Zebra Poetry Film Festival
The oldest and most important international festival for poetry film — in the Kuppelhalle of silent green in Wedding
About Zebra Poetry Film Festival
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When Poetry Becomes Film
The Zebra Poetry Film Festival explores a peculiar intersection: films whose starting point is a poem. Some illustrate the text literally, others translate the text into autonomous visual worlds — and some are pure sound-language films, in which poetry itself becomes the main character. The Haus für Poesie founded the festival in Berlin in 2002, establishing a genre internationally that had no dedicated platform until then.
June 4 to 7, 2026 — silent green Kulturquartier
The 14th edition (held biennially since 2002, and nearly annually since 2018) will take place from June 4 to 7, 2026, in the Kuppelhalle of the silent green Kulturquartier at Gerichtstraße 35 in Wedding. The former crematorium building from the 1910s has been one of Berlin's most important festival venues for independent film and performance for over a decade.
55 Films from 85 Countries
For 2026, an international jury has selected 55 short films from around 800 submissions — entries came from 85 countries. The program is divided into several sections: International Competition (spread over two days), three thematic programs on myth, grief, and connection, the youth program Zebrino, and a guest program from Argentina (VideoBardo), South America's leading poetry film festival. The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, June 7, 2026.
Haus für Poesie — Center of the German Poetry Scene
The organizer is the Haus für Poesie, based in the Kulturbrauerei in Prenzlauer Berg, which has been the central platform for the German poetry scene for years. It organizes, among other things, the Poesiefestival Berlin and the online archive lyrikline.org. Zebra is the cinematic sibling of this program — more internationally oriented, with less focus on competition for audibility and more on visual translation.
Participate — Submissions Open
Filmmakers can submit poetry-based short films completed after January 1, 2024, and no longer than 12 minutes. All languages are welcome — translations and subtitles will be curated by the festival. In the Mitte district of Berlin, Zebra is one of the most internationally prominent Berlin film festivals and, at the same time, one of the city's most intellectually unusual formats.
Zebra Poetry Film Festival — edition 2026
The Zebra Poetry Film Festival 2026 will showcase the pinnacle of international poetry film for four days in a unique venue: the Kuppelhalle of silent green in Wedding. 55 selected short films from 85 countries, divided into a multi-part competition, three thematic programs on myth, grief, and connection, and the youth program Zebrino. The guest country for 2026 is Argentina: the renowned poetry film festival VideoBardo brings its own showcase to Berlin. The event concludes with the awards ceremony on Sunday, June 7, 2026.
Programme Zebra Poetry Film Festival 2026
Program outline for the 2026 edition (as of preliminary announcement by Haus für Poesie):
Thursday, June 4, 2026 — Opening
- Official opening in the Kuppelhalle of the silent green Kulturquartier.
- Opening program with films from the International Competition.
Friday, June 5, 2026 — Competition, Day 1
- First half of the International Competition.
- Thematic program: Myth.
- Film discussions with attending directors.
Saturday, June 6, 2026 — Competition, Day 2
- Second half of the International Competition.
- Thematic programs: Grief and Connection.
- Youth program Zebrino.
- Guest program Argentina (VideoBardo).
Sunday, June 7, 2026 — Awards Ceremony
- Repeat screening of the award-winning competition films.
- Conclusion with the Awards Ceremony in the Kuppelhalle.
Detailed program, film titles, and tickets at hausfuerpoesie.org/zebra-poetry-film-festival/2026.
Highlights Zebra Poetry Film Festival 2026
- 55 films from around 800 submissions from 85 countries
- International Competition over two days
- Three thematic programs: Myth, Grief, Connection
- Guest country 2026: Argentina (VideoBardo)
- Youth program Zebrino and Awards Ceremony on June 7
Prices Zebra Poetry Film Festival 2026
Festival passes and single tickets via hausfuerpoesie.org; discounted rates for students and filmmakers. Current prices on the festival website.
Practical information — Zebra Poetry Film Festival
Getting There
silent green Kulturquartier, Gerichtstraße 35, 13355 Berlin (Wedding). U-Bahn Leopoldplatz (U6) or S-/U-Bahn Wedding (S41/S42 + U6) — about a 10-minute walk from both stations. Bus 120, 247. Limited parking available on surrounding residential streets.
Tickets
Festival passes and single tickets available at hausfuerpoesie.org/en/zebra-poetry-film-festival. Discounted rates for students and filmmakers. Awards ceremony on June 7, 2026.
Good to Know
Films are shown in their original language with English or German subtitles. Discussions are primarily in English, with some program items in German. Film competition submissions via the festival website. Youth program Zebrino recommended for ages 12 or 16 and up.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place Zebra Poetry Film Festival
Kuppelhalle, silent green Kulturquartier
Gerichtstraße 35, 13355 Berlin