The Diagonale Film Meeting, the festival’s two-day industry gathering, brings current topics and industry updates to the stage of the Heimatsaal on the first day. The content comes not only from the festival, but also from the industry itself. The Film Meeting sees itself as a contact point for the latest questions and topics and at the same time aims to provide impetus for current and future developments within the film industry. This year, the focus will be on children’s and family films, among other things. On the second (non-public) day, measures and processes will be considered and discussed in detail in groups.
(please note, that the majority of the Diagonale Film Meeting events are held in german)
Thursday, March 19
9:45 – 10:45 a.m. | NEWS & UPDATES – Part 1
UPDATE Mabacher Award and Filmklusiv – Breaking down barriers in the film industry
UPDATE European Co-productions in Focus: Co-producing with Creative Europe
UPDATE Launch of #we_do! – Film and Television Ombudsperson Office
NEWS Investment contributions from streaming services Austria
10:50 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. | FOCUS: Children’s and Family Film
KEYNOTE Rikke Flodin: Keeping Up with Children as an Audience (in English)
PRESENTATION Maciej Jakubczyk: Family Entertainment – Becoming Part of the Film Industry, a Best Practice case study from Poland (in English)
ON-STAGE TALK Katharina Posch, Kris Staber, Dunja Bernatzky: Children’s film between creative vision and challenging realities
2– 3 p.m. | NEWS & UPDATES – Part 2
NEWS Updates from the Austrian Film Institute: Green Filming Report, insight into Intimacy Coordination, and presentation of the AI Coordination initiative
UPDATE Facts and figures on the nonstop cinema subscription
GOOD TO KNOW The selection process for the International Oscar submission
3 p.m. | INTERJECTION!
3:15 – 5:15 p.m. | FOCUS: Visual Signature
IMPULSE & TALK Eva Fischer, Claudia Larcher: Ahead of the Images – Reorientation and Resonance in the Age of Generative AI
LECTURE & TALK Sophie Maintigneux: From 1001 Words to 101 Images: Visualizing the Script in Fiction and Documentary Film
Followed by a discussion with Volker Gläser (AAC)
Friday, March 20 Think Tanks
On the second day, the Diagonale Film Meeting becomes a Think Tank and networking space for the industry. In closed groups, participants will develop ideas, exchange perspectives and discuss strategies for the future.
Personal invitations to the Think Tanks have been sent out beforehand.
Cinema without Children? Rethinking the Future of Austrian Children’s Film
Think Tank by the Academy of Austrian Film and Diagonale
International Fairness Standards for the Film Industry – A Relief?
Think Tank by Clar Gallistl
Don’t mess with filmmakers! #ZuverdienstAMS
Think Tank by the Association of Austrian Filmmakers, IG Bildende Kunst, and FÖFF
Mabacher Award x Filmklusiv in conversation with Katharina Brunner, Lukas Ladner and Yuria Knoll: Inclusive Filmmaking
Think Tank by the Mabacher Award
The Path to the Set – How Do Emerging Talents Enter Film Practice?
Think Tank by the Professional Association (FAMA) and Vienna Representation (FIMU)
12:30 – 1 p.m. | Public Wrap-up of the Think Tanks
Salon Frühling, Grand Hotel Wiesler
Results and summaries of the Diagonale Film Meeting 2026 will be added here at the end of March.