COPENHAGEN HEADLINER FILM FESTIVAL
- a curated international film festival presenting approximately 30 films in cinemas in Copenhagen.

SCREENINGS AT GRAND TEATRET & GLORIA CINEMA IN THE HEART OF COPENHAGEN.
SUBMIT AT FilmFreeway - THE #1 FESTIVAL PORTAL IN THE WORLD.
IMDb CREDITED FILM FESTIVAL.
BE IN THE COMPANY OF OSCAR AND CANNES WINNERS.
GOLD FESTIVAL AT FILMFREEWAY.
YEARLY PHYSICAL FESTIVAL AT ONE OF COPENHAGEN’S MOST BEAUTIFUL CINEMAS.
CASH PRIZES.
A KICK-ASS JURY (AFFILIATED WITH NETFLIX, PRIME VIDEO, DISNEY+, HULU, LIONSGATE).

Make sure to visit our website at https://www.cphheadlinerfilmfestival.com/

WHO WE ARE
Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival is an international film festival that celebrates new emerging Danish voices, international feature films, and supports sustainability & social awareness. Our base is the renowned arthouse cinemas Grand Teatret + Gloria Cinema & Café located in the heart of Copenhagen.

WHAT WE DO
With a yearly festival event and various pop-up events throughout the season, Copenhagen Headline Film Festival provides a professional platform where filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences meet to celebrate the art of cinema.

Selected films are programmed into six curated sections:

Headliner Features
Short Wonders
Headliner Docs
Experimentals
Music + Visuals
Made in Denmark

All films selected for the Official Selection are screened at the physical festival in Copenhagen.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Films in various genres and formats that explore the human condition in all its complexity through original stories and visually stunning pictures. Impactful stories that raise awareness of our shared responsibilities and the world we live in. However, mainstream films - when done properly - can be equally satisfying. Quality is - no matter the genre, or format - at the forefront of Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival.

THE FESTIVAL
The main festival spotlights a dynamic selection of feature films and short films, while pop-up events throughout the year celebrate the power of documentaries, experimental cinema, and the rise of new Danish voices. In collaboration with Grand Teatret, audiences also experience exclusive Danish premieres of handpicked A-list feature films.

The festival also showcases a selection of A-list feature films out of competition from Cannes, Berlin, TIFF, and other leading international festivals, alongside a few curated surprises. The program also includes several short films presented in the SHORT WONDERS competition, spanning different genres and formats — among them Oscar nominees and winners.

The festival experience is further enriched with workshops, lectures, masterclasses, Q&A sessions, panel discussions, concerts and art exhibitions.

CHFF DIGITAL CINEMA
In addition to our in-cinema program, Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival presents CHFF Digital Cinema - a curated online showcase running from July 15–25.

This digital extension is designed to complement the physical festival by presenting a broader selection of films to an international audience beyond the cinema.

Due to limited screening capacity, not all selected films can be included in the in-cinema program. CHFF Digital Cinema allows us to highlight additional works as part of the overall festival experience.

Participation in the digital program is optional and only available upon invitation.

THE JURY
Every year we carefully select a competent and hardworking jury to review the submissions from every possible angle to ensure that the best films of the year get chosen.

PAST JURY MEMBERS
Martin Kobylarz | Cinematographer | THE LOST PIRATE KINGDOM
Diêm Camille | Actress | ALIEN: EARTH, THE WHEEL OF TIME
Julian Winding | Composer | THE NEON DEMON, COPENHAGEN COWBOY
Paw Terndrup | Actor | FREDERIK IX
Eava Putro | Actress | TOVE, BREEDER
Morten Green | Sound Designer | SHORTA, WARRIOR, THE QUIET ONES

Awards & Prizes

All films selected as part of the Official Selection of the Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival are eligible for a range of awards presented by the festival jury.

MAIN COMPETITION AWARDS 🏆

FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
The Headliner Award | Best Feature Film (Cash Prize)
The Storyteller Award | Best Script (Cash Prize)

MADE IN DENMARK COMPETITION
Made In Denmark Award (Cash Prize)

SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Short Wonders Award | Best Short Film

HEADLINER DOCS COMPETITION
Headliner Docs Award

EXPERIMENTAL & MUSIC + VISUALS COMPETITION
Beyond Borders Award

HORROR / AFTER HOURS COMPETITION
After Hours Award | Best Horror Film

STUDENT FILM COMPETITION
Best Student Film Award

*The winning student film will be screened at the physical festival in Copenhagen.

*Competitions are exclusively for film sections where films compete as complete works, and “Awards” for jury-recognised achievements or thematic distinctions presented across sections.

ACTING & TECHNICAL AWARDS 🏆

ACTING AWARDS (Across all sections)
Best Acting Performance

SOUND & VISION AWARDS (Across all sections)
Best Cinematography
Best Sound Design

CHFF DIGITAL CINEMA AWARDS 🏆

CHFF Digital Cinema Jury Prize
Awarded by the festival jury to the most outstanding film presented in the CHFF Digital Cinema program.

CHFF Digital Cinema Audience Award
Awarded to the film receiving the highest audience engagement during the online showcase.

