{"id":96575,"date":"2026-06-10T12:51:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T10:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/?page_id=96575"},"modified":"2026-06-10T12:51:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T10:51:07","slug":"pressestimmen-2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/pressestimmen-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"| Media Coverage 2026 | Selection |"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe film festival where it really is all about film.\u201d
\nWelt<\/strong>, Marie-Luise Goldmann<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Diagonale\u2019s short film programs are always a hit: 29 innovative films are in competition, creating a rush of images.\u201d
\nRadio FM4<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom trouser roles to experimental films: the Diagonale impresses with the full diversity of Austrian film.\u201d
\nDer Standard<\/strong>, Valerie Dirk<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone who wants to understand why our present is the way it is should indeed occasionally look back. Not out of nostalgia, but out of curiosity. Sometimes the future is most clearly recognized in the past. With New Uncertainties<\/em>, the Diagonale provides the images to go with it.\u201d
\nRaiffeisen Zeitung<\/strong>, Manfred Horak<\/p>\n

\u201c… the most important festival for Austrian film \u2013 a central meeting place for filmmakers and an enthusiastic cinema audience.\u201d
\nHeute<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Diagonale is not only a meeting place for the long-established film industry, but also a stage for people who are just beginning to gain a foothold in it.\u201d
\nThe Gap<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Diagonale is the perfect meeting place for everyone who wants to experience Austrian film up close!\u201d
\nder Grazer<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe beautiful thing about the Diagonale is that you get to see things on the big screen that you would otherwise tend to encounter in art exhibitions or late-night special-interest programs on TV. The range is astonishing.\u201d
\nSteirer Krone<\/strong>, Michaela Reichart<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are always very beautiful discoveries to be made at Diagonale in its many short film programs.\u201d
\n\u00d61<\/strong>, Julia Baschiera<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone who visits Diagonale and takes time not only for one or two must-see events, but spends a few days strolling from one cinema to the next through the Styrian spring in search of the unexpected, will indeed be richly rewarded.\u201d
\nprofil<\/strong>, Stefan Grissemann<\/p>\n

\u201cJust arrived in beautiful Graz for the opening of the 29th edition of Diagonale. This festival is always full of special moments.\u201d
\nCinematologis<\/strong>t, Jovan Vasiljevi\u0107<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though the festival has to make savings and one fewer cinema screen is being used, the program feels as abundant and varied as ever.\u201d
\nFALTER<\/strong>, Michael Omasta<\/p>\n

\u201cI really am a regular guest \u2013 and voluntarily so. I would go even if I didn\u2019t have a film there myself, simply because I like this festival so much. (…) The people, the conversations, the films and this special atmosphere in Graz \u2013 the Diagonale has something very much its own. You arrive \u2013 and you are immediately right in the middle of it.\u201d
\nHilde Dalik<\/strong> im Interview mit der Kleinen Zeitung<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Diagonale in Graz offers a showcase of Austrian filmmaking. But it is particularly convincing thanks to its expertly curated programs.\u201d
\ntaz. die tageszeitung<\/strong>, Silvia Hallensleben<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Diagonale film festival presents a multifaceted selection of current Austrian films. Its diverse program delights film fans and culture lovers alike.\u201d
\nMoments<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cA brilliant start in the spirit of film: Under the direction of festival directors Dominik Kamalzadeh and Claudia Slanar, the 29th Diagonale got off to a lively start at the Helmut List Halle. With the premiere of Rose and the honoring of Hilde Dalik, Graz\u2019s prominent figures celebrated a great festival of film culture.\u201d
\nder Grazer<\/strong>, Victoria Weitenthaler<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s Diagonale in Graz opens with a remarkably stirring historical film.\u201d
\norf.at<\/strong>, Sonia Neufeld<\/p>\n

\u201cFestival as an antidote to the noise of the brain-dead: The Diagonale opens in Graz with a passionate plea for cultural diversity and financial stability.\u201d
\nKleine Zeitung<\/strong>, Ute Baumhackl<\/p>\n

\u201cDiagonale shows courage: Unlike the Berlinale, the Austrian film festival does not shy away from serious debates. Many of the 149 productions in the program also deal with explosive issues.\u201d
\nKronen Zeitung<\/strong>, Jasmin Gaderer<\/p>\n

\u201cCinema halls are filling up, the screens are flickering \u2013 this month, Graz once again becomes the country\u2019s film capital.\u201d
\nRadio Soundportal<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cFighting stories in a contested world: The most important festival of domestic film is beginning. The program is full of treasures waiting to be discovered.\u201d
\nSalzburger Nachrichten<\/strong>, Gini Brenner<\/p>\n

\u201cThe future of Austrian film may be precarious in terms of funding \u2013 but there is no shortage of talent.\u201d
\nDie Presse<\/strong>, Andrey Arnold<\/p>\n

\u201cThe directorial duo Dominik Kamalzadeh and Claudia Slanar \u2013 clear-sighted and alert as ever in their speech \u2013 advocated, among other things, for spaces without the immediate pressure to react and against disruptions caused by banal noise.\u201d
\nKleine Zeitung<\/strong>, Ute Baumhackl<\/p>\n

\u201cDeindustrialization, unemployment, the aftereffects of the Bosnian War: All of this is taken up by the film-historical program New Uncertainties<\/em>, which engages in diverse ways with the social and political upheavals of the decade.\u201d
\nJungle World<\/strong>, Esther Buss<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile other festivals focus on glamour, Graz remains a place of constant questioning, including of its own industry. That is one of the Diagonale\u2019s strengths.\u201d
\nDie Furche<\/strong>, Matthias Greuling<\/p>\n

