Anyone who would like to be part of the anniversary program at FILMZ – Festival of German Cinema has the opportunity to submit films for the various competition sections from March 1 to June 30. For the first time this year, there will also be a competition for short documentaries, adding another facet to FILMZ's already comprehensive short film program. Submissions are possible for eight competition sections: 

• Feature film; documentary film; medium-length film (20–70 minutes)
• Short film (up to 20 minutes)
• Local short film (Rhine-Main region)
• andersARTig (unusual short films)
• Animated short film (up to 20 minutes)
• Short documentary film (up to 20 minutes)

In addition to the new competition for short documentaries, experimental films can also be submitted for the first time – these will not be shown as part of the competitions, but as part of an exhibition at the Kunsthalle Mainz. All information on film submissions can be found at www.filmz-mainz.de/einreichen (opens in a new tab).

The submission period for script pitching at FILMZ – Festival of German Cinema runs from March 1 to May 31 this year. The festival is looking for particularly original stories; there are no restrictions on content. Projects of all lengths and genres are eligible. Authors can send their drafts by email to
pitchingfilmz-mainzde. Only PDF files will be accepted.

FILMZ brought cinema fans together in 2025, not only during the festival in November, but also with numerous events throughout the year. The association is continuing this tradition in its anniversary year. 

After welcoming more than 2,000 visitors last year and even selling out some of the film screenings beyond capacity, the open-air cinema in the courtyard of the State Museum is in an excellent position to enter its third round in 2026. It is planned for the period from August 28 to September 6, which means it will run for one weekend longer than last year, for a total of ten days. Thematically, the "Film Nights Under the Stars" will once again be based on the theme of the Rhineland-Palatinate Culture Summer: "The Golden Twenties."

In addition, the Muschelkino cinema will return to the Johannes Gutenberg University campus on April 7. After more than 3,000 people took advantage of the free cinema program in 2025, FILMZ wants to attract as many students and film lovers as possible to the Muschel in the coming summer semester. To ensure that there is something for everyone, FILMZ is once again offering a weekly program that impresses with the diversity of the selected films. 

But even beyond classic film screenings, FILMZ is continuing its program from last year: After three sold-out evenings last year, the FILMQUIZTOUR will continue in 2026, visiting various bars, cafés, and pubs in Mainz. As usual, admission remains free.

Several other program highlights and innovations to mark the anniversary will be unveiled during the festival in November. The association as organizer and the state capital Mainz as host of FILMZ – Festival of German Cinema are looking forward to the anniversary edition of the festival and the opportunity to celebrate this special collaboration in style. 

"The success story of FILMZ is undeniably one of the greatest cultural achievements in our city. And all this is thanks to the constant commitment, inventiveness, and passion with which the many volunteers work to promote a diverse and active film and cinema scene. Celebrating this extensively for several months with the organizers and visitors is absolutely appropriate, and we are of course very happy to support the association and the program."
Ata Delbasteh, Head of Culture and Education for the state capital of Mainz

In order to expand the proven program for the anniversary with new ideas and offerings, the state capital of Mainz is supporting the 25th edition of FILMZ – Festival of German Cinema with a special grant of 10,000 euros. 

"We are truly more than grateful to the city for its additional funding in this anniversary year. It gives us planning security and enables us to further develop what is already well-known and establish new things. We feel the trust and are very pleased about the city's continuous support over the years. Without the appropriate backing, a film culture program of this size and diversity would not be feasible."
Elisa Wäckerle, festival director and 1st chair of FILMZ e.V.

To mark its anniversary year, FILMZ is supplementing its already extensive year-round program with additional new projects.
In collaboration with the Capitol, a special film screening will take place once a month, either on Saturday mornings or late evenings: Films that will themselves be celebrating an anniversary in 2026 will be shown. The admission prices for the "anniversary cinema" are based on the rest of the FILMZ program and are, as usual, reasonably priced at 9 euros, or 7 euros with a discount. The series kicks off on April 18 at 10:00 a.m. 

In addition, FILMZ 2026 is collaborating with the Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) to create another open-air cinema on campus – the "Container Cinema." It will open on April 30, 2026, in the eponymous RMU container on the campus forecourt of Johannes Gutenberg University. Film lovers can then pack their picnic blankets and enjoy great cinema together in a cozy atmosphere on selected Thursdays from 8 p.m. – completely free of charge!
Further information on films and dates for both series will follow shortly on filmz-mainz.de (opens in a new tab) and on FILMZ's social media channels. 

"With our new film series, we want to create even more visibility for film and cinema in our anniversary year, both in the city center and on campus. At the same time, we want to bring cinema culture to life throughout Mainz and throughout the year. Of course, this is not possible without suitable partners. We are therefore all the more delighted that RMU and Capitol are supporting us on this journey."
Marvin Leidel, Festival Director and 3rd Chairman of FILMZ e.V.

FILMZ e.V. celebrates cinema culture for everyone and brings it to Mainz through FILMZ – Festival of German Cinema in November, the open-air cinema at the Landesmuseum, the Muschelkino on the campus of Johannes Gutenberg University, and a wide variety of other events throughout the year. 

Since its founding in 2001, FILMZ has been organized on a purely voluntary basis and therefore thrives in particular on the dedicated commitment of its members and helpers, who work throughout the year to provide film lovers with a great film culture program.

The association's largest project has always been FILMZ – Festival of German Cinema, which, as the oldest feature film festival in Rhineland-Palatinate, has been presenting current productions from German and German-language cinema in Mainz every year since 2001 and is an established fixture in the supra-regional cultural landscape. 

FILMZ sees itself as a place of exchange and encounter: not only through its program, which aims to create as many perspectives and visibility as possible, but also through its format as a public festival. The winners of the eight competitions are therefore decided democratically by the festival audience itself. 

The festival program is expanded by various film series and a varied supporting program. Since 2009, the state capital of Mainz has been the official organizer of the festival, while the FILMZ e.V. association organizes and hosts the festival. FILMZ e.V. is a member of the AG Filmfestival and the Bundesverband kommunaler Filmarbeit e.V. (Federal Association of Municipal Film Work).