Review: Over 21,400 visitors at the 38 Filmfest Dresden

Film Programmes with Audiences in Excess of 10,800 // Open Air Record: 8,900 Guests // 39 Filmfest Dresden from 13 to 18 April 2027

The 38 Filmfest Dresden ended on Sunday with a powerful showing: From 14 to 19 April more than 21,400 guests (2025: 17,000) attended a total of 197 festival screenings and events in 19 venues across all of Dresden. This marks one of the highest ever attendance figures in the festival’s history.

Likewise, the cinemas and other screening venues noted higher numbers: More than 10,800 visitors (2025: 10,400) enjoyed the film programmes there. The Short Film Open Air programmes on Schlossplatz square achieved a new record with over 8,900 guests at the screenings – representing almost a doubling of the numbers compared to last year (2025: 4,550).

The Kids and Youth Programme also recorded a plus with 2,400 visitors attending the events (2024: 2,000). 850 young film fans registered for the school screenings, with 190 more coming to them compared to last year. The etc. – events. trainings. connections. special programme attracted 2,600 media professionals.

At the official awards ceremony in the Filmtheater Schauburg festival cinema ten Golden Horsemen and seven special prizes worth €72,500 in total were awarded.

The 39 Filmfest Dresden is being held from 13 to 18 April 2027.

“We’re delighted to have had such a clear increase in the attendance numbers, as well as with the positive response from our audiences and guests,” said Festival Director Anne Geschütz. “Especially in such financially challenging times, these figures are a crucial endorsement of our work – as well as being a powerful indication of just how relevant and appealing the film festival is. We would like to thank all of our partners, sponsors and supporters, as well as the many film and media industry guests, and our wonderful audiences too, of course.”

In terms of the screening attendances, the most successful film programmes included the International, National and Central German Competitions, which drew audiences of more than 4,000 overall. In the Kids and Youth Programme, the “Kids 1” programme enjoyed the best response, recording audience numbers of 760.

There was also great interest in the Focus “Work in Progress” festival section, and especially in the “… What a Way to Make a Living!” event (curated by Rachel Pronger) and the “Retrospective: Places of Work”. Numerous festival sections were sold out, including the “Focus Québec” anniversary programme, “The Eye of Dresden” retrospective (Ernst Hirsch) and the “Animated: 90 Years of African Animation” programme, as well as the Astoria Music Film Night with the “Youtube Killed the Videostar” event. Likewise, the “Cinema Digestif”, “Discourse Europe: Latvia” and “Experiments: Eyes Wide Open” late-night programme screenings in the Thalia cinema were very well attended.

In the events programme, among others, the Industry Rendezvous with Dresden-based Film Institutes with its “Film Culture in Rural Areas Brings People Together?!” fishbowl discussion format, the “10 Things I Hate About Shorts” discussion and the “Storytelling Café: Work-Wear Aprons” event, as well as the “Festival Drag Party” in the GrooveStation were counted among the highlights.

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