Biberach Film Festival

A Festival with History

The Biberach Film Festival is one of Germany's oldest film festivals for German-language cinema. Founded in 1979 by filmmaker Adrian Kutter, it has spent almost five decades building a reputation as a festival that seeks dialogue between filmmakers, critics, and audiences — away from the red carpet of the major industry events. The organizer is the Biberacher Filmfestspiele e.V. association, and Douglas Wolfsperger has been the artistic director for years.

Six Competition Categories

Unlike many festivals, the Biberach Film Festival clearly separates formats and awards prizes in six categories: Feature films over 60 minutes, debut feature films, TV films, documentaries, medium-length films between 31 and 59 minutes, and short films up to 30 minutes. Eight "Filmfest-Biber" awards are presented — the main prize being the Golden Biber for Best Feature Film, endowed with €8,000. In addition, there are awards for the best debut, best TV film and documentary, the audience award, and a student award.

Submission Phase and Selection

The submission phase for the 48th edition runs from March 9 to July 31, 2026. German-language productions and co-productions with at least one German-based production company are eligible. The films must be no older than two years and must not have been published online. An expert selection jury reviews the submissions and compiles the program.

Biberach an der Riß — Upper Swabia in Film Fever

Biberach an der Riß is the district capital of the Biberach district and is located in Upper Swabia in the state of Baden-Württemberg. With just under 35,000 inhabitants, an almost completely preserved medieval old town, the market square with the Schwanen Pharmacy, and the Stadthalle — Biberach has the right setting for a festival that focuses on encounters rather than mass crowds. For five days, the town belongs to filmmakers and their audiences.