Neiße Filmfestival

Three Countries, One Festival

Where Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic meet lies the Neisse-Lower Silesia-Lusatia triangle — a border region with a shared history and shared ruptures. This is precisely where the Neiße Filmfestival has found its place since 2004. It is one of the few festivals in Europe that takes place not in one city, but across an entire region, with screenings in four languages and subtitles in neighboring languages.

23rd Edition — May 26–31, 2026

The 23rd edition in 2026 will open on May 26 at the Gerhart-Hauptmann-Theater Zittau. The opening film is 'Etwas ganz Besonderes' ('Home Stories') by German director Eva Trobisch. This will be followed by six days of film programming: feature films, documentaries, short films, and animations. Venues include the Apollo Cinema Görlitz, the Camillo Filmkunsttheater Zittau, the Domino Cinema in Zgorzelec, and cinema halls in Liberec and Varnsdorf.

Focus 2026: Transformations

The special series 'Transformations' in 2026 is dedicated to Eastern Europe's experiences with systemic change since 1989, and its winners and losers to this day. Archive films from the period of change, more recent examinations of migration movements, social ascent and descent, the legacy of prefabricated housing — all this will be addressed in screenings and film discussions.

Neisse-Fisch and Youth Jury

The festival's main prize is the Neisse-Fisch — a sculpture that will be crafted for the first time in 2026 in the Bohemian Crystal Glass Valley, the Crystal Valley. This will also aesthetically underscore the regional tri-national connection. A youth jury will be introduced for the first time, awarding its own prize for films with youthful appeal across all three countries. The awards ceremony will take place on May 30 in Varnsdorf.

More Than a Film Festival

In addition to film screenings, there is a dense accompanying program: media education workshops for schools, film discussions with directors, industry events for industry representatives, a film critic workshop, and specialist events on film history. The organizer is KunstBauerKino e.V., a cultural association supported by the state of Saxony, which has been organizing the festival for 20 years.

Saxony, Görlitz, and the Tri-border Area

Görlitz is Germany's easternmost city, separated only by the Neisse River from its Polish sister city Zgorzelec. With its almost completely preserved old town — over 4,000 listed buildings — Görlitz is one of Germany's most beautiful historic cities. 'Görliwood' has filmed many movies here (Grand Budapest Hotel, Inglourious Basterds, among others), and the film festival is a direct commitment to the region's cinematic tradition. Zittau, an hour southwest, complements the festival with the magnificent Gerhart-Hauptmann-Theater and its own cultural scene.