Düsseldorf · Edition 03

One Stage.
For the Film Scene
of this City.

Date 04 Nov 2026
Location Düsseldorf · Venue tba
Format Invite-only · 150–300 guests

About

A Curated Stage
for Düsseldorf's Film Scene.

An evening that makes visible what this region actually produces — beyond everyday business, beyond pitch rooms and Zoom calls.

What started in 2024 as an internal screening has evolved into a public platform driven by one clear need: more visibility, more exchange, more real connection within the local film industry. After two successful editions, WHAT THE FILM now moves into a professional external venue, turning Düsseldorf's creative output into a shared cinematic experience.

Short films and commercial work on the big screen — created by the people who work here, introduced by the people who made them.

WHAT THE FILM 2024 — guests in conversation under red light Edition 02 · Düsseldorf
  • 03 Edition
  • 08 Selected Films
  • 300 Industry Guests
  • 01 Cinematic Stage

The Program

Two Strands. One Evening.

A curated program brings together selected short films and commercial productions from Düsseldorf, shown in a real cinema setting with live introductions by the filmmakers.

Cinema screen showing a short film
03 Films

Short Film

Three short films by Düsseldorf-based filmmakers and productions. Narrative, documentary, experimental, and artistically driven works — offering space for independent perspectives and creative freedom.

Each work introduced live, on stage, by the filmmakers themselves.

Audience watching a commercial film on the big screen
05 Films

Commercial Film

Five works from Düsseldorf's production landscape. Advertising films, branded content, campaign work, and client-driven storytelling — the full breadth of what this city makes.

A real cinema setting. Real reactions. Real industry exchange.

Guests in conversation between screenings

Between the Screenings

No Small Talk.
Real Exchange.

Between the screenings, the focus shifts deliberately: encounters, conversations, and new collaborations. No industry small talk — just real exchange between people who actually make the work happen.

Designed as a space where creatives, agencies, and clients meet on equal ground — informal, open, focused on connection that goes beyond a single project.

  • 01Visibility
  • 02Connection
  • 03Local Ecosystem

Call for Entries

Submit Your Film.
Take the Stage.

Who can submit

Production companies, agencies, and filmmakers based in Düsseldorf — or actively working within the Düsseldorf film and media industry.

What we accept

Short films and commercial / advertising films, max. 15 minutes. Created in a professional or semi-professional context.

The fee

€25 per film. This contribution supports the curatorial process, program development and the realization of the event.

Submit on FilmFreeway

Submission does not guarantee selection. The organizers retain full curatorial discretion.

Past Editions

Two Editions In.
One Movement Forward.

Get in Touch

Make Düsseldorf's
Film Scene Visible.

For curatorial questions, partnerships, or invitations — get in touch with us directly.