Hamburg International Queer Film Festival (HIQFF)

Germany's oldest and largest queer film festival

Since 1989 – then still under the name Lesbisch Schwule Filmtage Hamburg – HIQFF has been one of the most important dates in Germany's queer cultural scene. It is the country's oldest and largest queer film festival and is also one of the most respected international addresses for LGBTQIA+ cinema.

Program: Feature Film, Documentary, Short Film

Over six days, the festival screens more than 100 films from around the world – from prominent festival hits to works not otherwise shown in Germany. The program sections include:

• International Feature Film Competition
• Documentary Film Section
• Short Film Programs
• Retrospectives and Thematic Focuses
• Film talks with filmmakers and actors

Several Hamburg Cinemas

Venues have included Kampnagel, the Metropolis Cinema, the Zeise Cinemas in Ottensen, the Lichtmess Cinema, and other Hamburg art-house cinemas for years. The opening and closing ceremonies traditionally take place in the largest halls – often followed by a festival party.

Push-Up Club and Querbild e.V.

The organizer is Querbild e.V., which also provides political and cultural support for the festival. Over 350 members of the Push-Up Club support the festival with annual contributions – an important pillar of financing alongside Hamburg's cultural funding. Around 15,500 visitors per year make HIQFF one of the city's most attended film festivals.

In the Altona District

The festival office is located at Schanzenstraße 45 – right in the Altona district, in the Schanzenviertel. Program, tickets, and film details for 2026 will be published in the weeks before the festival on hiqff.de. Advance ticket sales typically started about two weeks before the festival began.