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.

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.

Eight countries

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

DKDenmarkFIFinlandISIcelandNONorwaySESwedenEEEstoniaLVLatviaLTLithuania

This year

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'. A homage of films she has chosen accompanies the award.

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 films turn on firms, families, money and the generations, from Bergman's 'Fanny and Alexander' to Per Fly's 'The Inheritance'. Mann, a son of Lübeck, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929.

Where it plays

The festival spreads across Lübeck's compact old town. These are the cinemas we carry; each links to the venue and its programme. The opening and the awards ceremony are held at the CineStar Stadthalle.

Cinemas on KinoNow — 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

New Nordic and Baltic film across competitions and out of them.

Feature filmsDocumentariesNordic ShortsChildren's and youth filmSeriesImmersion 360°Filmforum (North German film)Retrospective

The prizes

Eleven prizes are awarded. 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 opening is on Wednesday evening, 4 November; the awards ceremony and closing film are on Sunday 8 November. Most tickets are booked online. The full 2026 programme, with the opening and closing films, is published in autumn 2026.

Festival website

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.

Facts on this page checked on 3 September 2026.

Sources