Don't try to copy – be yourself, trust yourself, have your own visions.

The 18th up-and-coming International Film Festival Hannover will open its cinema doors from November 19 to 23, 2025.

up-and-coming is a festival for ambitious film talents up to 27 years old from Germany and around the world.

The festival is both a German and an international competition for young filmmakers and takes place every two years. It is a meeting place and springboard for young talent.

We are looking for the extraordinary, the creative, the innovative, and the original.
We want to showcase works that are imaginative, unusual, humorous, provocative, and idiosyncratic.
We are looking for films that reflect your view of the world, its challenges and crises. We want to see your emotions and your attitude towards them.
We want films that touch and convince us and that experiment with cinematic storytelling beyond the mainstream.
We are looking for cinematic lateral thinkers and film enthusiasts.

Submissions begin: March 1, 2025
Submissions end: July 15, 2025

You can find all the important information about the submission process, the regulations here.