The festival gems of the season
We embark on an expedition through the international festivalscape and take a look at jury and audience favorites: which films received accolades and qualified for the main award shows in the past few months? Which films premiered at the big festivals and have then been successful in the festival circuit? If you want to know the answers to these questions, you will be delighted to watch our several Best Of The Fests-programs, studded with this season’s festival gems.
© The Woman whose Head was an Asteroid (Ganaël Dumreicher)
The program Make a Wish unfolds a panorama between longing, self-determination and cosmic connection at the MQ Open Air. Echoes of the City explores Vienna through moments from the lives of young people, while Strange Memories gathers the animations of artist-in-residence Nicolas Brault. In addition, Animation Day features Best of the Animation Fests at the MQ Open Air, along with three further highlight programs at Milieukino. For award-winning cinema from major festivals, Best of the Fests is the perfect choice, while for audience favorites and the winning films of Vienna Shorts 2026, check out The Audience Favorites and The Award-Winning Films on the festival Sunday.