Final Girls Berlin film festival showcases horror cinema that’s directed, written, or produced by women and non-binary filmmakers. We are committed to creating space for female voices and visions, whether monstrous, heroic or some messy combination of the two, in the horror genre. We’ve seen more than enough representations of women as beautified victims and constructions of male fantasies or anxieties, and are working towards the primacy of women as subjects and storytellers in horror.
Our definition of women includes anyone with female experience –past or present– and is trans-inclusive. Anyone who feels addressed by the term is welcome to submit their films to the festival.
Get ready for a diverse and expansive experience at this year’s Final Girls Berlin—featuring FGB’s most international selection yet! The opening film, Laura Casabé’s THE VIRGIN OF THE QUARRY LAKE from Argentina, centers on a spell-binding teen who uses her powers to satiate her dark desires.
Folk horror is well-represented this year, with Aislinn Clarke delving into Irish folklore and trauma in FREWAKA, a retrospective screening of Kasi Lemmons’ Southern Gothic tale about a young girl confronting family secrets, and the Adams’ family MOTHER OF FLIES (German Premiere) about a young woman striking a sinister deal with a witch after receiving a terminal diagnosis.
The talents of Canadian director and actress Grace Glowicki are on full display—she directs and stars in the unconventional DEAD LOVER (German Premiere) about a grief-stricken gravedigger trying to resurrect her beloved, and can be seen in Madeleine Sims-Fewer & Dusty Mancinelli’s HONEY BUNCH, a twisty love story about a husband trying to help his amnesiac wife.
On the lighter side of things, we have Tina Romero’s (daughter of George) zombie comedy QUEENS OF THE DEAD, full of glitter, and drag queens. The feature program is rounded out by the moving, otherworldly CAMP (German Premiere) directed by Avalon Fast and the award-winning panic attack of a movieIF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU directed by Mary Bronstein starring a never better Rose Byrne.
As always, you have your share of short blocks to choose from—there’s Final Girls Berlin staples such as Midnight, Queer Horror, and Social Horror, as well as Religious Horror, the Psychosexual, films exploring the dark side of Ambition and Friendship, and more!
Sound is at the forefront of the events in 2026. There’s the very first FGB Live Score event with horror prog trio Pavone Cristallo accompanying Maya Deren’s MESHES OF THE AFTERNOON (1943) and Germaine Dulac’s THE SEASHELL AND THE CLERGYMAN (1928) as well as two sonic workshops: “Make Your Own Damn Sounds: How to make sound effects and foley for your film“ and “Hysterics Unplugged—the Sound of Horror.“ In addition, there will be talks about “Deconstructing Sex/Gender and the Body in Contemporary Horror Shorts“ and “Female Hunger, Appetite, and Consumption“ as well as an empowerment through horror workshop for BIPOCs and a “Frankenstein Technique“ collage workshop.
