When are the Nordische Filmtage 2026?

4 to 8 November 2026, in Lübeck.

What does the festival show?

New film from the Nordic and Baltic countries: features, documentaries, shorts, series, children's and youth films, and immersive 360° works.

Which countries does it cover?

Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Are the films shown in the original language?

Yes, in their original Nordic or Baltic language with subtitles, most with English subtitles. Only the North German Filmforum section is in German.

Who receives the 2026 honorary award?

Anne Lajla Utsi, director of the International Sámi Film Institute, honoured at the opening on 4 November.

Which film opens the festival?

'Ulya' by Viesturs Kairišs, Latvia's Oscar submission, in its German premiere on 4 November at the CineStar Stadthalle.

All events

Nordic and Baltic film · since 1956

Nordische Filmtage Lübeck 2026

4 November – 8 November 2026

Germany's only festival for Nordic and Baltic cinema takes over Lübeck's old town for five November days. Founded in 1956, it is one of the oldest film festivals in the world. The 68th edition runs 4 to 8 November 2026.

68th edition · since 1956 · eight countries

What it is

The Nordische Filmtage show new film from the north and northeast of Europe: features, documentaries, shorts, series, children's and youth films, and immersive 360° works. It has run since 1956, is the only festival in Germany devoted to this region, and in Europe shares that focus only with the Festival du cinéma nordique in Rouen. It is run by the City of Lübeck with the national film institutes of the Nordic and Baltic countries. Hanna Reifgerst has been artistic director since January 2026.

Eight countries

The programme is drawn from these eight, in their original languages with subtitles.

DKDenmarkFIFinlandISIcelandNONorwaySESwedenEEEstoniaLVLatviaLTLithuania

This year

Opening film

Ulya

The festival opens on 4 November at the CineStar Stadthalle with the German premiere of 'Ulya' (original title 'Uļa', 2026) by the Latvian director Viesturs Kairišs. The drama about the basketball player Uljana Semjonova is Latvia's submission for the Oscar for best international feature film.

Honorary Award

Anne Lajla Utsi

The 2026 honorary award goes to Anne Lajla Utsi, director of the International Sámi Film Institute, for her work strengthening Sámi and indigenous filmmaking. It is presented at the opening on 4 November, with the laudation given by Sámi director Nils Gaup, Oscar-nominated for 'Pathfinder'.

Retrospective

Buddenbrooks p:reloaded

The retrospective, curated by Jörg Schöning, marks 125 years of Thomas Mann's Lübeck family novel 'Buddenbrooks', published in 1901. Its eleven films turn on firms, families, money and the generations, from Bergman's 'Fanny and Alexander' to Per Fly's 'Inheritance'. Gerhard Lamprecht's 'Buddenbrooks' (1923), the first film of the novel, is shown in its restored colour version with live music by students of the Musikhochschule Lübeck. Mann, a son of Lübeck, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929.

Focus

Sápmi

Sámi filmmaking runs through several sections this year. It opens with a homage of five films chosen by Anne Lajla Utsi: Nils Gaup's 'Pathfinder' (1987), after which Gaup talks with the audience, 'Sámi Blood' (2016), 'Rádji' (2021), 'Homecoming' (2023) and 'Je'vida' (2023), the first feature film in Skolt Sámi.

Where it plays

The festival spreads across Lübeck's compact old town. Each cinema below links to its programme. The opening is held at the CineStar Stadthalle.

Cinemas: tap for showtimesOther film venues: tap for the venue's site

CineStar Lübeck - Stadthalle

The festival also uses the Theater Lübeck, the mobile InfinityDome for its 360° programme, and other spaces in the old town.

The programme

186 films in ten sections, in some 250 screenings. The competition has 13 feature films and 12 documentaries.

Feature filmsDocumentariesSpecialsNordic ShortsChildren's and youth filmSeriesImmersion 360°Filmforum (North German film)HomageRetrospective

The prizes

Eleven prizes worth 70,000 euros in total are presented at a gala in the Theater Lübeck on Saturday 7 November. The highest is the NDR-Filmpreis for a feature film, worth 12,500 euros; the audience also votes a Publikumspreis worth 7,500 euros. Liv Ullmann is the festival's honorary president.

Original with subtitles

This is not a dubbing festival. Films run in their original Nordic or Baltic language with subtitles, most with English subtitles and many with German. It is the largest concentration of subtitled Nordic and Baltic cinema in Germany. The Filmforum section, which shows North German productions, is in German.

OV and OmU explained

Tickets and how it works

The full programme has been online since 13 October. Advance sales are online only and open on Saturday 24 October at 15:00, with no online booking fee. From 4 November the box office at the CineStar Stadthalle sells tickets too. Payment is cashless only. A day before the festival, on 3 November, Ocean Day in the InfinityDome is free for everyone. More than half of the programme can also be streamed, from 4 to 15 November.

2026 prices

Single ticketReduced €7.50: €15
Shows before 18:00 or from 21:30Reduced €5.50: €11
Children's and youth programmeUnder 18. Adults €10, reduced €5: €3
StreamingPer feature film. Shorts €3: €9
Spätschicht passOne film for five people, shows from 21:30: €44
Family passOne film from the children's and youth programme for two adults and two under-18s, up to two more children at €2 each: €24
StuZubis passStudents and trainees under 27: up to two films a day in the cinema and unlimited streaming, registration required: €70

Reduced prices are for pupils, students, trainees, under-18s, federal volunteers, LübeckCard holders and people with a degree of disability (GdB) of 80.

Festival website Tickets and passes

Common questions

When are the Nordische Filmtage 2026?: 4 to 8 November 2026, in Lübeck.
What does the festival show?: New film from the Nordic and Baltic countries: features, documentaries, shorts, series, children's and youth films, and immersive 360° works.
Which countries does it cover?: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Are the films shown in the original language?: Yes, in their original Nordic or Baltic language with subtitles, most with English subtitles. Only the North German Filmforum section is in German.
Who receives the 2026 honorary award?: Anne Lajla Utsi, director of the International Sámi Film Institute, honoured at the opening on 4 November.
Which film opens the festival?: 'Ulya' by Viesturs Kairišs, Latvia's Oscar submission, in its German premiere on 4 November at the CineStar Stadthalle.
When do tickets go on sale?: Online from Saturday 24 October 2026, at 15:00. The full programme has been online since 13 October. A single ticket costs 15 euros, 7.50 euros reduced.

Facts on this page checked on 16 October 2026.

Sources