Florian Hoffmann, one of the three board members of Filminitiative Würzburg e.V., sums up the 51st edition of the traditional event: “The momentum that the film festival gained from its 50th anniversary last year also boosted this year’s edition. With around 8,000 tickets sold, we were able to match last year’s figures, even though we had one less movie theater available. We are particularly pleased with the interest shown in our thematic focus on flight and migration. In the festival films on this topic, the focus was always on people and their experiences and feelings – in view of today’s debates, it is so important and valuable that these stories are told and perceived.”
The most-watched film at the 51st International Film Weekend was the Italian comedy Un mondo a parte. The most popular documentary was Black Box Diaries – the Japanese production is nominated for an Oscar this year. Overall, the occupancy rate was very high at 76 percent. For four days, the festival base in the Maschinenhaus on the Bürgerbräu grounds presented itself as a vibrant meeting place for film enthusiasts from Würzburg and the surrounding area as well as filmmakers from all over the world.
Prominent guests such as actress Antje Traue and director Andreas Dresen met other international artists and filmmakers from the arthouse and documentary film genres, as well as an enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience. “This exchange is what makes the film weekend so special,” adds Florian Hofmann. “I felt such a warm and open atmosphere on the festival grounds and noticed such a joy in conversation after the films – it is precisely for these encounters between filmmakers and audiences that the film weekend is organized year after year.”
The 100 or so employees are now looking forward to a break, but preparations for the next festival will begin in just a few months. The 52nd Wuerzburg International Film Festival will take place from January 29 to February 1, 2026.
And here are the winners of each category:
BEST FEATURE FILM
- Nawi by Apuu Mourine, Vallentine Chelluget, Tobias and Kevin Schmutzler (2,500 Euro from VR-Bank Würzburg)
- Long Good Thursday by Mika Kaurismäki
- Gina by Ulrike Kofler
BEST DOCUMENTARY
- Einhundertvier by Jonathan Schörnig (2,500 Euro from Sparkasse Mainfranken Würzburg)
- Black Box Diaries by Shiori Ito
- Balomania by Sissel Morell Dargis
BEST SHORT FILM
- Die letzte Wette by Meike Wüstenberg (500 Euro from Midlife Club)
- In the Shadow of the Cypress by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani (500 Euro from Midlife Club)
We are pleased to announce that we were able to secure three late show dates for the matinée on Sunday, February 9, at Central im Bürgerbräu. This means that at least some of those who missed out in this year’s rush will be able to get another taste of the festival atmosphere. The audience favorites Nawi (1st place, feature films), the documentary winner Einhundertvier and the Best-of-Short-Films will be screened.