Filmfest Dresden 2027

What it is

Filmfest Dresden shows international short film every April, with animation given equal weight to live action, a legacy of the city's former DEFA animation studio. Founded in 1989, months before the GDR fell, as a forum for films the state had kept off screens, it now draws around 20,000 visitors. Its core is two juried competitions, and its top awards are the Golden Horsemen.

Two competitions

The Golden Horseman

The festival's prizes are the Golden Horsemen (Goldener Reiter), named after the gilded baroque statue of Augustus the Strong on the Neustädter Markt. The two main International Competition Golden Horsemen, for animation and for live action, are worth 7,500 euros each; the Saxon film promotion prize, at 20,000 euros, is the largest single award, alongside audience and youth-jury prizes.

Where it plays

The festival plays across cinemas in Dresden. These are the ones we carry; each links to the venue and its programme. The Filmtheater Schauburg in the Neustadt is the main house.

Filmtheater Schauburg

See cinema

Programmkino Ost

See cinema

Thalia — Cinema. Coffee and Cycling

See cinema

Kino im Kasten

See cinema

A typical edition uses around a dozen more Dresden locations, including the Societätstheater for talks and receptions.

Original with subtitles

International short films screen in their original language with English subtitles (OmeU), so the International Competition is followable without German. German-language films screen in German, some with English subtitles for the international audience. The exact subtitle language per programme is set in the spring line-up.

Tickets and how it works

Short films screen in curated programme blocks rather than singly, so a ticket buys a block. The full 2027 programme, jury and schedule are published in spring 2027.

Common questions

When is Filmfest Dresden 2027?

13 to 18 April 2027, in Dresden.

What does it show?

International and German short film, with animation and live action given equal weight.

What is the Golden Horseman?

The festival's award, named after the gilded equestrian statue of Augustus the Strong. The main International Competition prizes are worth 7,500 euros each.

Are the films shown in the original language?

Yes. International shorts run in the original with English subtitles (OmeU); German films in German, some with English subtitles.

Which cinemas host it?

The Schauburg is the main venue, with Programmkino Ost, the Thalia and Kino im Kasten among the others.