20,000 visitors celebrate the big Emden-Norderney 2025 film festival!

20,000 visitors celebrate the big Emden-Norderney 2025 film festival!

Over 20,000 cinema fans flocked to the 35th Emden-Norderney International Film Festival, which ended successfully on June 18, 2025. With around 21,000 visitors, the number remained constant at the previous year's level, despite the warm summer weather, which led to lower visitor numbers, particularly on Norderney. Managing director Birgit Momberger was positive about the response and the recent increase in the number of participants in the school program, where many students were able to experience the films up close. A total of an impressive 51 feature-length and 28 short films from eight European countries as well as Canada, India and Australia were presented, making the festival more international than ever before.

A highlight was the award for the Canadian film production “Skeet” by director Nik Sexton, which won both the main prize and the Score Bernhard Wicki Prize worth a total of 17,000 euros. “Skeet” tells the moving story of a former prisoner who desperately tries to repair his relationship with his son. This year, 21 films were shortlisted for the main prize, the winner of which was determined by an audience vote. In addition to “Skeet,” films from Finland, Iceland, Belgium and France were also honored.

Special features and encounters

The event was characterized by wonderful encounters, such as the one with Emil Steinberger, who presented his film portrait “Typically Emil”. His performance received a standing ovation and became the emotional highlight of the festival. The cancellation of Nora Tschirner, who was unable to attend due to illness, was more serious, but this did not deter the organizers from their positive mood.

The festival not only offered an excellent range of films, but also innovative formats such as “Film & Food”, which were very well received. The over 100 trade visitors who took part in the industry events gave consistently positive feedback. Edzard Wagenaar, the festival director, reported an excellent response to the film selection and the commitment of the participants and guests.

The future of the film festival

The 36th Emden-Norderney International Film Festival is already scheduled for the period from June 3rd to 10th, 2026. The goal remains to further establish the festival as an international meeting place for film art and the film industry. Visitors can look forward to seeing what new gems and talents the next year will bring.

Those interested can find more information about current developments and figures from the German film and cinema industry on the website Film funding agency, which regularly publishes important market data.

The Emden-Norderney Film Festival remains an indispensable part of the North German cultural scene, celebrating not only local but also international film art and promoting exchange among filmmakers.