celebrated Herzog’s career spanning six decades and around 80 films. The ceremony was accompanied by a screening of his new film BUCKING FASTARD. | |
| The 26th Festival de Cine Alemán took place from September 17 to 23, 2026. This year’s edition was once again a resounding success and delighted the audience. The films BERLIN HERO and SOUND OF FALLING were the audience’s absolute favorites. Due to overwhelming demand, additional screenings were even scheduled at the last minute. The films OH — THIS UNSPEAKABLE VOID, BABYSTAR, and the family film THE SECRET FLOOR were also very well received. A special highlight was the visit by Kilian Armando Friedrich, director of I UNDERSTAND YOUR DISPLEASURE. His attendance at the screenings and his interviews on two radio shows generated significant media coverage. Around 600 students from German schools attended the special screenings of THE SECRET FLOOR and BERLIN HERO. With approximately 2,500 attendees this year, the festival celebrated a spectacular conclusion. Over the course of its 26 editions, the festival has welcomed more than 85,000 film enthusiasts.
The Festival de Cine Alemán is one of the most important film events in the city of Buenos Aires. | |
| Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) will take place from October 1 to 11, 2026. For its 45th edition, the festival will present international cinema from numerous countries. This year, Germany will enjoy a special focus under the title “Focus On New German Cinema: Extreme Tension”, showcasing six recent German films with an emphasis on emerging directorial voices and debut features. VIFF ranks among Canada’s largest audience festivals and recorded more than 106,000 festival attendances last year. By comparison to Toronto, Vancouver places greater emphasis on audiences, curatorial programming and direct exchange between filmmakers and cinema-goers. The German focus features six films: DEAR FUTURE SELF by Ella Cieslinski and Nina Wesemann, I UNDERSTAND YOUR DISPLEASURE by Kilian Armando Friedrich, PROSECUTION by Faraz Shariat, SOMETIMES, I IMAGINE THEM ALL AT A PARTY by Daniela Magnani Hüller, THE BALLAD FROM WEDNESDAY TO THURSDAY by Christoph Otto, and TRIAL OF HEIN by Kai Stänicke. Several filmmakers will travel to Vancouver to present their work in person, including Ella Cieslinski, Christoph Otto, Kai Stänicke and Daniela Magnani Hüller. The German focus will be complemented by an industry masterclass with editor Evelyn Rack. Simone Baumann, Managing Director of German Films, on the German focus: “Alongside Toronto, Vancouver is the most important festival in Canada and a key platform for presenting German cinema to a young and diverse audience interested in European film. VIFF’s focus on debut films and new voices from Germany makes this year’s selection especially exciting, and we are very pleased that several filmmakers will be presenting their work in person.” “German cinema has long been celebrated for its inventive craft and intellectual rigour, but this new generation of filmmakers is distinguished by the unique perspectives and lived experiences they’re bringing to their work,” says Curtis Woloschuk, VIFF Director of Programming. “The thematically complex titles in Extreme Tension grapple with personal and systemic friction in ways that are perceptive and provocative. We are thrilled to partner with German Films to give these extraordinary new voices a prominent stage in Vancouver.” German cinema is also strongly represented across the wider VIFF program. EVERYTIME by Sandra Wollner, Germany’s official submission for the 99th Academy Awards, will screen in Panorama alongside SHAME AND MONEY by Visar Morina, while YELLOW LETTERS by İlker Çatak will be presented in Showcase. THE DREAMED ADVENTURE by Valeska Grisebach, NO GOOD MEN by Shahrbanoo Sadat and ROSE by Markus Schleinzer are also part of the program. More German productions and co-productions will appear across several additional sections, making the German focus part of a broad overall presence at VIFF 2026. | |
