Helge Albers, CEO of MOIN Film Fund: “21 funded films across eight sections – this impressively demonstrates the diversity of our film industry. I’m particularly looking forward to Fatih Akin’s ‘Geister’ and Andrei Zvyagintsev’s ‘Minotaurus’, which are now being screened in Germany for the first time following their international festival tours. And with ‘Sternbrücke Forever’, a film is coming to the big screen that could hardly be more closely linked to Hamburg. There are also plenty of other discoveries to be made – from established filmmakers to new voices from the north. So, the stage is set perfectly for ten days of Filmfest Hamburg!”
FILMS FUNDED BY MOIN
HAMBURG PREMIERES SECTION
Between Times – The Hamburg Ballet in Transition – Kim Hess (LiseLotte Films, Ludwigsburg)
Cooking Up Democracy – Monika Treut (Dirk Manthey Film, Hamburg)
Mrs Winkler Leaves the House – Doris Dörrie (Zeitsprung Pictures, Cologne)
HYGGE – Zarah Schrade & Lena Fakler (Klinkerfilm, Hamburg)
No Good Men – Shahrbanoo Sadat (Adomeit Film, Lübeck)
Sternbrücke Forever – Christian Hornung (Tamtam Film, Hamburg)
Those Who Whistle After Dark – Pınar Yorgancıoğlu (Marlene Film, Hamburg)
GROSSE FREIHEIT SECTION
Biermann – Jens Meurer (Instant Film, Berlin)
Eurotrash – Frauke Finsterwalder (Walker + Worm Film, Munich)
Geister – Fatih Akin (Bombero International, Hamburg)
KALEIDOSCOPE SECTION
BUTTERFLY – Return to Gran Canaria – Itonje Søimer Guttormsen (NordFilm, Kiel)
Call Me Queen – Emily Atef (zischlermann Filmproduktion, Lübeck)
Minotaurus – Andrei Zvyagintsev (Razor Film Produktion, Berlin)
What Lies Between Us – Amalie Næsby Fick (klinkerfilm, Hamburg)
TELEVISION SECTION
Remind Me of Tomorrow – Friedrich Tiedtke (Tamtam Film, Hamburg)
LORD – Caren Wuhrer (MÄKSMY Films, Hamburg)
Tatort Kiel – Among Friends – Lars Kraume (Letterbox Filmproduktion, Hamburg)
VETO SECTION!
Rehearsals for a Revolution – Fragments of Freedom – Pegah Ahangarani
(Luftkind Filmverleih, Hamburg)
Until the Day Ends – Jelena Maksimović (Kelek Film, Hamburg)
ASIASCOPE SECTION
Elephants in the Mist – Abinash Bikram Shah (Zischlermann Filmproduktion, Lübeck)
FILMMAKERS IN FOCUS SECTION
Close – Lukas Dhont
JUNIOR SECTION
Sammy & Frida – Chaos with Sense – Katja Benrath (Tellux 1-13 Media Production, Hamburg)
EVENTS AT THE FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS
Industry accreditation only
How does an Oscar campaign actually work?
28 September 2026, 5.30–6.15 pm, Curio-Haus (Rothenbaumchaussee 11, 20148 Hamburg)
The German Film Academy, German Films and MOIN Film Fund are inviting the three German Oscar nominees for 2027 to the Oscar kick-off event in Hamburg. The teams behind ‘Gelbe Briefe’, ‘Von Scham und Geld’ and ‘Everytime’ will offer exclusive insights into their upcoming Oscar campaigns. The focus of the discussion: What does it take to generate international attention? And how do you get a film talked about – and ultimately onto the radar of Academy members?
Encourage x Nordlichter / Opportunities for first and second feature films
29 September 2026, from 1.30 pm, Curio-Haus
Ten years of Nordlichter: Together with NDR and nordmedia, MOIN Film Fund looks back on ten years of North German debut films. In the panel discussion that follows, filmmakers who were able to realise a film as part of the Nordlichter programme will talk about their experiences of making their first feature film and what happened next. They will discuss the difficulties of securing funding for their first and second films, as well as the opportunities and possibilities available.
Opportunities for first and second feature films
29 September 2026, 1.45 pm, Curio-Haus
Filmmakers who have produced a film as part of the Nordlichter programme will talk about their experiences of making their first feature film and what happened next. They will discuss the difficulties of securing funding for their first and second films, as well as the opportunities and possibilities available.
NORDIC NEST
Industry Plus accreditation required
Nordic NEST Showcase29 September 2026, 5.00 pm, Baseler Hof (Palais, Esplanade 15, 20354 Hamburg)
With Nordic NEST, MOIN Film Fund, once again in collaboration with the Five Nordics and the FFA, is bringing together Executive Producers and Script Writers from Germany and the Nordic countries. At the Nordic NEST Showcase at the Baseler Hof, the teams will present the projects from the first edition to broadcasters, streaming services, distributors and international sales agents for the first time.
Funding tsunami – planning at risk
29 September 2026, 4.30 pm, Curio-Haus
The DFFF and GMPF funds will be exhausted in record time by 2026. Productions and planning certainty in the film industry are being dramatically undermined: shoots are being postponed, funding deals are falling through, and millions are at stake. And further cuts loom in 2027. This panel is a wake-up call to policymakers and regulators. An event from the ‘All You Need Is Law’ series featuring Helge Albers on the panel, organised by the law firms Unverzagt, Von Have Fey and GRAEF Rechtsanwälte.
Documentary storytelling for impact
29 September 2026, 5.30–6.15 pm, Curio-Haus
Documentary media shape the way we see the world. Using the ‘Green Storytelling Checklist – Documentary’ as a starting point, the panel will discuss the importance of responsible storytelling. Speakers include Dr Julia Dordel (Dorcon Film/Green Storytelling Initiative) and Vivien Pieper (Script Writers Pieper und Partner).
Explorer Konferenz
Industry Plus accreditation required
Nostradamus: State of Play
1 October 2026, 11.45 am–12.00 pm, CinemaxX Hamburg-Dammtor
What will the film industry look like in three to five years’ time? The Script Writers of the Nostradamus Report will provide insights into their latest edition and highlight the developments that could shape the international film industry in the future. The keynote will take place as part of the Explorer Konferenz and is organised in collaboration with MOIN Film Fund, the Gothenburg Film Festival and OMNI.
Inside the Audience: Publikum’s Research
1 October 2026, 3.10–4.00 pm, CinemaxX Hamburg-Dammtor
What do audiences expect from feature films, animation and Documentaries? Publikum will present findings from the joint pilot programme with the MOIN Film Fund and discuss with Executive Producers which strategies can be derived from these for the development and positioning of films. The talk will take place as part of the Explorer Konferenz.
