The German International Ethnographic Film Festival takes place from 13 to 17 May 2026

The festival promotes documentary cinema with a special emphasis on new films, videos and interactive media (published after 1.1.2023) dealing with socio-cultural processes in a wide sense of the term.

The festival is open to all filmmakers, but especially those with a background in anthropology, sociology, folklore, history etc. It provides a great opportunity for international exchange of ideas and co-operation in documentary filmmaking.

The programme will be online in March.

Further information: info[at]gieff.de

The festival takes place at the Alte Mensa in Göttingen.

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The student film competition is one of the central events of the festival.
It starts on Wednesday at 13.30 am.

The main festival starts Thursday afternoon at 2 pm.

Presentation of Student's Film Awards:
Saturday at 21:00 pm

• GIEFF Award for the best ethnographic student film
• Manfred Krüger Award for the best camera work

Special topics of the festival are: 

» More Than Human «, » Doing Memory  «, » Un/certain Relationships «, » Care and Aging «, » Path of Resilience «, » Elemental Relations  «, » Collective Actions  «, » Queering Lives «, »Loss and Be/Longing « and » What Returns «

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Registration

Entrance Fees (20 % discount for early bird festival registration (including the payment) till: 20th April 2026

• Whole festival (incl. online viewing): Euro 120,- (96.-) / Students Euro 80,- (62,-)
• Only online viewing: Euro 60,- (48.-) / Students Euro 50,- (40,-)
• Single day ticket: Euro 40,- (32,-) / Students Euro 32,- (25)
• Single Screening: (1-2 films) Euro 10,-/ Students Euro 8,-

See also our special offer for student groups: excursions