Wiesbaden/Frankfurt, 30 January 2026
Following a quarter-century full of cinematic highlights from Central and Eastern Europe, goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film returns for its 26th edition from 21 to 27 April in Wiesbaden, Germany – for the first time under the direction of Rebecca Heiler.
Every year since its inception, goEast Film Festival, hosted by DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, has transformed the Hessian state capital of Wiesbaden into one of the most internationally significant venues for cinema from Central and Eastern Europe. With a program consisting of film screenings and accompanying events, goEast’s reach extends far beyond its regional audience, attracting communities with histories of migration from Eastern Europe all across Germany and industry guests from the international film sector alike. This year, the film festival will once again be showcasing current cinematic art from Central and Eastern Europe and providing a platform for the discussion of social and political issues in the midst of a geopolitical situation that remains extremely tense. As a project of DFF, the festival also places particular emphasis on film-historical programs, such as the annual Symposium: in collaboration with archives from Germany and abroad, goEast renders the cinema heritage of Central and Eastern Europe visible. In keeping with tradition, in 2026 all of the festival’s special programs will once again be carefully assembled by qualified guest curators and cinema experts. In the scope of the goEast Symposium, curated by Borjana Gaković, the worlds of filmmaking and film scholarship intermingle, while the Competition section features screenings of contemporary cinema from Central and Eastern Europe, with the filmmakers in attendance. The short film format also features heavily as always, in the scope of multiple programs. Finally, the East-West Talent Lab offers active support for up-and-coming documentary film professionals from Central and Eastern Europe.
Focus on: Revolution!
After three years of experimental programming exploring the potential of its “Cinema Archipelago” concept, goEast now turns its attention to a clear thematic rallying cry: “Revolution!” This motto both serves to give shape to the upcoming festival edition and, for the first time, unites almost all sections under a common focus – with the exceptions of the International Competition and East-West Talent Lab. Throughout all of the other programming areas – particularly in the Symposium – connections to the theme of revolution will be apparent. Although Central and Eastern Europe as well as the post-Soviet space have been marked by protest movements and political upheavals for decades, up until now goEast had yet to explicitly devote an edition of the Symposium to this particular range of topics. The expansion of the focus to encompass several programs continues the tradition established in recent years of pursuing cross-sectional programmatic lines in the accompanying program.
But why “Revolution!” of all things? In view of current political developments and sustained protest movements in countries like Georgia, Ukraine, Serbia, Bulgaria or Lithuania, goEast’s 2026 edition will shed light on the phenomenon of “revolution” from various perspectives. The focus here is also on the rich revolutionary history of Central and Eastern Europe, beginning with the liberation of the Balkans from Ottoman rule and extending to the Russian Revolution, the Solidarność movement, the Peaceful Revolution, the Velvet Revolution, the Orange Revolution, all the way to the Revolution of Dignity. How an attempted coup or a popular uprising is interpreted depends largely on its outcome and the perspective of the particular observer. Festival attendees can already look forward to a high-quality program. The Focus is made possible with the generous support of Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain.
Festival Motif, Visual Identity and Trailer by Zuza Banasińska
Revolutions have many things in common: strong emotions, courage, the desire to leave the old behind and dare to attempt the new, but also uncertainty. Everything happens very fast, without any clarity regarding what will emerge from the process. This moment, the state of suspension between stasis and radical change, is the key inspiration behind the 2026 festival motif.
This visual was created by Polish filmmaker Zuza Banasińska, who will also be realising this year’s goEast trailer. In her trailer, Banasińska intends to play with the tension between stagnation and the simultaneous movement of time. Banasińska received the Rhine-Main Short Film Award in 2025 for her film GRANDMAMAUNTSISTERCAT (NDL, POL 2024). Her work has also received multiple international awards outside of goEast.
The realisation of the trailer is made possible through a co-operation with the Polish Institute Düsseldorf, which is also providing generous support for the program detailed below.
“Sto lat!” – Celebrating Andrzej Wajda’s 100th Birthday
The eminent Polish director Andrzej Wajda would have turned 100 in March 2026. His life was characterised by resistance to repression. Wajda’s father was murdered in Katyn in 1940 by Soviet special forces of the NKVD. During the German occupation of Poland, Wajda himself attended an underground school for a time. These experiences, along with his political engagement, are reflected in many of his films – in a way that spoke directly to people: MAN OF IRON was seen by more than five million cinemagoers in Poland in the space of just under five months, before the film was banned on 13 December 1981 (with the declaration of martial law by the communist regime). To mark the filmmaker’s 100th birthday, goEast is devoting a special program to the work of Andrzej Wajda, featuring films which revolve around the central theme of political resistance. Plans for the program include screenings of the following works: KANAŁ (POL 1957), MAN OF IRON (POL 1981) and DANTON (FRA/POL/DEU 1982).
Applications Currently Open for East-West Talent Lab (Deadline: 24 February)
The East-West Talent Lab, which takes places this year from 24 to 27 April in Wiesbaden, has firmly established itself within the international film industry. Former participants have gone on to receive nominations for the European Film Award, and East-West Talent Lab alumni take part with their films in major cinema forums such as the Berlinale or IDFA. For instance, the documentary film SACRED SONGS (GEO 2026), which first gained momentum in the scope of the East-West Talent Lab, has just been honoured at the sixteenth edition of the international co-production forum “When East Meets West” (WEMW) in Trieste.
In 2025, goEast is once again supporting emerging filmmakers and up-and-coming producers from Central and Eastern Europe, by connecting them with one another and with peers from Hesse and the rest of Germany. The emphasis of the program, led by Andrea Wink since its inception, once again lies on non-fiction and documentary formats. From now until Tuesday, 24 February, filmmakers from Central and Eastern Europe can submit their project ideas in development. Producers from Central and Eastern Europe as well as Germany without a current project can also apply to participate in the East-West Talent Lab. In 2026, the Lab will once again feature two awards: the Renovabis Research Grant, endowed with 3,500 euros, for a documentary film project treating human rights and/or minority rights, and the Pitch-the-Doc Award, featuring a training package for the support of project development, valued at 500 euros. Participants can look forward to a full four-day program consisting of a masterclass, workshops and opportunities to network with television editors and funding institutions, as well as diverse film screenings.
You can find images related to the festival in our download section.
The full program for the 26th edition of goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film will be revealed in March.
goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film is hosted by DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum and made possible with the support of numerous partners. Primary funding partners are HessenFilm und Medien GmbH, the State Capital Wiesbaden, Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain, the Federal Foundation for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Germany, the solidarity initiative of the German Catholics with the people of Central and Eastern Europe Renovabis and the Polish Institute Düsseldorf.
Primary media partners include 3sat, Deutschlandfunk Kultur and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.