Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin 2026

The theme of this year’s festival is “Emergency Spaces.” The opening ceremony, as well as the closing and awards ceremonies, will take place at the Kino in der Kulturbrauerei.

Under the theme “Emergency Spaces,” the festival explores spaces that offer orientation, refuge, and solidarity in times of uncertainty and social upheaval.

“’Emergency Spaces’ leads us to those interstitial spaces where reality blurs and, as in the films of David Lynch, hovers on the threshold between dream and the surreal. World events in recent years have seen one crisis follow another, making our familiar reality seem increasingly alien and elusive. This makes places of refuge and solidarity all the more important, as they also open up space for reflection and new perspectives on the future. An ‘Emergency Space’ is understood as such a place—between a state of limbo on the one hand and solidarity and community on the other,” says Daria Buteiko, one of the three festival directors.

Since 2024, the UFFB has also been organizing a short film competition that supports young Ukrainian filmmakers and helps bring their work to international attention. In 2026, the competition will enter its third edition. Submissions can be made via the FilmFreeway platform until August 15, 2026. In addition, the festival presents thematically curated short film series outside of the competition.

In addition to the cinema at the Kulturbrauerei, screenings will take place at other Berlin cinemas and venues. Further details will be announced.

The complete festival program will be published on the festival website in early September.

About the Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin

The Ukrainian Film Festival Berlin was founded in 2020 and has since developed into an important platform for contemporary Ukrainian cinema in Germany. With six successful festival editions, film series such as “Ukraine Known Unknown,” and numerous screenings of current award-winning productions by Ukrainian filmmakers, the UFFB has contributed significantly to the visibility and recognition of Ukrainian cinema. In conjunction with the festival, panel discussions are organized with experts from Ukraine and Germany on the topics of film, culture, education, and society.

The UFFB is funded by the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and collaborates with numerous partner institutions, including ARTE, the Dovzhenko Center, and the Institute for Eastern European Studies at Freie Universität Berlin.