Fünf Seen Filmfestival
Eleven-day film festival around the five lakes southwest of Munich
About Fünf Seen Filmfestival
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A Film Festival with Five Lakes as its Stage
The Fünf Seen Filmfestival (FSFF) was founded in 2007 and sees itself as a regionally rooted auteur and audience festival. Instead of a single cinema palace, an entire landscape serves as the venue: the five lakes in the southwestern Landkreis Starnberg – Starnberger See, Ammersee, Pilsensee, Wörthsee, and Wesslinger See. The main venues are the three Kinos Breitwand in Gauting (festival headquarters), Starnberg, and Seefeld, supplemented by open-air screenings under the stars at castles, monasteries, and on the lake shores.
Between Competition and Encounters
The program includes feature films, documentaries, and short films in competition, as well as numerous premieres, preview screenings, and retrospectives. Filmmakers travel in large numbers every year: directors, actors, and producers personally present their films, with extensive audience discussions, workshop formats, and an unusually relaxed atmosphere for a festival. The festival has been directed by Matthias Helwig since its inception, who also runs the three Breitwand cinemas.
20th Anniversary Edition 2026
The 20th edition will take place from September 3rd to 13th, 2026. The Call for Entries is open, and submissions for feature films, documentaries, and short films can be made via the festival platform fsff.de. The full program will be released in the summer of 2026.
Fünfseenland in Upper Bavaria
The festival is located between Munich and the Alps, about a 20-minute S-Bahn ride (S6 or S8) from Munich's city center. The Fünfseenland, with its castles, villas, and lake shores, has been a retreat for Munich's art and culture scene since the 19th century – the festival builds on this tradition, making the region a meeting point for the German-speaking film industry every September, beyond the Berlinale and Filmfest München.
Fünf Seen Filmfestival — edition 2026
Eleven Days of Cinema in the Fünfseenland
The 2026 anniversary edition runs from September 3rd to 13th at the three main venues: Breitwand Gauting, Breitwand Starnberg, and Breitwand Seefeld, as well as at other locations around Starnberger See, Ammersee, Wörthsee, Pilsensee, and Wesslinger See.
The festival continues to be directed by Matthias Helwig, who oversees the feature film, documentary, and short film sections. The full program – film selection, screening times, and guests – will be released in the summer of 2026.
Programme Fünf Seen Filmfestival 2026
2026 Sections
As of May 2026 (Call for Entries), the following competition sections are confirmed; the exact film selection will be announced in the summer of 2026.
- Feature Film Competition – selected feature films from German-speaking and international arthouse cinema
- Documentary Competition – current documentary productions
- Short Film Competition – short films up to approx. 30 min
- Open-Air Program – selected films under the open sky at the lake shore and at historic venues
- Retrospectives, Preview Screenings, Discussions – filmmakers personally present their work
Venues
- Kino Breitwand Gauting (Bahnhofplatz 2)
- Kino Breitwand Starnberg
- Kino Breitwand Seefeld
- Open-air venues in the Fünfseenland (castles, monasteries, lake shores)
Full festival program and tickets from summer 2026 at fsff.de.
Highlights Fünf Seen Filmfestival 2026
- 20th anniversary edition of the festival
- Eleven days of cinema at multiple venues in the Fünfseenland
- Feature film, documentary, and short film competition
- Personal appearances by numerous filmmakers with workshop formats
- Open-air cinema at historic castles and lake shores
Prices Fünf Seen Filmfestival 2026
Single tickets and festival passes are available via the official festival platform and the box offices of the Breitwand cinemas. Exact pricing tiers will be published in the summer of 2026 along with the program. Discounts for pupils, students, seniors, and filmmakers are traditionally offered.
Practical information — Fünf Seen Filmfestival
Getting There
By S-Bahn from Munich: S6 to Gauting (15 min from Hauptbahnhof), S8 to Seefeld-Hechendorf, BOB to Starnberg. By car: A95 or B2 towards Starnberg, Gauting, Seefeld.
Venues
Main venues are the Kinos Breitwand in Gauting (Bahnhofplatz 2), Starnberg, and Seefeld; further screenings take place depending on the program in Tutzing, Andechs, Herrsching, and Wessling.
Tickets
Single tickets and festival passes are available via fsff.de and at the box offices of the Breitwand cinemas. Discounts are available for pupils, students, seniors, and filmmakers.
Accreditation
Press and industry accreditations are possible through the festival office ([email protected], +49 89 89501005).
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Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Fünf Seen Filmfestival al mejor precio.
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