HONORARY AWARDS (Non-competitive) 🏆

The Headliner Humanity Award
Presented to a film that engages with social, humanistic, or ethical themes. The award may be given at the jury’s discretion.

The Legacy Award | Lifetime Achievement
Presented in recognition of an outstanding and lasting contribution to cinema.

Rules & Terms

*Entry fee paid by credit card or PayPal. Entry fees are non-refundable.

*Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival reserves the right to disqualify any submission without refund of submission fees.

ELIGIBILITY
Open to global filmmakers. Language can be English without subtitles, or any other foreign language with subtitles.

Screenplays must be in English.

While premieres are not requirements for CHFF, premiere status is considered in final programming decisions.

Private online/FilmFreeway screener preferred. We do not accept physical DVD/blu-Ray, DCP etc. Digital versions via download link is accepted.

Should not promote extremist political or religious views, defame individuals or organizations.

You confirm your work is cleared for festival exhibition (all music, fonts, visuals, etc.) and the intellectual property is yours, or permission is acquired from the copyright owner.

Submitting multiple film projects by the same team of filmmakers within the same competition is allowed. However, films already submitted in one season cannot be submitted again.

Film submission does not guarantee 'Official Selection'.

Films submitted must not infringe any copyright or other intellectual property right of any third party.

Abusive or non-constructive feedback will not be entertained.

a. Copyright Confirmation: Filmmakers must provide express consent and confirm copyright ownership for any streaming of their audiovisual project, ensuring that all necessary rights are in place for public exhibition.

b. Use of Stills and/or Clip Fragments: You certify that your work is ready for festival exhibition (all music, fonts, visuals, etc. are cleared worldwide, in perpetuity, multi-platform), and that the intellectual property is yours. If you are acting as a distributor, you affirm you've secured permission from the copyright owner. You allow us to use stills and short clips from your audiovisual project on the festival's digital platforms, including our website and social media channels, exclusively for promotional, non-commercial, and educational purposes.

c. Downloading: You grant permission to the Festival Director and the adjudicators to download your audiovisual project(s) to assist with offline viewing and to fulfill the festival's programming needs.

IMDb
CHFF’s team can update your awards/nominations on your IMDb pages, but will not initiate the creation of project pages if they don't exist.

PHYSICAL SCREENING AT GRAND TEATRET / THE GRAND THEATRE
- All filmmakers that are selected will receive free admission for themselves + one.

- All filmmakers must register in advance.

- One film per filmmaker.

- We prioritize films where a representative/crew member from your film are present at the screening. Though it's not mandatory the festival will benefit from having as many filmmakers attending as possible.

- Your place at the screening event is not guaranteed until you have sent us a digital copy of the film, and we confirmed its addition to the screening queue.

- Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival reserve the right to decide whether or not to screen any particular film.

- Rules and Terms are subject to change.

SCREENING FORMATS
- We accept all aspect ratios (16:9. 4:3, 21:9 etc.)

- We accept .MOV formats (ideally MP4.)

ADDITIONAL RULES & TERMS
*NOTE: Please read additional Terms & Rules on the official website of Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival.
8 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • August Ussing

    Our short film The Empty Space Between Us was screened at the inaugural edition of this great festival. The curation was inspiring with a wide range of powerful voices and perspectives.
    Thank you to the organizers for their professionalism, passion, and dedication to showcasing such great films.

    October 2025
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  • Tamara Orlova

    Great festival and the organisers are approachable and passionate.

    October 2025
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  • Marta Salvador Tato

    On behalf of filmmaker Mads Koudal:

    "I participated in the very first edition of the Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival, and it was a really good experience. From the start, the festival managed to create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere, where you as a filmmaker felt both seen and appreciated. I had my short film “TINGFINDER/FINDERS KEEPERS” in the competition, and it was a great honor that it was awarded the prize for “Best Short Film” alongside a string of nominations. The entire process surrounding the competition was professionally organized, and the communication was both clear and friendly. Obviously a lot of work goes into setting up a new film festival, and the organizer Jesper Isaksen in particular deserves praise for creating a space where film art and community go hand in hand. All in all, the Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival was a really good experience, and I look forward to following the festival’s development in the years to come."

    September 2025
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  • David Silset

    I had the pleasure of attending the Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival this summer, and it was a truly memorable experience. The curation of films was outstanding, diverse, daring, and each one gripping in its own way. The festival’s ongoing programming showed a real sense of ambition and vision, consistently bringing forward works that challenge, provoke, and inspire.

    What stood out most was that this is a festival with something to say. The films weren’t chosen at random; they carried weight, urgency, and relevance, offering perspectives that matter. Behind it all was a dedicated team clearly working tirelessly to create the best festival possible.

    Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival isn’t just another event on the calendar, it’s a place where cinema is treated with care, purpose, and passion.

    September 2025
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  • Karim Theilgaard

    CHFF has gotten off to a great start with their first edition in 2025! The festival communication is thorough and responsive. Expect a high level of films being presented and an enthusiastic crowd! I look forward to seeing how this new festival will grow and develop. I fully recommend supporting Copenhagen Headliner Film Festival.

    August 2025
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