City Kino Wedding & Online, March 5-9, 2025
Having grown from a humble two-day event with around 15 attendees to a five-day genre showcase at City Kino Wedding, the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival is celebrating its 10th edition. Recognised by MovieMaker Magazine and Dread Central as one of the best genre festivals worldwide, Final Girls Berlin has become a powerhouse for championing bold, boundary-pushing horror by women, trans, and non-binary filmmakers.
This year’s lineup is a mix of underground gems and festival heavyweights—films that have screened at A-list festivals, landed on Mubi, won major awards, and even earned Oscar nods. These successes underscore the growing recognition and impact of women, trans, and non-binary filmmakers in genre cinema. As horror evolves, they’re leading the charge, and Final Girls Berlin is proud to showcase both the industry’s rising stars and its boldest new visions.
Can’t make it to Berlin? Horror knows no borders––select screenings will be available on Vimeo on demand, making the films accessible to our global audience.
OPENING NIGHT: MI BESTIA
The festival kicks off with Camila Beltrán’s Mi Bestia, a striking coming-of-age body horror set in 1996 Bogotá, where a teenage girl wrestles with societal fears and supernatural transformation. A visually stunning and thematically powerful debut.
THE SUBSTANCE & GRAFTED: A BODY HORROR DOUBLE FEATURE
Body horror is so back—and women are at the forefront. Brace yourself for a night of unflinching, flesh-twisting body horror, starting with Coralie Fargeat’s Oscar-nominated The Substance—a razor-sharp, satirical spectacle that rips apart beauty culture from the inside out. Then, sink into Sasha Rainbow’s Grafted, a haunting tale of transformation, ambition, and the grotesque lengths we’ll go to fit in. Prepare to squirm.
I SAW THE TV GLOW: A CINEMATIC LOVE LETTER TO QUEER LONGING
Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow is a beautiful, atmospheric and deeply personal exploration of media, identity, and trans experience. For those who missed its limited theatrical run, this is an unmissable opportunity to see a defining film of the year.
RETRO SPOTLIGHT: HOLLYWOOD 90028
This rare 1973 psychological horror gem presents the grim underbelly of Los Angeles through the eyes of a struggling cameraman-turned-serial-killer. A bleak and unsettling descent into madness, restored for the big screen.
THE DEVIL’S BATH: A RELENTLESS DESCENT INTO DESPAIR
We’re thrilled to have Des Teufels Bad (The Devil’s Bath) in our program after having our spirits decimated by it at Berlinale. Directed by the uncompromising duo Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, this film stretches the very limits of horror, exploring morality, religion, marriage, and the suffocating reality of a woman with no escape. Brutal, punishing, and unforgettable.
WITCHES: FEMINISM, FEAR AND THE OCCULT
Elizabeth Sankey’s Witches is a documentary-essay hybrid tracing the connection between the cinematic portrayal of witches and real-world mental health stigmas imposed on women. But the conversation doesn’t end when the credits roll—preceding the screening is "That Very Witch: Fear, Feminism, and the American Witch Film," a lecture unpacking the historical and cultural evolution of witches in horror.
CLOSING NIGHT: YOU’RE NOT ME
Our closing feature is a haunting queer horror thriller from Marisa Crespo and Moisés Romera that unfolds like a waking nightmare. When a woman returns to her childhood home to visit her family with her wife and son, unsettling family dynamics spiral into something much darker.
BEYOND THE SCREEN: PANELS, WORKSHOPS, & IMMERSIVE HORROR
Beyond the screenings, Final Girls Berlin 2025 offers a symposium of horror talks and workshops, delving deep into feminist horror criticism, body horror, and cult cinema.
Highlights include:
"Horror: Made in Turkey" – A deep dive into Turkey’s unique horror landscape with filmmakers Elif Ozbay & EMIRHAKIN.
"Pretty Deadly: Female Rage Workshop" – A self-defense and horror-fueled discussion on rage, revenge, and power.
"That Very Witch" – Author Payton McCarty-Simas discusses feminist horror and the evolving cinematic portrayal of witches.
"NIGHTCRAWLERS: Midnight Snack" – Berlin’s only queer immersive horror experience, blending horror, performance, and interactive storytelling. Over two eerie floors at Cocoon Bar, attendees can explore a glitchy birthday party upstairs or descend into a sinister sleepover filled with creepy-crawly guests.