| The 31st edition of the Festival du Cinéma Allemand in Paris will take place from October 7 to 11, 2026 at L’Arlequin. The festival will open with Faraz Shariat’s PROSECUTION (2026 Berlinale Panorama) in presence of the lead actress Chen Emilie Yan. The “Avant-Première” is being presented in cooperation with the French distributor Memento and with the kind support of ARTE. Other highlights in the program include the preview of VISITATION in presence of director Volker Schlöndorff and main actress Martina Gedeck, SIX WEEKS ON in the presence of director Jacqueline Jansen, ROYA in the presence of director Mahnaz Mohammadi as well as the short films from the NEXT GENERATION SHORT TIGER program presented by the director of the short film GAÏA, Gwenola Heck. Further, we will present to the French audience together with French distributor Condor Films a preview of NO GOOD MEN (opening film of the 2026 Berlinale), which was supported by the German French co-production fund (Mini-Traité), celebrating its 25th anniversary this year! This year’s Goethe Focus is on writer, director, editor, and actor Julian Radlmaier. Not only will he be presenting his films PHANTOMS OF JULY, BLOODSUCKERS andSELF-CRITICISM OF A BOURGEOIS DOG but will also hold a Masterclass on October 9 at 1 PM at the festival cinema (L’Arlequin). The masterclass is being made possible with the generous support of the DFJW/OFAJ. The festival will be closing on Sunday evening, October 11 with A FADING MAN by Welf Reinhardt. Full line-up:
THE GUESTS by Cristina Diz and Stefan Butzmühlen
THE FROG AND THE WATER by Thomas Stuber
HIJAMAT by Nader Saeivar
ALLEGRO PASTELL by Anna Roller
ROYA by Mahnaz Mohammadi
BABYSTAR by Joscha Bongard
A FADING MAN by Welf Reinhardt
SOMETIMES, I IMAGINE THEM ALL AT A PARTY by Daniela Magnani Hüller
INGEBORG BACHMANN – SOMEONE THAT WAS ONCE ME by Regina Schilling
SIX WEEKS ON by Jacqueline Jansen
PHANTOMS OF JULY by Julian Radlmaier
BLOODSUCKERS by Julian Radlmaier
SELF-CRITICISM OF A BOURGEOIS DOG by Julian Radlmaier
PROSECUTION by Faraz Shariat
NO GOOD MEN by Shahrbanoo Sadat
VISITATION by Volker Schlöndorff
NGST 2026 by Various Directors The Festival of German Films in Paris is organized in cooperation with the Goethe Institute Paris and with the kind support of the Senate Chancellery – Governing Mayor of Berlin, ARTE and the DFJW/OFAJ. | |
| German director Matthias Strasser has received the Silver Award in the Animation category at the 53rd Student Academy Awards® for his short film THE PANIC INSIDE, created at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored this year’s student winners during a ceremony at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto. The 2026 competition attracted 2,972 entries from 894 colleges and universities worldwide, with 16 students selected as winners across the different award categories. In the Animation category, the Gold Award went to Jonathan Lally, Elio Molinaro and Nicolás Acevedo Ferraté for COWS made at the École Supérieure de Métiers Artistiques (ESMA) in France. Matthias Strasser received Silver for THE PANIC INSIDE, while Noran Fikri Alezabi, Xinyue Ma and Yulin Yue from Gobelins in France were awarded Bronze for GAUZE. THE PANIC INSIDE centers on a chronic people-pleaser who finds it difficult to turn down his friend's constant requests. As the pressure builds, he eventually learns to set boundaries, say “no” with confidence and regain his personal freedom. The Student Academy Awards were established in 1972 to provide a platform for emerging international filmmakers and create opportunities for them to showcase their work within the film industry. Previous Student Academy Award winners include filmmakers such as Pete Docter, Spike Lee, Patricia Cardoso, Patricia Riggen and Robert Zemeckis. According to the Academy, former winners have subsequently received 70 Oscar® nominations and won or shared 15 Academy Awards. Following the ceremony, the winners gain access to educational programs, networking opportunities and the Academy Gold Mentorship Program and Alumni Network. In addition, all Student Academy Award-winning films are eligible to compete for the 99th Oscars® in the Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film or Documentary Short Film categories. Congratulations to Matthias Strasser and the team behind THE PANIC INSIDE on this international recognition. | |
| The focus of the next session for the English-language KINO! FILM SALON online film club on October 11th will be Fatih Akin's masterpiece AMRUM. The film celebrated its world premiere at Cannes International Film Festival in 2025 and was sold widely across the globe.
