36th International Film Festival Emden-Norderney

One of Germany's most important film festivals

Since its founding in 1990, the International Film Festival Emden-Norderney has developed into one of Germany's most significant film festivals. The combination of the East Frisian port city and the North Sea island as a dual venue is unique in the European festival calendar: while screenings take place in Emden at the Forum of the Volkshochschule, in the Nordseehalle, at CineStar Emden, and other venues, Norderney offers its own island program with screenings at the Kurtheater and on the open-air Kurplatz.

Programmatic Focus

The festival presents a diverse program: the competition features both German and international feature films, as well as documentaries and short films. In addition, there are retrospectives, thematic series, film discussions, workshops, and an extensive accompanying program with workshops and discussions. Outstanding films are honored with the Bernhard Wicki Film Prize "Die Brücke – Der Friedenspreis des Deutschen Films" (The Bridge – The Peace Film Award of German Film), the NDR Film Prize, and other awards.

Norderney – Island in the Festival Program

On Norderney, the festival offers its own program of 23 films, presented at the Kurtheater and on the open-air Kurplatz. The island atmosphere, the proximity to the sea, and the special audience make the Norderney venue one of the most charming festival locations in the country. Many filmmakers travel to Norderney for their films and are available for audience discussions there.

International Guests, Regional Audience

The film festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, bringing together international filmmakers and a loyal regular audience from East Frisia, the Bremen region, and all of Northern Germany. Tickets for the festival are usually available through the official festival ticketing system from mid-May.