Submissions opened 26 January 2026 and are open right now — Regular Deadline #3 closes 29 June 2026. Two further windows remain after that.
| Deadline | Date | Standard | Student | Gold Member |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earlybird #1 | 05 Feb 2026 | $15 | $10 | $13 |
| Earlybird #2 | 26 Feb 2026 | $18 | $13 | $16 |
| Earlybird #3 | 30 Mar 2026 | $21 | $15 | $18 |
| Regular #1 | 29 Apr 2026 | $24 | $18 | $21 |
| Regular #2 | 28 May 2026 | $27 | $21 | $24 |
| Regular #3 | 29 Jun 2026 | $30 | $24 | $27 |
| Regular #4 | 30 Jul 2026 | $33 | $26 | $29 |
| Extended | 31 Aug 2026 | $35 | $28 | $31 |
| Deadline | Date | Standard | Student | Gold Member |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earlybird #1 | 05 Feb 2026 | $20 | $15 | $17 |
| Earlybird #2 | 26 Feb 2026 | $23 | $18 | $20 |
| Earlybird #3 | 30 Mar 2026 | $26 | $21 | $23 |
| Regular #1 | 29 Apr 2026 | $29 | $24 | $26 |
| Regular #2 | 28 May 2026 | $32 | $26 | $28 |
| Regular #3 | 29 Jun 2026 | $35 | $29 | $31 |
| Regular #4 | 30 Jul 2026 | $38 | $31 | $34 |
| Extended | 31 Aug 2026 | $40 | $33 | $36 |
Fees are charged in USD via FilmFreeway. Student rate requires valid enrolment proof; Gold Member rate applies to FilmFreeway Gold subscribers.
Submissions will only be considered if the relationship between the artistic work (film art, video art, fine art, dance and theatre/performance) and the city of Düsseldorf — or the state of NRW — is plausible.
Short-category works must not exceed 60 minutes; feature-category works must run 60 minutes or longer. Any genre and style of film and video art is welcome.
Anyone who would like to submit work related to film or video art. Submissions are accepted from everywhere. The person submitting must have had a major creative role in the production of the work — please review the copyright disclaimer on the submission form.
Digitally: submit through a link to your work in the FilmFreeway form. By mail: BETACAM, DigiCam or Blu-ray, with DVDs and DCPs from laptop also accepted. A 35mm copy is only accepted within Germany. A trailer and/or photos can be added and may be used to advertise the festival.
Members of the Filmmuseum Düsseldorf, the Düsseldorf Cultural Affairs Office, the Institut Français and TFF TheaterFilmFest gUG make the selection decisions. We will likely screen all submissions, but final placement depends on the volume and length of entries received.
Any genre and style of film and video art.
You get to show your work to a wide audience within the Old Town of Düsseldorf — indoors or outdoors, depending on the style, scale and ambition of your piece. Your work will be appreciated and discussed by members of the partner institutions, and included on websites that contribute to the cultural life of Düsseldorf, one of Europe's most distinguished art cities. The festival is also promoted by EFFE (Europe for Festivals/Festivals for Europe), sharing the work beyond European borders. Expenses for accommodation and travel are covered.
Yes — Regular Deadline #3 (29 June 2026) is the next upcoming window. Two further deadlines remain after it: Regular #4 on 30 July and the final Extended Deadline on 31 August 2026.
Yes. A reduced Student fee applies at every deadline tier with valid proof of enrolment, and a Gold Member rate applies to FilmFreeway Gold subscribers.