25th FILMZ — Festival of German Cinema
First feature film festival in Rhineland-Palatinate with current German, Austrian, and Swiss productions and audience award
About FILMZ 25
FILMZ — Festival of German Cinema is the oldest and largest feature film festival in Rhineland-Palatinate and one of Mainz's most important cultural events. Since its founding in 2001 as a volunteer initiative by film enthusiasts from the University of Mainz, it has continuously professionalized without losing its character as an audience festival with strong academic ties.
The 25th anniversary edition from November 2 to 15, 2026, spans two weeks, making the festival one of the longest-running in Germany for German-language feature film productions. Current feature films, documentaries, and short films from German-speaking countries — Germany, Austria, Switzerland — will be shown, many as Mainz or Rhineland-Palatinate premieres.
The venues are the downtown Mainz cinemas: the arthouse cinema Capitol (Neubrunnenstraße), the traditional Palatin (Frauenlobstraße), the Residenz (Adam-Karrillon-Straße), and CineStar in Mainz-Hechtsheim. This allows the festival to cover both the arthouse and multiplex spheres, reaching a broad audience.
The competition program is divided into the main feature film competition (Lichtblicke Award and Audience Award), the short film competition, and an award for emerging filmmakers for debut films. A panel of experts, including film critics, directing students, and industry representatives, decides on the Lichtblicke Awards; the Audience Award is determined by ballot cards — the audience has the final say.
Accompanying the screenings are workshop talks with directors, actors, and producers of the shown films, discussion forums on industry topics (film funding, streaming disruption, diversity in German cinema), a school program with curated film offerings for school classes, and a special focus on the 'Kultursommer', which picks up on the annual theme of the 'Kultursommer Rheinland-Pfalz' — in 2026, the Roaring Twenties.
Submissions for the feature film and short film competitions were open until June 30, 2026. The FILMZ team curates the program from the submitted entries.
FILMZ is run entirely on a volunteer basis — a core team of about 30 students, film enthusiasts, and Mainz cultural professionals organizes the festival editions.
FILMZ 25 — edition 2026
The complete program for 2026 will be published by the FILMZ team in the weeks leading up to the festival. The structure follows the proven cornerstones of previous years: Opening night on November 2 at the Capitol with the premiere of the opening film and a ceremony; over the following two weeks, daily screenings from 4 to 8, running in parallel at the four venues, each followed by a film discussion; weekends with a condensed program; concluding awards ceremony on November 15 with the Lichtblicke Awards and the Audience Award. Anniversary edition with a retrospective of 25 years of FILMZ.
Programme FILMZ 25 2026
Program Structure 2026
Opening Week (November 2-8)
- Festival opening at the Capitol with the opening film
- Start of the feature film competition at all venues
- First program blocks of the short film competition
- Workshop talks with filmmakers
Second Week (November 9-15)
- Continuation of the feature film competition
- Special series: 'Kultursommer' Roaring Twenties
- School program in the mornings
- Anniversary retrospective of 25 years of FILMZ
- Awards ceremony on November 15 with Lichtblicke Awards and Audience Award
Competitions
- Main feature film competition — Lichtblicke Award
- Audience Award (ballot cards)
- Short film competition
- Award for emerging filmmakers for debut films
Venues
- Capitol Mainz
- Palatin
- Residenz
- CineStar Mainz-Hechtsheim
Detailed program available at filmz-mainz.de.
Highlights FILMZ 25 2026
- 25th anniversary edition since 2001
- Largest feature film festival in Rhineland-Palatinate
- Feature films from Germany, Austria, Switzerland
- Lichtblicke Award and Audience Award
- Workshop talks with filmmakers
- Special series: 'Kultursommer' Roaring Twenties
- Retrospective of 25 years of FILMZ
Prices FILMZ 25 2026
Practical information — FILMZ 25
Venues
Capitol Mainz (Neubrunnenstraße 9, 55116 Mainz), Palatin (Frauenlobstraße 47), Residenz (Adam-Karrillon-Straße 10), CineStar Mainz-Hechtsheim (Robert-Bosch-Straße). Program focuses are spread across the downtown cinemas; short film programs and accompanying events are often held at the Capitol.
Date 2026
Monday, November 2 to Sunday, November 15, 2026.
Tickets
Single tickets and festival passes available at filmz-mainz.de. Single ticket prices range from approximately 9 to 11 Euros, with concessions for schoolchildren, students, and seniors. Festival passes for multiple screenings offer a discount.
Competitions
Feature film competition with Lichtblicke Award and Audience Award. Short film competition. Award for emerging filmmakers for debut films. Submissions closed on June 30, 2026.
Accompanying Program
Workshop talks with filmmakers, discussion forums, school program, special series on the 'Kultursommer' theme of the Roaring Twenties.
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