The 83rd Venice International Film Festival featured 22 German productions and co-productions across its program, with DAU winning the Silver Lion for Best Director and several other German titles receiving independent jury awards. German Films, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg also hosted the German Cocktail on the Lido, bringing German film and immersive project teams together with international industry and festival guests for networking and exchange.
The 51st Toronto International Film Festival featured 18 German productions and co-productions, including EVERYTIME, THE DREAMED ADVENTURE, KRUX, MEMORIES OF A FOREST and the series BLINDSPOT BERLIN. TIFF also launched its first official content market, with five German world sales companies represented in the Europe!Hub. Former and current FACE TO FACE ambassadors were in Toronto to present their projects.
A total of 14 German productions and co-productions were represented at the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival, with BODY OF GLASS by Naëmi Ada standing out as a major success after winning the Kutxabank-New Directors Award. Further prizes went to German co-productions including GROWTH OF THE SOIL and ALL OF A SUDDEN, while Werner Herzog received the Donostia Award for his lifetime achievement.
The 26th Festival de Cine Alemán in Buenos Aires attracted around 2,500 attendees, with BERLIN HERO and SOUND OF FALLING emerging as audience favorites and additional screenings added due to high demand. A further highlight was director Kilian Armando Friedrich’s visit.
Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) will take place from October 1 to 11, 2026. For its 45th edition, there will be a special focus on Germany: under the title “Focus On New German Cinema: Extreme Tension”.
The 31st Festival du Cinéma Allemand in Paris will run from October 7 to 11, 2026, at L’Arlequin, opening with Faraz Shariat’s PROSECUTION and featuring previews including VISITATION, NO GOOD MEN, ROYA and SIX WEEKS ON, many presented by attending filmmakers. This year’s Goethe Focus is dedicated to Julian Radlmaier, who will present several of his films and give a masterclass, before the festival closes with A FADING MAN by Welf Reinhardt.
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 ceremony took place during Toronto International Film Festival 2026.
The next session of KINO! FILM SALON online film club on October 11, 2026, will focus on Fatih Akin’s masterpiece AMRUM. Karl Walter Lindenlaub, the film's director of photography, will join the discussion as a special guest.
In October, we are kicking things off with a SHORT TAKE episode featuring an interview with actor Kathy Etoa. She is known, among other things, for the series ANGEMESSEN ANGRY and recently appeared in the Netflix film 23,000 LIVES. In the second October episode, we are speaking with animation director Kiana Naghshineh. She was recently honored at Stuttgart International Animation Film Festival for her short film WITH TAPES AND TOAST IN THE CAR.
This October, we at DEEP DIVE are diving back into a special genre. We are planning another season on a specific topic. This time, the focus is on documentary films. In our first two episodes of this season, we spoke with director Daniela Magnani Hüller, known for her film SOMETIMES I IMAGINE THEM ALL AT A PARTY, as well as with director and producer Birgit Schulz about her documentary PETRA KELLY - ACT NOW.
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 isNovember 2, 2026, final deadline isDecember 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.
