{"id":96589,"date":"2026-06-10T15:23:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T13:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/?page_id=96589"},"modified":"2026-06-10T15:37:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T13:37:41","slug":"rueckblick-diagonale-2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/festival\/rueckblick-diagonale-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"| Diagonale | 2026 | Recap |"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Diagonale \u201826 program booklet with the complete programme is available for download \u2192 here<\/a> (only in german).<\/p>\n

\n

Diagonale Edition
\nNew Uncertainties<\/i><\/strong>
\n<\/em>with texts by Christa Bl\u00fcmlinger, Marko Dini\u0107, Silvia Hallensleben, Magdalena Miedl, Bert Rebhandl and Andreas Ungerb\u00f6ck \u00a0on the film history program, published in 2026 by Czernin Verlag (128 pages | ISBN: 978-3-7076-0904-2).
\n\u2192 Available here<\/a>, only in german (12,\u2013 \u20ac)<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u2192 Diagonale \u201926 in pictures<\/a><\/p>\n

xxx<\/pre>\n
Sold-out cinemas and higher attendance at the politically charged and discussion-rich 29th edition of the festival in Graz<\/strong><\/p>\n
\"Er\u00f6ffnung
Opening Diagonale \u201926 \u00a9 Harald Wawrzyniak<\/p><\/div>\n
The Festival of Austrian Film took place in Graz for the 29th time from March 18 to 23, once again under the direction of Dominik Kamalzadeh and Claudia Slanar and raffirmd its role as a cornerstone of Graz\u2019s cultural scene and of Austria\u2019s film and cultural industries. 149 film productions were shown at Diagonale \u201926, 77 of them as Austrian or world premieres. The film competition, in which Austria\u2019s most highly endowed film awards were presented by international juries, once again formed the centerpiece of the 2026 festival edition, featuring 82 films across the categories of feature, documentary, short, and innovative film. As part of Diagonale, the Franz Grabner Award, the Carl Mayer Screenplay Awards, and the Thomas Pluch Screenplay Awards were traditionally presented, along with the Mabacher Award for the first time.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cOur view is that, over the past few days, Diagonale has once again shown what spaces of cultural concentration can generate: a public sphere in productive tension. It was a political edition, one that not only allowed for discourse but actively sought it out \u2014 across individual films, within the resonance created by multiple works, and time and again beyond the cinema itself. We were delighted by the full auditoriums \u2014 especially for films that challenge audiences. And by the unexpected alliances that emerged: loose associations, fleeting agreements, sometimes friendships. Festivals are places where community is not only visible, but first takes shape \u2014 and in doing so continually expands. Our thanks go to the filmmakers, producers, and distributors who once again placed their trust in us. And last but not least, thanks to our extraordinary team, who made our Diagonale possible. We are already looking forward to the anniversary edition in 2027!\u201d \u2014 Dominik Kamalzadeh and Claudia Slanar, Festival directors<\/p>\n
The Festival of Austrian Film opened on March 18 at Helmut List Hall with the Austrian premiere of Rose<\/strong><\/em><\/a> by Markus Schleinzer<\/strong>. David Scheid hosted the opening evening<\/strong> of the 29th Diagonale in Graz, under the direction of Dominik Kamalzadeh and Claudia Slanar, with spirited moderation. In addition to the director, members of the film team in attendance included actors Caro Braun<\/strong> and Marisa Growaldt<\/strong>, cinematographer Gerald Kerkletz<\/strong>, Alexander Brom<\/strong>, who co-wrote the screenplay, and producer Johannes Schubert<\/strong>. As part of the opening ceremony, the Grand Diagonale Acting Award 2026 for services to Austrian film culture<\/strong><\/a> was presented to Hilde Dalik<\/strong> in the form of an artwork created by Anita Leisz. Director Alexandra Makarov\u00e1<\/strong> delivered the laudatory speech on behalf of the acting jury, praising Dalik\u2019s courage, strength, and exceptional artistic integrity. Guests included Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler<\/strong>, Regional Councillor for