SHORT FILM BLOCKS
The festival’s signature shorts programs continue to push boundaries with selections like Capitalist Horror: Eat the Rich, Queer Horror, and Revenge. From twisted social satires to nightmarish fever dreams, these hand-picked selections showcase the most daring, disturbing, and darkly hilarious shorts from around the world. Prepare for unexpected shocks, razor-sharp commentary, and transgressive visions that redefine horror.
.
I. HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS
Autophagy – Dir. Edie Laurence, UK, 2024
Izzy – Dir. Yfke van Berckelaer, The Netherlands, 2024
Deep Cut – Dir. Michelle Farrah Huang, USA, 2024
Loose – Dir. Nadina Habsjah & Yusgunawan Marto, Indonesia, 2024
Hi! You’re Currently Being Recorded – Dir. Anna Maguire & Kyle Greenberg, UK/Canada/USA, 2024
Evaluation – Dir. Matti Reissig, Germany, 2024
Dark Mommy – Dir. Courtney Eck, USA, 2024
II. CAPITALIST HORROR / EAT THE RICH
Bail Bail (Lease Me Alone) – Dir. Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers, Canada, 2024
Eat the Rich – Dir. Jenna Payne, US, 2024
Hi I Just Moved Here – Dir. Alessandro Pulisci, USA, 2024
Nosocomephilia – Dir. Michèle Kaye, Canada, 2024
Dirty Bad Wrong – Dir. Erica Orofino, Canada, 2024
This Could Have Been An Email – Dir. Jen Sall, US, 2024
Die Lieferung (The Delivery) – Dir. Nabila Bushra & Farah Bouamar, Germany, 2024
III. HET HORROR
Bush – Dir. Emma Maz, USA, 2024
Freak in the Sheets – Dir. Alice Kavanagh, UK, 2024
Hexes 4 Exes – Dir. Marianne Chase, UK, 2024
A Mother’s Love – Dir. Lisa Ovies, Canada, 2024
The Monster Has Always Been Here – Dir. Mia Beisert, Germany, 2024
Sleep On It – Dir. Frances Jacob, The Philippines, 202
Gaslighter – Dir. Gina Hendry, USA, 2024
IV. CULTS
Agonist – Dir. Annie Marie Elliot, USA, 2024
Anemone – Dir. Mila Lignel, Belgium, 2024
Navel Gazer – Dir. Shirin Mori, USA, 2024
Le Ravissement (Raptured) – Dir. Camille Trudel, Canada, 2024
The Blue Diamond – Dir. Sam Fox, USA, 2024
V. MIDNIGHT
Last to Leave – Dir. Mary Elizabeth Ellis, USA, 2024
Micro-Short – Dir. Beth Fletcher, USA, 2024
Mama Doom - Man Parts – Dir. Anne Hickey, David Mayer & Krystal Ancona, USA, 2024
I Am Always Hungry – Dir. Sophie Ansell, UK, 2024
The American Bean – Dir. DC Dzoja, Canada, 2024
Thump – Dir. Alexah Acuña, USA, 2024
VHX – Dir. Alisa Stern & Scott Ampleford, USA, 2024
Gräfin des Grauens - Wan Tan Soup – Dir. Stefanie Oberhoff, Germany, 2024
Tingle – Dir. Camilla Werner-Longo, USA, 2024
Erdbeeren (Strawberries) – Dir. Lara Krämer, Germany, 2024
SCRUMPTIOUS – Dir. Paul Presley, USA, 2024
Bloody Hell – Dir. Lena Albin, Australia, 2024
VI. NIGHTMARES
I Can’t Go On – Dir. Brenna Goodwin-McCabe, Canada, 2024
How To Stay Awake – Dir. Vanessa Magic, Canada, 2024
Happiness – Dir. Tuana Nil Yurdakul, Canada, 2024
Triptych – Dir. Sophia Ray, UK/Bulgaria, 2024
OPEN YOUR EYES – Dir. Samantha Scaffidi, USA, 2024
Popper – Dir. Bonnie Anderson, UK, 2024
VII. QUEER HORROR
Beach Logs Kill – Dir. Haley Z Boston, USA, 2024
The Estrogen Gospel – Dir. Robyn Adams, UK, 2024
It Came From Inside! – Dir. Aura Martinez Sandoval & Jackson Rees, USA, 2024
Consume – Dir. Aliyah Knight, Australia, 2024
Ingestion – Dir. Jordan Pfeifer, USA, 2024
Cancer szn – Dir. Zach Green, Canada, 2024
Tastes Like Pork – Dir. Dante Dammit, USA, 2024
Papergirl – Dir. Jack Warren, USA, 2024
