Filmfest Hamburg

Hamburg's International Film Festival

Since 1992, Filmfest Hamburg has been the most important film festival event in the Hanseatic city. Over ten days around October 3rd, the festival screens about 70 feature films and documentaries in five Hamburg arthouse cinemas – a carefully curated program that consciously distinguishes itself from mainstream highlights.

Hamburg's Arthouse Cinemas as the Festival's Heart

The venues are the central Hamburg arthouse cinemas:

• Abaton (Allende-Platz, Rotherbaum)
• CinemaxX Dammtor
• Metropolis (Neustadt)
• Passage (Mönckebergstraße)
• Studio-Kino (Altona)

The festival distributes these across the districts of Hamburg-Mitte, Eimsbüttel, and Altona – with focal points in St. Georg and Rotherbaum.

Political, Auteur-Oriented Cinema

For over three decades, Filmfest Hamburg has maintained a clear profile: international auteur cinema, politically accented, with distinct focuses on Latin America, Asia, and Eastern European cinema. Several competition sections award prizes, and many directors travel to Hamburg for premieres.

October 3rd – Free Admission for Hamburg Residents

A tradition that makes the festival special: On German Unity Day, October 3rd, Hamburg residents get free admission to all events as long as seats are available. A gift to the city – and a day when the cinema halls are, as experience shows, packed to the rafters.