Fantasy Film Festival

What would September be without the cinema? From September 2nd to 9th, 2026, the 40th Fantasy Filmfest transforms Berlin’s Zoo Palast into a meeting place for fans of horror, thrillers, science fiction, and sophisticated genre films.

The Fantasy Filmfest is one of the world’s most renowned festivals for spectacular departures from mainstream cinema. For its 40th anniversary, the event brings around 50 international productions, world and European premieres, and visually stunning independent films to the big screen.

The festival kicks off with Adrian Chiarella’s shocking horror drama “Leviticus” and closes with the acclaimed science fiction thriller “Hope” by Korean director Na Hong-jin.

Main venue: Zoo Palast; special screenings at the ACUDkino and Zeiss Planetarium.

Program:

Pre-show:
Friday, August 28th (7:00 PM, ACUDkino): Gen G (PrevYou & Fantasy Filmfest)
Tuesday, September 1st (7:30 p.m., Zeiss Planetarium): Memories (Special: Sci-Fi Examined!)

Wednesday, September 2 (Opening Night – Zoo Palast)
7:30 p.m. – Leviticus (Opening Film)
9:45 p.m. – Hex

Thursday, September 3
3:00 p.m. – At the Place of Ghosts
5:00 p.m. – The Birthday Party
7:30 p.m. – Carolina Caroline
9:45 p.m. – Blades of the Guardians

Friday, September 4
1:00 p.m. – Recluse
3:00 p.m. – The Restoration at Grayson Manor
5:00 p.m. – Never After Dark
7:15 p.m. – Buddy
9:30 p.m. – Tristes Tropiques

Saturday, September 5
11:00 a.m. – DFFB & Film University Babelsberg go Fantasy Filmfest
1:15 p.m. – Vertiginous
5:00 PM – Species
7:30 PM – Hokum
9:45 PM – A Chinese Ghost Story

Sunday, September 6
12:00 PM – Don’t Look Now
2:15 PM – Get Shorty (Short Film Competition)
4:45 PM – The Plague (Centerpiece)
6:45 PM – Mutter: The Diary of a Mother

Monday, September 7
3:00 PM – Motherwitch
5:15 PM – Nervous
7:30 PM – The Fox
9:30 PM – The Chaser

Tuesday, September 8
2:00 PM – Beasts of the Southern Wild
4:00 PM – Unholy Night
6:00 PM – You Are the Film
7:30 PM – Sicko
9:45 PM – Ghost in the Cell

Wednesday, September 9 (Closing) Night)
6:15 p.m. – Fuck My Son!
8:15 p.m. – Hope (Closing Film)

There is an age restriction: The entire festival program is only accessible to those 18 and older.

When: September 2–9, 2026
Where: Zoo Palast, Hardenbergstraße 29a, 10623 Berlin
Admission: €12–14

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