Filmfest Aachen (2nd Edition)

Filmfest Aachen — a young voice in the NRW festival calendar

Filmfest Aachen launched in 2025 with its premiere edition — 2026 marks the 2nd edition. With the self-image of "Film culture at eye level", the festival positions itself as a curated platform for sophisticated cinema from around the world — consciously separate from the major industry festivals (Berlinale, Cannes), as a regionally anchored and internationally curious film festival.

Six sections — curated diversity

The 2026 program is divided into six curated sections:

• Competition — 8 international films from 7 countries (Australia, Germany, Georgia, Finland, Japan, Cuba, Greece)
• Focus: Fragments of Resistance — 5 politically and socially engaged films
• Abseits: Dystopia — 7 dystopian feature films between experimental cinema and genre
• Shorts — three thematic short film programs
• Öcher Competition — competition for local and regional submissions from the Aachen region
• Midnight Screenings — late-night program slots for bold, controversial, or experimental cinema

Additionally, a Specials section presents retrospectives and politically engaged films, complemented by a Discussion Panel titled "Notes on the End of the World" — reflections on crisis, apocalypse, and societal fractures in cinema.

Apollo Cinema on Pontstraße

The Apollo Cinema on Pontstraße is one of the most important art-house cinemas in Aachen — a traditional cinema with several screens, showing sophisticated art-house films, international festivals, and special events. For Filmfest Aachen, the Apollo is the central venue for all five festival days. Pontstraße is Aachen's main hub for pubs and students — an ideal location for a festival that appeals to the city's student character.

2nd Edition — more days, more films, more program

The 2nd edition in 2026 runs longer than the premiere — five festival days (opening night + 4 days) with over 45 slots, at least 30 films. More than 1,000 visitors are expected. This establishes Filmfest Aachen as one of the most important film festival destinations in western Germany — alongside the International Film Festival Dortmund/Cologne, the Duisburg Film Week, and the Cologne Short Film Festival.

Aachen as a festival city

Aachen, with about 250,000 inhabitants, is one of the most significant university cities in western Germany — home to RWTH Aachen University with over 47,000 students, Aachen University of Applied Sciences, and several cultural institutions. Filmfest Aachen complements the cultural landscape with a dedicated international film program — and makes Pontstraße a meeting point for cinephiles, filmmakers, and students for a week.