A Springboard into the International Film World
29 April 2025
For the first time, FILMFEST HAMBURG is cooperating with FIRST STEPS and inviting selected top talents from the next generation of German filmmakers to this year’s #ATELIER25. Since 2022, FILMFEST HAMBURG has been offering a creative space for dialogue and collaboration in cooperation with La Semaine de la Critique in Cannes, with the aim of broadening and sharpening young filmmakers’ perspectives on the international film world.
With the fourth edition of the exchange and discourse program #ATELIER25, FILMFEST HAMBURG is breaking new ground: For the first time, selected nominees for this year’s FIRST STEPS Award will travel to Hamburg, where they will meet a representative of La Semaine de la Critique and two international debut directors whose films will be screened at FILMFEST HAMBURG following their world premieres at Cannes’ prestigious parallel section. The three-day event in Hamburg is part of the FILMFEST HAMBURG industry program and offers filmmakers not only local networking opportunities but also direct access to the international film community.
Malika Rabahallah, Festival Director of FILMFEST HAMBURG:
“The talents nominated for the most important emerging talent award in the German-speaking world will meet international festival experts and directors here in Hamburg: The cooperation with FIRST STEPS fits perfectly with our strategy of sustainably supporting young filmmakers through international exchange. At #ATELIER25, participants receive valuable impulses for their own careers and gain insights into the international festival landscape.”
Linda Kirmse, Artistic Director of FIRST STEPS:
“We are very excited to specifically support the next generation of local filmmakers through this cooperation and to give visibility to our nominees. International networking, active integration into the global festival and industry landscape, as well as the timing of FILMFEST HAMBURG just ahead of the FIRST STEPS Awards ceremony in October in Berlin, create ideal conditions for this creative incubator at FILMFEST HAMBURG.”
The #ATELIER25 program, featuring exclusive film screenings followed by moderated discussions, will take place over three days as part of the FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS at the Mischkino at Studio Funk and the Institut Français.
FILMFEST HAMBURG will be held from September 25 to October 4, 2025. Around 120 films will be showcased as world, European, and German premieres. With an expanded industry program — including the European Work in Progress (EWIP) platform and the Industry Film Distribution Summit (IFDS) — along with the Explorer Conference and a national and international program for emerging filmmakers, the festival is an important meeting point for the regional, national, and international film industry.