The film was directed by Fatih Akin, who also wrote the screenplay together with Hark Bohm, which is based on the latter's childhood memories. Bohm was a long-time friend of Akin. Born in Hamburg, he grew up during the Second World War on the North Sea island of Amrum, which is about 20 square kilometers in size. Jim Kolmar's curational comment on the movie: "KINO! Salon favorite Fatih Akin returns with a layered, resonant film that presents as a deceptively simple coming-of-age film in the manner of 400 BLOWS. But, as we've come to expect from Akin, there is far more going on below the surface. Set in 1945, AMRUM takes place from the perspective of Nanning, a 12-year-old boy growing up on the remote island of Amrum as he tries to support his family by hunting, fishing and calling in as many favors as he can with local vendors. Things grow dark as the war reaches an end and the looming demand for Nanning to grow up fast emerges on the horizon, accompanied by violence, conflict and moral complexity. A stunningly well-observed, delicate glimpse at a key period in 20th Century history, AMRUM is disarmingly straightforward storytelling. Yet its carefully established themes bloom over the course of the film with Akin's characteristic cinematic elegance and understanding of human emotion. It's an understated gem, and likely to provide plenty of material for another engaging KINO! Film Salon." Special Guest Karl Walter Lindenlaub (the film's director of photography) will join us for the discussion. RSVP here Date and time: Sunday, October 11th, 11:00am – 12:00 pm PT
2:00pm – 3:00pm ET, 8:00pm – 9:00pm CET KINO! FILM SALON is a production by Telescope Film, in collaboration with the German Film Office Trailer here | |
| Episode 104 - October 1, 2026:
Actor Kathy Etoa talks to us about working as an insurance liability claims expert, the delicious Cameroonian national dish Ndolé and the power of language to connect people. And reframing rejection as re-direction – we love that concept. Plus, Kathy gave us several great food recommendations.
Episode 105 - October 22, 2026:
Some interviews are extra special! The wonderful animation director Kiana Naghshineh and I talk about her love of food (aka her hobby), the pleasure of a shared, several hour-long movie experience and the random joy of the perfect milk foam. Plus, the importance of fun in everyday life and why she wants her films to entertain people. You can find all of the episodes on our website and wherever podcasts are available. SHORT TAKE on Instagram! | |
| Episode 1 - October 10, 2026:
We talked to fearless director Daniela Magnani Hüller about her documentary SOMETIMES I IMAGINE THEM ALL AT A PARTY, about approaching life's big questions through filmmaking, the importance of a good editor, seeing her - in this case - personal story resonate with the audience, and doing something a bit lighter for her next film.
Episode 2 - October 20, 2026:
We talked to the wonderful director and producer Birgit Schulz about her documentary PETRA KELLY - ACT NOW, telling stories through images, and looking for stories with a political message and a feminist subtext. Plus, Petra Kelly's immense political legacy and a possible future film about Angela Merkel and her instinct for power. Manifesting that now! You can find all of the episodes on our website and wherever podcasts are available.
DEEP DIVE GENRE on Instagram! | |
| SCHLiNGEL 2026 Opens in Chemnitz with a Strong International Line-Up
From October 2 to 10, 2026, the 31st edition of the SCHLiNGEL International Film Festival for Children and Young Audiences will take place in Chemnitz. The opening film is the German production SAMMY UND FRIDA – CHAOS MIT SENSE by Katja Benrath. Once again, the festival presents a strongly international program, with a special focus on Poland this year. A total of 194 films from 60 countries are included in the program. From a German perspective, the program includes five feature films: GUARDIAN RABBITS – THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN EGG by Ute von Münchow-Pohl, PIRATE MO AND THE LEGEND OF THE RED RUBY by Florian Westermann, THE UNICORN THAT SAID NO by Marc-Uwe Kling, Johannes Weiland and Studio Soi, PRINCESS OF GLASS by Josephine Frydetzki, and THE RAINBOW FISH by Florian Moch. The German short-film selection also features ROBBO AND LINA: THE DISPUTE by Ralf Kukula.
