| Diagonale | 2025 | Recap |

The Diagonale – Festival of Austrian Film took place from March 27 to April 1, 2025, for the 28th time in Graz. Following successful additions and changes under the director duo Dominik Kamalzadeh and Claudia Slanar in 2024, the festival was further expanded as a place for various encounters in 2025.

163 film productions were screened at Diagonale ‘25, 91 of which were Austrian or world premieres. The film competition, in which Austria’s most highly endowed film prizes were awarded by international juries on 31 March, was also the centrepiece of the festival edition with 113 films from the feature, documentary and short film and innovative film categories. The Franz Grabner Prize and the Carl Mayer Screenplay Prize were also awarded as part of the Diagonale – more about the prizes and juries → here

The Festival of Austrian Film opened with the Austrian premiere of Florian Pochlatko’s feature film debut How to Be Normal and the Oddness of the Other World in the presence of the filmmaker and parts of the team!

FILMSPECIALS AT DIAGONALE ’25:

| Position | Athena Rachel Tsangari |
Diagonale 2025 dedicated a comprehensive retrospective to director and producer Athina Rachel Tsangari, presenting Tsangari’s complete oeuvre in Austria for the first time.

| Position | Ivette Löcker |
A comprehensive retrospective with a film premiere for the documentary filmmaker, who, through her sensitive explorations of relationship dynamics, subtly reflects on societal structures.

| Film History | Austria – A Satire |
In seven programs, the festival embarked on a quest to explore the satirical works from 1976 to 1989 in Austrian film and television history.

| Film History | From the Giftschrank |
Wien-Films toxic legacy in three programs.

SUPPORTING PROGRAM ’25:

| Nachspann |
Cinema that goes beyond the screen for special conversations and discussions that require more time and space.

| Forum |
Festival location for discussion and debates in the Heimatsaal in the Volkskundemuseum at Paulustor.

| Film Meeting |
The festival’s industry meeting, including panels on the topics such as equal opportunities, inclusion and the removal of barriers in the film industry, as well as the challenges associated with loss of labour.

| Club Diagonale |
Again this year, there were lots of opportunities to come together for dancing and drinks!

| Extras |
Exhibitions around Austrian film as part of the Diagonale.