The International Film Festival Emden-Norderney
The Festival by the Sea
The International Film Festival Emden-Norderney is one of the major film festivals in Lower Saxony and a hallmark of the region’s media landscape. Founded in 1990 as an initiative of the local adult education center’s film club, the festival has evolved over more than three decades into a nationally and internationally acclaimed audience event. Thanks to funding from nordmedia GmbH and the City of Emden, as well as support from many sponsors, the festival is able to award ten film and special prizes each year, with a total prize money of more than 70,000 euros. Guests and audiences alike appreciate the high quality of the program, the welcoming atmosphere, and the lively exchange between moviegoers, industry professionals, and filmmakers. Additionally, the festival is a firmly established part of the region’s cultural life and an attractive asset for the city of Emden.
At the heart of the program are committed, socially relevant, and high-quality films from Germany, Europe, and Canada—offering an alternative to standard cinema programming. The spectrum ranges from European arthouse cinema to innovative mainstream. Promoting the film industry and film culture in Lower Saxony/Bremen is also among the festival’s key objectives. Beyond the competitions, the festival presents films in country-, theme-, or artist-focused sections, highlights of European filmmaking, world cinema—preferably from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, or Asia—as well as films for children and families.
Each year, the festival also offers special events that complement the program. These include features on themes such as “Stories from the Sea,” “Film & Food,” retrospectives, a film music composer portrait, special art film selections, and short film showcases.
The supporting program includes representative events such as the opening ceremony, the presentation of film and screenplay awards, as well as numerous industry events and panels. Every year, the International Film Festival Emden-Norderney also hosts the popular midnight talks at Emden’s Grand Café and at the Kurtheater on Norderney, as well as the “Film Tea” in the atrium of the Emden Kunsthalle and the “Actor’s Talk.”
Special screenings of high-quality children’s and youth films during school hours have been an integral part of the festival for many years. The shared cinema experience, classroom preparation and follow-up discussions, and encounters with filmmakers are intended to provide a contrast to the predominant viewing and media consumption habits of children and young people, significantly promoting film and media literacy.
The International Film Festival Emden-Norderney—always in June and always by the sea!
