FINAL GIRLS BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR IT’S 10TH EDITION

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 we’re 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.

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.

FEATURE FILM HIGHLIGHTS

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 ARE 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.

Final Girls Berlin FF is famous for not only showcasing some of the greatest indie horror but also enriching the horror community, and celebrating every facet with honor.

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, 2024. 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.

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. Whether you’re a longtime devotee or a newcomer to the Final Girls experience, we promise a festival that will shock, disturb, and delight in equal measure.

For more information about the festival, please visit https://www.finalgirlsberlin.com/