Long Pork – Dir. Iris Dukatt, USA, 2024
VIII. LIFE CYCLES
Die Verdorbene (A Rotten Woman) – Dir. Niamh Sauter-Cooke, Germany, 2023
Magpie Calls – Dir. Phancheewa Baitong Kumwongdee, UK, 2024
In Thousand Petals – Dir. Louise Bongartz, Belgium, 2024
Fia – Dir. Luciana Martínez, Argentina, 2024
Aurora – Dir. Rita Osei, UK, 2024
The Trip – Dir. Arabella Anderson, 2024
Memento Mori – Dir. Clara Prieur, Canada, 2024
IX. POP HORROR / CARNIVALESQUE
We Need To Talk About Balloons – Dir. Jennifer Bonior, USA, 2024
Wander to Wonder – Dir. Nina Ganz, The Netherlands/France/Belgium/UK, 2024
SHE (Snake) – Dir. Renee Zhan, UK, 2023
Milkgum – Dir. Marcelle Nuke, UK, 2024
Sugar Rag – Dir. Jai Love, USA, 2024
Lonely Miss Albright – Dir. Julia Zanin de Paula, USA, 2024
X. REVENGE
Berta – Dir. Lucia Forner Segarra, Spain, 2024
SLUSH – Dir. Ashley George, USA, 2024
Eternal Inferno – Dir. Alexandra Velasco, Mexico, 2024
Wanna Die Wanna Kill – Dir. Joeng Joe Hee, South Korea, 2024
XI. GRIEF
Lullaby – Dir. Chi Thai, UK, 2024
Ürei – Dir. Yarkezhan Baizhan, Kazakhstan, 2024
Descension – Dir. Valery Garcia, USA, 2024
What the Mermaid Likes – Dir. Jessica Puppo, France, 2024
SPEAK WITH THE DEAD – Dir. Stephanie Paris, USA, 2024
Hello Sickness – Dir. Nace DeSanders, South Africa, 2024
Golden Hour – Dir. Maureen McEly, USA, 2024
MEET THE JURY
With filmmakers, critics, and curators from across the horror landscape, these experts bring a deep knowledge of genre cinema and a keen eye for fearless storytelling.
FEATURE FILM JURY
Niamh Sauter-Cooke (Director of Die Verdorbene / A Rotten Woman; filmmaker at blindCat documentary)
Sally Campbell (Editor, writer, researcher and speaker; academic work on Dead Ringers)
Audrey Biasucci (Co-curator of “Pleasure Dome” at Zelluloid42; champion of underground horror and experimental film)
SHORT FILM JURY
Jenni Zylka (Film journalist for Der Spiegel, Rolling Stone, and Tagesspiegel; curator for Nordic Film Days Lübeck and Filmfest Bremen)
Sabine Ehrl (Director of F for Freaks; Cannes La Résidence and Locarno Residency alum; currently developing feature debut PARADISE_bleeding)
Festival venue & ticket information:
Venue: City Kino Wedding, Müllerstr 74, 13349 Berlin
Individual Tickets: €8.50 (available at citykinowedding.de)
Online Tickets: €6 (select films available via Vimeo on Demand)
All-Access Pass: €75 (purchase at finalgirlsberlin.com or at the venue)
Join us as we celebrate ten years of terrifying, transgressive, and trailblazing horror cinema.
About Final Girls Berlin Film Festival
Final Girls Berlin Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing horror cinema by women, trans, and non-binary filmmakers. Since 2016, the festival has become a global platform for marginalized voices in the genre, offering a space for radical storytelling and fearless horror filmmaking.
For more information about the festival, please visit https://www.finalgirlsberlin.com/
For FGBFF 2025 press assets, please click here.
To apply for press accreditation for the 2025 edition of the festival, please contact Final Girls Berlin at finalgirlspress@gmail.com
For other questions, contact the festival directors:
Festival Directors
Elinor Lewy & Sara Neidorf
Social Media
X: @finalgirlsfest
Instagram: @finalgirlsfilmfest
Facebook: www.facebook.com/finalgirlsberlin
Patreon: patreon.com/finalgirls
