The submission process for the 36th FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE is now open.
See now what will be important tomorrow! – with this claim, we will once again present outstanding works of audiovisual storytelling in our competition sections from 29 October – 5 November 2026.
Feature films, television films, documentaries and series can be submitted for the following sections:
- NRW Competition
- Best of Cinema Fiction
- Best of Cinema Documentary
- Top TV
- Look
- Special Screenings
We honor the best works with these awards:
- Filmpreis NRW, endowed with 20,000 euros, for the best entry in the NRW Competition
- The Hollywood Reporter Award, endowed with 10,000 euros, for the best fictional contribution in the Best of Cinema Fiction, Top TV or Look sections
- phoenix award, endowed with 10,000 euros, for the best documentary entry in the Best of Cinema Documentary, Top TV or Look section
We also award the Filmpreis Köln, endowed with 25,000 euros, and the International Actors Award, endowed with 10,000 euros, to outstanding German or international directors and actors.
Admission to the competition
Submission
FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE does not charge any registration or submission fees. Online submissions are made via the Filmchief platform. For the presentation at the festival, a DCP must be provided by the submitter.
Application deadline
July 31, 2026, 23:59 (CET)
Genres
Feature films, documentaries and TV films as well as series of all genres with a running time of 45 minutes or more are eligible. Short films with a running time of less than 45 minutes will not be considered.
Year of production
The project must have been completed no later than October 2025.
Theatrical release and first broadcast
Submitted programs must not have been released in Germany before FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE 2026.
Premiere status
Potential German, European or world premieres will be given priority in the program selection.
Subtitles
Submissions that are not in German or English language must carry English subtitles.
Filmpreis NRW
Films qualifying for the Filmpreis NRW must not have had a theatrical release in Germany before the start of FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE 2026 and must have been produced primarily by a company based in NRW or have been shot to a significant extent in NRW.
Other agreements
If a submitted work is selected by the jury, the festival organizers shall obtain the right to screen the work during FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE 2026 as part of a festival section determined by the jury.
By submitting a work, the submitter acknowledges and accepts these Guidelines and Additional Provisions.
Submitted works may be rejected without stating reasons.
By submitting a work, submitters agree that the contact details and personal data provided during the submission process may be stored and processed by the organizers for the purposes of organizing and conducting FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE.
Furthermore, submitters consent to receiving information, invitations, and notices regarding events, calls for entries, and other matters related to FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE via email or through any other communication channel they have provided. This consent may be withdrawn at any time with effect for the future.
If a submitted programme is selected for FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE 2026, the submitters undertake to provide all materials required for the presentation of the programme in a timely manner. Such materials include, in particular, screening materials (including DCPs), press stills, scene stills, trailers, synopses, production information, cast and crew details, and any other materials relevant to festival communications.
The submitters grant the organizers of FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE a non-exclusive, transferable right, unrestricted in time, territory, and scope, to use or permit the use of these submitted materials in all media in connection with FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE. This includes, in particular, their reproduction, distribution, exhibition, public communication, and making available to the public for purposes related to the organization, promotion, documentation, and reporting of the respective festival edition, as well as for the promotion and communication of future editions of FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE.
Furthermore, submitters undertake to use their best efforts to facilitate the participation of individuals involved in the programme, in particular the director, producer, cast members, or other key contributors, in Q&A sessions, interviews, audience discussions, press events, and other activities serving the presentation and promotion of the programme within the framework of FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE.
The submitters agree that interviews, quotations, photographs, film and audio recordings, recordings of Q&A sessions, audience discussions, panels, and other festival events, as well as any edited versions, compilations, and documentary materials derived therefrom, which are either created in connection with the presentation of the submitted programme during the festival or provided to the festival, may be archived, documented, published, and used by FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE without limitation as to time or territory. Such materials may be exploited in all media for reporting, public relations activities, festival documentation, and the promotion of current and future editions of FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE.
FILM FESTIVAL COLOGNE
Cologne Conference GmbH
Machabäerstraße 5, 50667 Köln
Phone: +49 221 788 785 10
einreichungen@filmfestival.cologne