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\u201cOnce again, cinephiles are looking to Graz \u2013 if they are not already there: The Diagonale is currently bringing its characteristically dense film program to Styrian cinemas.\u201d
\nDie Presse<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cFor 29 years, the festival of Austrian film has been not only a showcase of domestic creative work, but also a barometer of social and political ruptures and upheavals.\u201d
\nsubtext<\/strong>, Andreas Kepplinger<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring Diagonale time, Graz is buzzing. The caf\u00e9s are full, people party at night as if there were no tomorrow, and above all, the film community gathers in the cinemas.\u201d
\norf.at<\/strong>, Simon Hadler<\/p>\n
\u201cThe program And in the Middle<\/em> explores one of the favorite places of Austrians by upbringing. A wonderful subject.\u201d
\nSalzburger Nachrichten<\/strong>, Gini Brenner<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Graz, the festival of Austrian film shows how transnational domestic cinema has become.\u201d
\nDie Presse<\/strong>, Andrey Arnold<\/p>\n
\u201c… much to celebrate at this year\u2019s Diagonale, as Austrian filmmaking is showing itself from a strong side.\u201d
\nKurier<\/strong>, Alexandra Seibel<\/p>\n
\u201cAlready at the opening of the Diagonale, one could observe and experience an industry that, in the face of cuts and political changes, presented itself as very combative. This commitment was also reflected in the initiatives taking place away from the screen. All of this shows that the Austrian film industry is not only artistically alive, but also structurally and politically alert.\u201d
\n\u00d61<\/strong>, Julia Baschiera<\/p>\n
\u201cOrgies, unemployment and cross-dressing: Things get political at the Diagonale. In doing so, the festival of Austrian film does quite a few things better than the Berlinale or the Oscars.\u201d
\nWelt<\/strong>, Marie-Luise Goldmann<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Diagonale nut is probably the most beautiful award in the world, because it is nut-sized, fits into any trouser or jacket pocket, takes up no imposing shelf space, and yet is important.\u201d
\nS\u00fcdtiroler Tageszeitung<\/strong>, Renate Mumelter<\/p>\n
\u201cOne wise insight of the Diagonale is that historical retrospectives in particular create the best framework for current films. And the efforts of today\u2019s middle generation of filmmakers to come to terms with the past appear all the more interesting when seen against the background of the series New Uncertainties<\/em>, curated by Dominik Kamalzadeh and Claudia Slanar.\u201d
\nFilmtett<\/strong>, Zs\u00f3fia Buglya<\/p>\n
\u201cHere, Austrian film reveals itself in all its contradictions: internationally successful, precarious at home; aesthetically bold, economically fragile. An industry that is sliding into crisis amid great success.\u201d
\nDie Furche<\/strong>, Matthias Greuling<\/p>\n
\u201cDiagonale 2026 is heading into its finale with a strong focus on documentary film.\u201d
\nSteirer Krone, Michaela Reichart<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Film Meeting felt refreshing. The focus on children\u2019s film proved extremely fruitful and placed at the center a topic that is otherwise rather rarely addressed at events like these.\u201d
\nThe Spot Media & Film<\/strong>, Lea Morgenstern<\/p>\n
\u201cIn this year\u2019s program of the indestructible Austro-film festival, domestic filmmaking appears, in the best sense, all over the place: on the one hand quite scattered in its themes and aesthetics, yet at the same time in lively correspondence with diverse lifeworlds beyond national borders. Hungry for external input, cosmopolitan and globally connected.\u201d
\nDie Presse<\/strong>, Andrey Arnold<\/p>\n
\u201cThe relationship of trust that film festivals can, at best, establish is the foundation of their success. For the comforting feeling of being in the best curatorial hands leads to a kind of alert openness, to sharpened senses. At the Diagonale in Graz, this receptiveness can be felt everywhere. Moving through this festival is like moving through a gently heightened aesthetic world, drifting through lovingly curated short film programs, cinematic fictions and documents, undertaking genuine voyages of discovery through moving images, industry talks and concerts.\u201d
\nprofil<\/strong>, Stefan Grissemann<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year\u2019s Diagonale comes to an end on Monday evening with the award ceremony, leaving behind some open yet exciting discussion points on the self-representation of political figures and their influence.\u201d
\nDer Standard, Valerie Dirk<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Diagonale is one of those cinematic islands where demanding art, audience-friendly cinema and provocative filmic challenges resonate with the public.\u201d
\nfilmpress.sk<\/strong>, Martina Vackov\u00e1\/Radovan Holub<\/p>\n
\u201cThe festival of Austrian film was present throughout the entire city. It feels very good to have had the Diagonale in Graz \u2013 great anticipation for next year.\u201d
\nFAZIT<\/strong>, Michael Petrowitsch<\/p>\n
\u201cThe high quality and continuing international visibility of Austrian cinematography is evidenced, among other things, by the fact that at the Berlinale, which takes place every year shortly before the Diagonale, no fewer than twelve Austrian co-productions were represented this time. We will find out what Austrian filmmakers will have produced by the beginning of next year in April 2027, at the 30th edition of the Diagonale.\u201d
\nEKRAN<\/strong>, Anja Naglic<\/p>\n
 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cThe film festival where it really is all about film.\u201d Welt, Marie-Luise Goldmann \u201cThe Diagonale\u2019s short film programs are always a hit: 29 innovative films are in competition, creating a rush of images.\u201d Radio FM4 \u201cFrom trouser roles to experimental films: the Diagonale impresses with the full diversity of Austrian film.\u201d Der Standard, Valerie Dirk […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-2spaltervoll.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-96575","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96575"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96575\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96581,"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96575\/revisions\/96581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}