Kurzfilmfestival Köln — KFFK Edition 20

Twenty Years of Short Films in Cologne

The KFFK Kurzfilmfestival Köln is a fixture in the German short film scene. Since 2006, the festival has been held annually in Cologne's Südstadt; the 20th anniversary edition will take place from November 23 to 29, 2026. For seven days, the Filmhaus Kino on Maybachstraße 111 will become a meeting place for the German short film scene—with competitions, Q&A sessions, industry meetings, and an audience that regularly sells out the festival venues.

Four Competition Sections

The heart of the festival is the German competition, divided into four sections: Narrative Feature Film, Documentary, Animation, and Experimental Film. Films up to 45 minutes long can be submitted—the submission phase for 2026 opens in April and closes on August 1. A jury of experts and the audience will award prizes in the respective categories.

Filmhaus Kino — KFFK's Home Cinema

The venue is the Filmhaus Kino in Cologne's Südstadt, operated by Filmhaus Köln. With two auditoriums, a bar, and a foyer, it is the natural center of Cologne's film culture away from the multiplexes. The spatial concentration on one cinema is one of KFFK's hallmarks—not a distributed city festival, but seven days of concentrated programming in one location.

Q&A Sessions and Industry Meetings

A characteristic of KFFK are the in-depth Q&A sessions after each screening. Filmmakers often travel from all over the German-speaking world and face the audience's questions. Industry meetings take place concurrently—accreditation for industry visitors opens in October 2026.

Cologne and the Short Film Tradition

Cologne—along with Hamburg, Oberhausen, and Berlin—is considered one of the most important German short film cities. With the ifs internationale filmschule köln, the KHM Kunsthochschule für Medien, and a dense producer scene, there is a productive environment. KFFK is the annual inventory of this scene and, at the same time, a springboard for festivals such as Berlinale, Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen, or Filmfest Hamburg.