22nd Festival of German Film Ludwigshafen

Parkinsel as a Festival Backdrop

Parkinsel is a peninsula on the Rhine in southern Ludwigshafen and one of the most beautiful urban natural areas along the river. During the festival weeks, a self-contained festival landscape is created here: the large open-air cinema with a view of the water, several seated film tents with sound-insulated construction, lounge and gastronomy areas.

22 Years of History

The festival was founded in 2005 and has since become the most important German-language film festival with an exclusive focus on German cinema. It fills a gap between the major international festivals (Berlinale, Venice, Cannes) and regional film festivals, giving German feature films their own stage in late summer.

More Than 100,000 Visitors Per Year

With over 100,000 visitors in recent years, the festival is one of the most visited film festivals in the German-speaking world. The mix of a sophisticated program, open-air cinema atmosphere, and culinary-festive surroundings attracts a broad audience from the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region and beyond.

Program Structure

The program typically includes competition entries with awards ceremony, premieres, classic series, film discussions with directors and actors, industry panels, and special programs. Films are shown partly as festival premieres, partly shortly before or after their regular cinema release.

Submissions and Program Announcement

Submissions for the 22nd edition are ongoing. The complete program – film selection, sections, premiere dates – is traditionally published by the festival management in the summer of 2026, a few weeks before the festival begins. Current information is available at festival-des-deutschen-films.de and via the online ticket shop tickets.fflu.de.