Where cinema
crosses borders.
Independent world cinema, from every gate.
2027
This isn’t just another film festival — it’s a gateway.
Born in Berlin, the Berlin Gate International Film Festival is an international home for bold filmmaking, creative risk-taking and visual storytelling in every form.
We are here to find real talent and give independent work somewhere to be seen. A platform for filmmakers, screenwriters and photographers who dare to be different.
Our story ↗Every form. One gate.
Feature Film
Long-form cinema with a distinct voice.
Short Film
Compact cinema with lasting impact.
Animation
Frame-by-frame worlds without limits.
Experimental
Form, image and sound reimagined.
Music Video
Music translated into moving image.
New Media
Stories built for emerging formats.
AI Film
Human vision meeting new technology.
Underground
Independent work beyond convention.
Student Film
The next generation, in focus.
First Film
A bold first step into cinema.
Screenplay
Cinema beginning on the page.
Photography
A complete story in a single frame.
One entry. Every relevant opportunity.
Enter once in the appropriate category. Your work is also considered for every relevant craft, technical, thematic and special honour.
From submission to Berlin.
Call Opens
20 JUL 2026
Super Earlybird Deadline
10 SEP 2026
Extended Deadline — Final
30 NOV 2026
Official Selection Announced
21 DEC 2026
Berlin Event
23 JAN 2027
All five deadlines & full timeline ↗
The Berlin Gate Grand Prize.
The festival’s highest distinction, honouring one outstanding work that brings originality, craft, creative courage and lasting impact together.
- Exclusive Berlin Gate trophy
- Official Grand Prize title and laurel
- Festival certificate
- Special editorial feature
It all comes together in Berlin.
screenings
encounters
announcements
The full screening and event programme will be announced after the Official Selection.
Explore the programme ↗From the BGIFF Journal.
Call for Entries: The First Edition Opens on 20 July 2026
Submissions for the first edition of the Berlin Gate International Film Festival open on 20 July 2026 on FilmFreeway — across 18 categories, from feature films to photography.
Introducing the Berlin Gate International Film Festival
A new international festival for independent voices, born in Berlin — built as a gateway between cultures, forms and ways of telling a story.
The First Edition: From Submission to Berlin
The path, the dates and the thinking behind the first edition of the Berlin Gate International Film Festival.
Your film
belongs in Berlin.
Submissions open 20 July 2026.
Submit on FilmFreeway