VIFF to Present FOCUS ON NEW GERMAN CINEMA: EXTREME TENSION

The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) has announced a dedicated spotlight on contemporary German filmmaking as part of its 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. The 45th Vancouver International Film Festival runs October 1–11, 2026.

'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 Baumaann, 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), with the filmmaker in attendance; Dear Future Self by Ella Cieslinski and Nina Wesemann (International Premiere), with filmmakers 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), with the filmmaker in attendance; and Trial of Hein by Kai Stänicke (Canadian Premiere), with the 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 Best Film: Un Certain Regard at Cannes and Germany's Oscar submission for Best International Film. Additionally, Sara 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 are available at viff.org/ticket-info. To explore VIFF's complete 2026 programming, visit viff.org.

About VIFF

The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is one of Canada's leading film organizations and an internationally recognized cultural institution. VIFF presents the annual Vancouver International Film Festival, operates the VIFF Centre, Vancouver's premier arthouse cinema, and leads artist development initiatives through the Institute for the Moving Image. Together, these initiatives nurture filmmakers, strengthen the screen-based arts sector, and bring the joy of bold, original cinema to audiences year-round. Learn more at viff.org.

Founded in 1982, the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural society and federally registered charitable organization. VIFF is presented on the traditional and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.