Culture Karlheinz Kornh\u00e4usl<\/strong>, Mayor Elke Kahr<\/strong>, Vice Mayor Judith Schwentner<\/strong>, and City Councillor for Culture Claudia Unger<\/strong>. Trailer director Michael G\u00fclzow<\/strong> and Billy Roisz<\/strong>, to whom Diagonale dedicated an extensive retrospective, also joined numerous filmmakers in celebrating the opening of the Festival of Austrian Film. Also in attendance were Werner Kogler<\/strong> (former Vice Chancellor and Member of the National Council), Cathedral Pastor Ewald Pristavec<\/strong>, hostess Kathryn List<\/strong> of the AVL Cultural Foundation, and Walburga Seidl<\/strong> from the Board of Steierm\u00e4rkische Sparkasse.<\/p>\n
A True Award Marathon<\/strong><\/p>\n
The heart of the festival was, as always, the competition: Austria\u2019s highest endowed film prizes<\/strong>, worth a total of \u20ac128,500<\/strong>, were awarded by international juries on Monday evening, honoring the wide range of achievements involved in making a film. In addition, the Diagonale Audience Award, presented by Kleine Zeitung<\/em><\/strong> and endowed with \u20ac3,000, which had already been awarded at a pre-screening, was once again recognized. A total of 82 films were represented in the competition<\/strong>. As usual, the program featured feature-length and short fiction and documentary films, as well as innovative cinema. Seventy of the competition films celebrated either their Austrian or world premiere on Graz cinema screens during the festival, in the presence of the filmmakers.<\/p>\n
Hosted by Susi Stach <\/strong>and Gilbert Handler<\/strong>, 20 film awards were presented in the largest auditorium of Annenhof Cinema in the presence of numerous filmmakers and foundation representatives, most notably the Grand Diagonale Awards of the Province of Styria<\/strong> for Best Feature Film<\/strong> and Best Documentary Film<\/strong>. In the presence of Regional Councillor for Culture Karlheinz Kornh\u00e4usl, Angela Summereder<\/strong> was honored for B wie Bartleby<\/strong><\/em><\/a> and Tolga Karaaslan<\/strong> for Baba, What\u2019s Your Plan?<\/strong><\/em><\/a> City Councillor for Culture Claudia Unger presented the Diagonale Award for Innovative Cinema of the City of Graz<\/strong> to Georg Petermichl<\/strong> for Amature Enlightenment<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. All award winners received an artwork conceived and created by artist Anna Paul: the golden Diagonale nut<\/strong>, a life-size bronze sculpture of a nutmeg, small enough to fit into any trouser or skirt pocket \u2014 a companion for every occasion. The overview of the award winners and sponsors, as well as the jury statements, is available \u2192 here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Also presented within the framework of Diagonale were the Franz Grabner Prize <\/strong><\/a>on Friday (Best Cinema Documentary: Gr\u00fcnes Licht<\/strong><\/em> by Pavel Cuzuioc<\/strong>) and the Kodak Analog Film Award<\/strong><\/a>, which went to Franz Quitt<\/strong> and Laura Ettel<\/strong> for Closed for the Virus Break<\/strong><\/em>. On Sunday evening, the Mabacher Award<\/strong><\/a> was presented for the first time as part of the festival; the prize for Best Inclusive Film also went to Baba, What\u2019s Your Plan?<\/strong><\/em>, the documentary feature debut of Tolga Karaaslan<\/strong>. On Monday morning, the Carl Mayer Screenplay Awards <\/strong><\/a>were presented (main prize to Peter Pfl\u00fcgler<\/strong> for the treatment of Hans \u2013 or \u2013 Don\u2019t Bury Me in the Grave of My Father<\/strong><\/em>), as well as the Thomas Pluch Screenplay Awards<\/strong><\/a> (main prize to Markus Schleinzer<\/strong> and Alexander Brom<\/strong> for Rose<\/strong><\/em>). In the afternoon, the Kleine Zeitung Audience Award <\/strong><\/a>for the festival\u2019s most popular film was presented to The Stories<\/strong><\/em> by Abu Bakr Shawky<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
 <\/p>\n
FILMSPECIALS AT DIAGONALE \u201926:<\/strong><\/p>\n
| Position | Hlynur P\u00e1lmason |<\/strong><\/a>
\nIcelandic director and visual artist Hlynur P\u00e1lmason \u2013 most recently in Cannes with the tragicomedy The Love That Remains<\/em> \u2013 came to Graz with a comprehensive retrospective of his work and offered insights into his filmmaking process in a masterclass.<\/p>\n
