Dear friends of German cinema,

October is bringing something special to Vancouver this year: German cinema is taking centre stage at the 2026 Vancouver International Film Festival.

From October 1 to 11, VIFF will bring audiences an impressive international program of films, filmmaker conversations, live events and industry sessions. For its 45th edition, the festival has chosen to put a particular spotlight on Germany with “Focus on New German Cinema: Extreme Tension.”

For us, this is an exciting opportunity to look beyond the familiar names and discover a new generation of German filmmakers — voices that are exploring contemporary Germany with fresh perspectives, distinctive cinematic languages and stories that often refuse easy answers.

And there is even more to discover: the German presence at VIFF extends far beyond the dedicated Focus. German productions and co-productions appear throughout the festival program, from Panorama and Showcase to Special Presentations, Vanguard, Short Forum and experimental sections.

So, if you are in Vancouver this October, we strongly encourage you to take a closer look at what German cinema has to offer.

And we have a little something to make that even more tempting: thanks to the generous support of Westcoast German News, we have four free VIFF admission codes to give away. The first people to comment on our social media posts on Instagram or Facebook will receive a free admission code!

Enjoy the festival — and enjoy discovering German cinema!

Warmly,

Your team at the German Consulate General Vancouver