Federal Festival of Young Film

A Festival with a Clear Profile

Founded in 2018 by Jörn Michaely (artistic director) and Fabian Roschy (organizational director), the Federal Festival of Young Film has become one of Germany's most important short film festivals in just a few years. The initial idea: a festival that exclusively values filmmakers under 30 — a gap that actually existed in the German festival landscape. The premiere in 2018 already attracted 2,200 visitors, and by 2019, it was 6,079.

The Organizer: junger Film e.V.

The festival is organized by the association junger Film e.V., in close cooperation with the City of St. Ingbert. The city finances significant parts of the festival from its municipal cultural budget — a remarkable cultural policy investment of this magnitude for a city with just under 36,000 inhabitants. In 2021, the festival received the Saarländischer Staatspreis für Design for its visual identity.

Competition Structure and Prizes

The festival awards a total of €15,000 in prize money in several categories:

• Main Prize — best short film in the main competition blocks (films up to 30 minutes)
• Audience Award — voted by festival visitors
• Screenplay Award — best screenplay
• Sustainability Award — film with a special contribution to ecological/social sustainability
• Newcomer Award for filmmakers under 21 (since 2021)
• Series Award for web and streaming series (since 2022)
• Music Video Award for the best music videos
• Award for experimental films (since 2026)

Venues and Festival Atmosphere

The festival is spread across several venues in St. Ingbert's city center. The highlight is the open-air cinema on the market square — a large screen under the open sky, classic festival chairs, summer evening, accompanied by a festival mile with food trucks, bars, and lounge areas. The filmmakers themselves are often present, allowing for film talks with the audience after the screenings.

2026 — Motto „Out of the Box"

The 9th edition is under the motto „Out of the Box". 52 films were selected from around 450 submissions. The opening film in 2026 is Non-Lieux by Adrian Sagolla, Marius Schwingel, and Diana Westphal — a film about solidarity and self-empowerment. New for 2026: The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday evening in the open-air cinema for the first time, followed directly by the winning films on the big screen.

Six Competition Blocks and Special Formats

The main selection of 52 films is divided into six thematic competition blocks, plus special formats:

• Music Video Competition
• Newcomer Competition (filmmakers under 21)
• Competition for Experimental Films
• Workshops and School Programs
• Collaborations with other festivals (including Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis in Saarbrücken)

St. Ingbert and the Saarpfalz District

St. Ingbert is centrally located in the Saarpfalz district, on the border between Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate. The city has a vibrant cultural scene, a well-known music scene (the industrial music album field), and has established a nationally significant festival profile with the Federal Festival of Young Film. Anyone who wants to see indie short films in Germany should come to St. Ingbert in June.