After Hours Filmfestival (3)

Festival start: 25 August 2026      Festival end: 27 August 2026

The festival aims to support filmmakers who operate outside established institutional and financial support structures.

Its goal is to give visibility, in particular, to works produced without significant backing from recognized film schools, government funding bodies, or established industry networks.

Jury Award
Audience Award

1. Production Independence

Submitted films must have been produced autonomously and independently.

A production is specifically considered not independent if:

It was created as part of a degree program at a recognized film, art, or media university; or

A recognized university, academy, or comparable institution was involved as a producer, co-producer, or significant supporter; or

Substantial resources (particularly financing, infrastructure, or personnel) were provided by such an institution.

2. Exclusion of Institutionally Influenced Productions
Films created within the context of the following institutions are specifically excluded from participation:

Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin

Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München

Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

Internationale Filmschule Köln

Hamburg Media School

Macromedia Hochschule für Medien und Kommunikation

Mediadesign Hochschule

Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart

Universität der Künste Berlin

Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln

Kunstakademie Düsseldorf

Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg

The organizer reserves the right to classify additional institutions as comparable on a case-by-case basis.

3. Participation of Students and Alumni
Participation is not excluded solely because filmmakers are or were enrolled at a university.
However, it is a requirement that the submitted film:

Was not created as part of the degree program.

Was realized without the use of institutional resources (e.g., state funding, broadcaster participation).

The burden of proof and disclosure lies with the person submitting the entry.

4. Financing and Funding
Films are not eligible if they:

Were significantly financed by state or regional film funds; or

Were created with the involvement of television broadcasters, streaming platforms, or established production companies.

Funding is considered significant if it constitutes a substantial portion of the total financing or structurally enabled the production.

5. Duty of Transparency
When submitting, applicants are obliged to provide full and truthful information regarding:

Production context

Financing

Institutional involvement

Resources used

The organizer is entitled to request relevant supporting documentation.

6. Disqualification for False Information
Incorrect or incomplete information may lead to exclusion from the festival, including retroactively. In such cases, prizes already awarded may be revoked.

Organizer’s Discretion
The organizer reserves the right to perform a substantive assessment of independence in individual cases. The deciding factor is not the formal affiliation with an institution, but the actual degree of structural, financial, and network-based advantage.

Final Provision:
By submitting an entry, participants accept these terms and conditions.