Open Call 2026

Kinohafen Short 2026

The Hamburger Kinoforum Kinohafen invites filmmakers to take part in the short film competition Kinohafen Short 2026. The competition will take place from 12 to 14 December 2026 at Metropolis Kino in Hamburg.

We are looking for fiction, documentary and animated films with a running time of up to 35 minutes, produced on or after 1 January 2024. The films may address themes such as memory, identity, migration, cultural diversity, social change and personal stories.

Filmmakers from the post-Soviet region are invited to participate, as well as filmmakers from these regions who live and work in exile. This includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Estonia, as well as independent filmmakers from the regions of Russia.

We also expressly invite directors from Israel and filmmakers with a connection to Israel to participate.

Both films produced in these countries and works by filmmakers who now live and work in exile will be considered.

All submitted films must include English or German subtitles.

Submission period: 14 June 2026 – 13 September 2026
You can find the application guidelines here:
Download PDF file

You can submit your application here:

OR HERE:

Submissions will be possible from 14 June: https://filmfreeway.com/HamburgerKinoforumKinohafen

The selected films will be presented as part of the festival in Hamburg and evaluated by an international professional jury. An Audience Award will also be presented.

The authors of the selected films will be invited to the festival’s professional industry platform, which will take place in a hybrid format, both online and on site. The platform will focus on international co-production, film funding and the integration of filmmakers into the European film industry.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!