German films among the nominations for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy has announced the nominations for the 19th Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Among the chosen films are two German productions, nominated for Best Film: NO GOOD MEN by Shahrbanoo Sadat and ELEPHANTS OF THE FOG by Abinash Bikram Shah. The German co-production HEAD TO HEAD by Ghasideh Golmakani is nominated for Best Screenplay. This year’s awards will showcase the finest cinematic achievements from 32 countries and areas across the Asia Pacific, celebrating films and filmmakers that reflect the extraordinary cultural richness and diversity of the region. The 19th Asia Pacific Screen Awards will take place on October 30, 2026.
Two German productions nominated for International Emmys
The nominations for the 2026 International Emmys were announced in late September. A total of 64 nominations were awarded across 16 categories, representing 22 countries. German productions are in the running in two categories. In the “Arts Programming” category, the production company Neue Flimmer has high hopes of winning an award for DER TALENTIERTE MR. F. The second German contender for an iEmmy is the children’s animated series “Lenas Hof” by Studio Film Bilder and Minya Film & Animation, competing in the "Kids: Animation" section. The International Emmys will be presented on November 23. Calls for submission - CPH:FORUM 2027: CPH:FORUM is CPH:DOX’s international financing and co-production event dedicated to facilitating the development and financing of creative and visually strong film projects with international potential, whether they are features, series or new media projects. The event is dedicated to supporting film projects and series at the intersection of non-fiction, fiction, visual art, journalism and science. Deadline is November 3, 2026. More information can be found here.
- Visions du Réel – International Film Festival Nyon: Visions du Réel is a leading international documentary film festival held annually in Nyon, Switzerland, showcasing innovative non-fiction cinema from around the world. The call for non-fiction films and projects for the 2027 edition of Visions du Réel is now open. Early deadline is November 2, 2026, final deadline is December 15, 2026. More information can be found here.
- DocsBarcelona 2027: The Barcelona International Documentary Film Festival DocsBarcelona has opened the call for film submissions for its 30th edition, which will take place from April29 to May 9, 2027. For this very special edition, the festival will celebrate three decadesas a platform for discovering and promoting contemporary documentary cinema, connecting films and filmmakers with audiences. Deadline for documentary short films is September 28, 2026; deadline for documentary feature films is November 30, 2026; early bird deadline for feature films isOctober 2, 2026. More information can be found here.
- Hot Docs Festival, Forum & Deal Maker: Submissions are now open for the 2027 Hot Docs Festival, taking place in Toronto from April 23 to May 2, 2027, as well as the industry pitch programs. Early deadline is October 29, 2026, final deadline is December 10, 2026. More information can be found here.
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| German productions and co-productions at Baden, London, Bristol, Cinekid Amsterdam, Telluride, Tirana, Zurich, Busan, Bucharest, Warsaw, Montreal and Sitges. | |
| Awards for German productions and co-productions at Venice, Baden, San Sebastian, Ottawa, Bristol, Tirana and Bucharest. | |
| New section starting in 2026: Here you will find links to photo galleries of German Films receptions and other German Films events from this month. | |
| International releases of German films in October 2026 supported by the German Films Distribution Support program: A GIRL NAMED WILLOW in Brazil (Distributor: Clube Filmes, World Sales: Sola Media, Theatrical Release: October 15, 2026, Grant: 11,000 €)
ARNIE & BARNEY in the UK (Distributor: Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment, World Sales: Studio 100, Theatrical Release: October 30, 2026, Grant: 15,000 €)
CORPUS DELICTI in Switzerland and Liechtenstein (Distributor: DCM Film AG, World Sales: Leonine Studios, Theatrical Release: October 1, 2026, Grant: 8,375 €)
MOMO in Norway (Distributor: Another World Entertainment, World Sales: Epsilon Film, Theatrical Release: October 16, 2026, Grant: 10,000 €)
PROSECUTION in Ukraine (Distributor: LLC KISFF FILMS, World Sales: New Europe Film Sales, Theatrical Release: October 8, 2026, Grant: 2,500 €)
Please note: Correct at time of going to press. Changes may occur at any time.
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Angela Sonntag (Head of Press & Public Relations) | |
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Fax +49-89-59 97 87-30 | |
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