Film Festival Max Ophüls Prize: Over 1,250 applications for 2026!

Film Festival Max Ophüls Prize: Over 1,250 applications for 2026!

Today, November 3rd, 2025, there is something exciting in the air: The Max Ophüls Prize film festival, which will take place in Saarbrücken from January 19th to 25th, 2026, has successfully closed the application period for film projects. The numbers speak for themselves – there were a total of 1,265 submissions from filmmakers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, an increase of around 100 entries compared to the previous year Time reported. This great response shows the lively filmmaking in the region and beyond the country's borders.

The festival's curatorial team has already started reviewing the submitted works. Around 120 projects will be selected in the coming festival week. The winners will receive prize money totaling 120,000 euros. At the last edition of the festival in January 2023, the organizers were able to benefit from almost 37,000 visitors and over 33,000 tickets sold, which corresponds to an impressive occupancy rate of 80 percent.

Variety of competitions

Particularly worth mentioning is the opening of all competition categories for animated films. This decision aims to give more visibility to animated films, especially in the short film sector, according to information from S.R. The number of approved short films is to be increased to around 25 to 28, which could bring a breath of fresh air to the program. In the feature film categories, however, the number of films will be reduced by one place, so that twelve feature films and ten documentary films will be included in the competition in the future.

Particular attention is also paid to the “SaarLorLux” series, which is intended to promote filmmaking in the greater region. The following sections are required for the competition formats:

• Spielfilm (ab ca. 70 Minuten)
• Dokumentarfilm (ab ca. 70 Minuten)
• Mittellanger Film (ca. 25 bis 70 Minuten)
• Kurzfilm (bis ca. 25 Minuten)

The submission deadline for the competitions ended on October 31, 2025, and for side series on September 30, 2025. Further information about online submission can be found on the festival's homepage.

The German cinema market is on the upswing

The lively participation in the festival also reflects the positive development of the German cinema market. Loud FFA the current market data is promising. The availability of information on cinema attendance, sales and market shares shows the upswing in the industry. The FFA also offers monthly updated film hit lists and studies that provide insights into viewer behavior.

With a clear focus on quality and creativity, the Max Ophüls Prize film festival is once again positioning itself as a central platform for emerging film talent. Ticket sales for the upcoming edition will begin on December 20, 2025. Be there when the region's best new films are presented!