| Position | Billy Roisz |<\/strong><\/a>
\nDiagonale 2026 dedicated a comprehensive retrospective, including a live performance, to filmmaker, musician and performer Billy Roisz, who has been active since the late 1990s.<\/p>\n
| Film History | Girls Will Be Boys |<\/strong><\/a>
\nWomen in Trouser Roles: SYNEMA\u2019s film-historical special explored gender fluidity and cross-dressing in German-language cinema of the interwar period.<\/p>\n
| Film History | New Uncertainties \u2013 Austrian Documentary Cinema in the 1990s |<\/a>
\n<\/strong>A film-historical search for traces in seven programmes from 30 years ago in domestic documentary filmmaking, a time of change and new beginnings.<\/p>\n
| And in the Middle | A Wirtshaus |<\/strong><\/a>
\nAnd in the Middle <\/em>is a new annual film and discussion series held as part of Diagonale, dedicated to exploring places beyond urban centers.<\/p>\n
| Special | Duisburg Film Week |<\/strong><\/a>
\nTo mark its 50th anniversary, the renowned German documentary film festival came to Graz, presenting films from its history that unsettle, provoke, and challenge.<\/p>\n
| In memoriam | Emily Artmann |<\/strong><\/a>
\nA small homage in memory of the poet, editor, and filmmaker.<\/p>\n
| Portoro\u017e meets Graz |<\/strong><\/a>
\nA new collaboration with the Festival of Slovenian Film.<\/p>\n
 <\/p>\n
SUPPORTING PROGRAM OF DIAGONALE \u201926.<\/strong><\/p>\n
With the support of the festival\u2019s main sponsor, Steierm\u00e4rkische Sparkasse, in-depth talks and discussions were held under the titles Nachspann<\/strong><\/em> and Nachspann EXTRA<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 for cinema that extends beyond the screen \u2013 including with Markus Schleinzer, Caro Braun, Klaus Fried, Harald Friedl, Billy Roisz, and Anat Stainberg.<\/p>\n
The festival\u2019s industry gathering, the Film Meeting<\/strong><\/a>, drew strong audience interest and focused, among other topics, on children\u2019s and family films. It also featured updates and news from the industry, including on reducing barriers in film, the founding of #we_do!, the selection process for the International Feature Film Oscar, and the Austrian Film Institute\u2019s Green Filming Report. At the Forum in the Heimatsaal, the programme also included a special edition of Let\u2019s Talk About Scripts! <\/strong>with Maria Petschnig<\/strong> and Thomas Brooks<\/strong>, the FC Gloria Salon<\/strong> complete with a choral interlude, and a performative concert with Billy Roisz, dieb13, Martin Brandlmayr, and Karolina Preuschl.<\/p>\n
Traditionally, the exhibition at Kunsthaus Graz was also closely tied to the festival: Michael G\u00fclzow<\/strong>, creator of the Diagonale \u201926 trailer series<\/a>, presented his exhibition The Gate to Unreality<\/em> there, while Claudia Larcher<\/strong>\u2019s Less is more, more, more<\/em> was on view at Akademie Graz. This year, Street Cinema Graz<\/strong><\/a> was able to hold its short-film walk through the Lend district without rain, and the Cinema Next Breakfast Club<\/strong> invited young filmmakers under the title Breadless Passion(s)<\/em> to share experiences, ask questions, and think ahead together. Festivalgoers could wind down the festival days both in a relaxed atmosphere at the Diagonale Bar in the Volksgarten Pavilion \u2014 hosted by Eule Bier \u2014 and at the many premiere parties held across Graz.<\/p>\n
The wonderful festival team<\/a> once again made a significant contribution to the success of the festival in 2026 and deserve the greatest thanks!<\/p>\n
 <\/p>\n
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xxx<\/pre>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Filmwettbewerb, filmhistorische Programme, die Schienen Zum Kollektiv und In Referenz sowie das Rahmen- und Vermittlungsprogramm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":0,"parent":78522,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-96589","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96589","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=96589"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96594,"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96589\/revisions\/96594"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/78522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diagonale.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}