45th Vancouver International Film Festival
October 1–11, 2026
VANCOUVER, BC (SEPTEMBER 24, 2026) The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is thrilled to announce a dedicated spotlight on contemporary German filmmaking as part of its landmark 45th edition. Titled Focus on New German Cinema: Extreme Tension, and presented in collaboration with German Films, the special series showcases six standout features from emerging directors who are reshaping the landscape of modern European cinema.
“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.”
Simone Baumann, Managing Director of German Films, adds: “Alongside Toronto, Vancouver is the most important festival in Canada and, for us, a key platform to present German cinema to a young and diverse audience, interested in European cinema. At the same time, Vancouver has a strong infrastructure in the film and media industries and, with its educational institutions, is an important place for the next generation of international filmmakers. VIFF’s decision to focus on debut films and new voices from Germany with the program ‘Focus On New German Cinema: Extreme Tension’ makes this year’s selection especially exciting and forward-looking.”
The series brings forward works that are psychologically complex, visually striking, and deeply socially engaged. The line-up includes:
- The Ballad From Wednesday to Thursday by Christoph Otto (North American Premiere) | Filmmaker in attendance
- Dear Future Self by Ella Cieslinski and Nina Wesemann (International Premiere) | Filmmaker in attendance
- I Understand Your Displeasure by Kilian Armando Friedrich (Canadian Premiere)
- Prosecution by Faraz Shariat (Canadian Premiere)
- Sometimes, I Imagine Them All at a Party by Daniela Magnani Hüller (North American Premiere) | Filmmaker in attendance
- Trial of Hein by Kai Stänicke (Canadian Premiere) | Filmmaker in attendance
VIFF’s Industry program will also welcome Berlin-based editor Evelyn Rack to present the masterclass Editing as Discovery: Narrative, Instinct, and the Unpredictable. Rack’s credits include Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling, which won the Prix du Jury at Cannes 2025, and Mohsen Gharaei’s drama Moragheb (Falling House), which premiered in the Orizzonti section of the 2026 Venice Film Festival. Rack will also serve as a juror for VIFF’s inaugural Work-in-Progress (WIP) Section.
Apart from the Focus on New German Cinema: Extreme Tension, other acclaimed German titles in this year’s VIFF lineup include İlker Çatak’s Yellow Letters, winner of the Berlinale’s Golden Bear; Visar Morina’s Shame and Money, winner of Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize: World Cinema Dramatic Competition; and Sandra Wollner’s Everytime, winner of the Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes and Germany’s Oscar submission for Best International Film. Additionally, the iconic Sandra Hüller stars in both Paweł Pawlikowski’s Fatherland, which won Best Director at Cannes, and the Canadian premiere of Markus Schleinzer’s Rose, for which she took home the Berlinale’s Silver Bear for Best Performance. All told, the 2026 edition of VIFF will feature 26 German productions or co-productions.
FOCUS ON NEW GERMAN CINEMA: EXTREME TENSION
Presented in cooperation with German Films
The Ballad From Wednesday to Thursday dir. Christoph Otto (Germany) | North American Premiere
Dear Future Self dirs. Ella Cieslinski, Nina Wesemann (Germany) | International Premiere
I Understand Your Displeasure dir. Kilian Armando Friedrich (Germany) | Canadian Premiere
Prosecution dir. Faraz Shariat (Germany) | Canadian Premiere
Sometimes, I Imagine Them All at a Party dir. Daniela Magnani Hüller (Germany) | North American Premiere
Trial of Hein dir. Kai Stänicke (Germany) | Canadian Premiere
For complete FOCUS programming details, visit viff.org/series/focus.
Ticket details at viff.org/ticket-info.
To explore VIFF’s complete 2026 programming, visit viff.org.