Fantasy Filmfest Berlin

Germany's most important genre film festival

Founded in 1987, the Fantasy Filmfest has been one of Europe's most important genre film festivals ever since. Unlike most German film festivals, it is designed as a touring festival: every September, the festival tours seven German cities, with each city hosting its own festival week. Berlin has been a regular venue for the Berlin leg for many years.

Zoo Palast at Bahnhof Zoo

In Berlin, the festival traditionally takes place at the Zoo Palast – one of Berlin's most historic and beautiful cinemas, located at Hardenbergstraße 29a near Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten (Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district). Opened in 1957, this premiere cinema with its 1100-seat main auditorium and several smaller screening rooms provides an ideal stage for a festival that aims to combine mass appeal with curatorial sharpness.

Program: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Mystery

Each edition features around 40 feature films and 10 short films. The program is curated by the festival director and his team from major international genre film festivals (Sitges, Frightfest, BIFAN, Sundance, SXSW). The focus is on horror, thriller, science fiction, mystery, fantasy, and crime. Many films have their German premiere at the Fantasy Filmfest.

40th Anniversary and "Nights" as a Preview

In 2026, the Fantasy Filmfest will celebrate its 40th anniversary. As a preview, the Fantasy Filmfest Nights will be held in spring 2026 – a condensed format featuring selected highlights, such as "Good Boy" by Jan Komasa, "Nightborn" by Hanna Bergholm, "Obsession" by Curry Barker, "Whistle" by Corin Hardy, and "Rosebush Pruning" by Karim Aïnouz. The organizer is Rosebud Entertainment.