First of all: Always check your Spam folder for our Emails!

Once a year the Independent-Star Filmfest features an exciting mix of the best international short and feature films as well as discussion panels, networking and other activities to create an event out of the filmiest.

All winning films will be screened live.

Bitte immer unbedingt den Spam-Ordner eures Emailprogramms nach unseren Mails abfragen!

Alle Gewinnerfilme werden live aufgeführt.

Unser Festival hat sich dem Independentfilm - sowohl kurz als auch lang - verschrieben und richtet sich an Filmemacher aus der Region, Deutschland und der Welt.
Einmal im Jahr bieten wir eine vielseitige und spannende Mischung an Filmen, sowie Vorträgen und Gelegenheit sich mit Gleichgesinnten auszutauschen.

EVENT
Our passion is the independently produced film. Our mission is to bring worthy filmmakers to a wider attention to get connected for new chances and projects. The Independent-Star Filmfest offers a chance to independent filmmakers to honour their work by showcasing their artwork. Beside of that, filmmakers have the chance to win one of the awards for their work.
The Independent-Star Filmfest offers possibilities to get connected with other filmmakers as well as professionals out of the industry as well as reaching out for a wider audience, producers scouting for talents, distributors searching for content.
By a fine selection of the best films we show a mix of thrilling suspense, emotional roller coaster rides and much laughter.
We roll out the red carpet for our audience and filmmakers for our live screening during our festival that takes place in Freising, Germany.
We reserve the right to publicly screen each winning film one more time during the year.

Unsere Intension ist es, dem unabhängig produzierten Film eine Plattform zu geben und euch die Möglichkeit zu bieten, einen Pokal zu gewinnen.
Unser Festival bietet die Gelegenheit, eure Filme einem größeren Publikum zu präsentieren und mit Filmprofessionellen in Kontakt zu treten. Wir rollen den Teppich aus für das Publikum und die Filmemacher für unser Live-screening, welches in Freising stattfindet.
Wir behalten uns das Recht vor, jeden Gewinnerfilm ein weiteres Mal im Laufe eines Jahres vor Ort erneut öffentlich vorzuführen.

We're opening our call for entries for all filmmakers around the globe regardless of their age, religion, ethnos or culture.

All genres accepted, except commercials.

Alle Genre akzeptiert - ausser Werbung.

The official selections of each category will be announced in social media and on our website. The finalists will be invited as special guests to the Independent-Star Filmfest and the winners will be honored at the end of the festival screening.
The selection will be performed by our jury, featuring professionals such as directors, cinematographers as well as filmmakers and filmenthusiasts to ensure well balanced opinions and viewpoints.

Die offizielle Auswahl in jeder Kategorie wird auf unserer Homepage und in den sozialen Medien bekannt gegeben. Die Gewinner werden als Ehrengäste eingeladen und am Ende der Veranstaltung geehrt.
Unsere Jury setzt sich aus Filmprofessionellen, Cineasten und gewöhnlichen Film-Konsumenten zusammen, um ausgewogene Ergebnisse zu erhalten.

Awards & Prizes

- best Drama
- best Action/Thriller
- best Comedy/Mockumentay
- best Romance/Dramedy
- best Scifi/Fantasy
- best Music video/Dance
- best Horror/Mystery
- best Documentary
- best Animation
- best Travel & Adventure
- best LGBTQIA+

Following nominations are always included with each submission:
best script, actress, actor, cinematography, director, editor, score, young talent;

Rules & Terms

(deutsch darunter)
By submitting your film, you expressly acknowledge and agree that you shall be bound by the terms of this agreement. The Competition reserves the right to refuse entries.

1. All film genre will accepted.
2. Films must not be older than 2 years.
3. All non-german/english language films must have english subtitles.
4. Running time for all submission: up to 150 minutes. Running time includes end credits.
5. All films must be submitted and paid for through filmfreeway.com. Illegible or incomplete entry forms will not be accepted. Materials received after the notification date will be discarded without notice or refund of entry fee. Incomplete applications, failure to include payment, or submitting materials we are unable to preview will disqualify your entry without refund.
6. Each filmmaker can submit several projects or to several categories, but each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry and fee.
7. No film may be withdrawn from the festival program after its selection.
8. Entry fees are non-refundable.
9. The Festival reserves the right to make any necessary changes in regulations or scheduling.
10. The filmmaker certifies to have full rights. Producer will indemnify the organisers of the Festival against all claims, demands, costs, damages, expenses (including legal fees), proceedings and losses resulting from the screening of the film at the Festival or from claims by any third parties.
11. It isn't necessary for submitters or Award winner filmmakers to be on location at the date of the festival. Award trophies will be shipped at submitters costs worldwide.
12. Additional categories such as best actor etc. will be assessed and awarded without the entrant incurring any additional submission fees.

Mit dem Einreichen deines Filmes stimmst du ausdrücklich den Regeln und Bedingungen zu.
Wir behalten uns das Recht vor, Beiträge abzulehnen.

1. Alle Genres werden akzeptiert.
2. Filme dürfen nicht älter als 2 Jahre sein.
3. Filme, deren Sprache nicht deutsch oder englisch ist, müssen in englisch untertitelt sein.
4. Laufzeit aller Filme bis max. 150 Minuten. Alle Längen inklusive Abspann.
5. Alle Beiträge müssen über filmfreeway.com eingereicht und deren Gebühren entrichtet werden. Unvollständige oder fehlerhafte Beiträge werden nicht akzeptiert. Beiträge, die nach den finalen Bekanntgaben eingereicht werden, werden ausgeschlossen ohne Erstattung der Gebühren. Einreicher mit unvollständiger Anmeldung, falsch entrichteten Gebühren oder fehlerhaftem Bildmaterial werden disqualifiziert. Einreichgebühren werden nicht erstattet.
6. Jeder Einreicher kann mehrere Beiträge und auch in mehreren Kategorien einreichen. Für jeden Beitrag muss eine separate Einreichgebühr entrichtet werden.
7. Ist ein Beitrag ausgewählt um auf dem Festival zu laufen, kann er nicht mehr vom Wettbewerb zurückgezogen werden.
8. Einreichgebühren werden nicht erstattet.
9. Wir nehmen uns das Recht vor, Änderungen an den Regularien und Bedingungen oder dem zeitlichem Ablauf vorzunehmen.
10. Der Einreicher bestätigt mit dem einreichen seines Beitrags, dass er alle benötigten Rechte an sämtlichem Material besitzt. Der Einreicher hält das Festival schadlos vor externen Ansprüchen /Kosten (insbesondere Anwalts- oder Gerichtskosten)/Prozessen und Einbußen jedweder Art -auch von Dritten.
11. Für Einreicher oder Gewinner ist es nicht notwendig, bei der Austragung anwesend zu sein. Siegestrophäen werden weltweit auf Kosten der Einreichenden verschickt.
12. Zusätzliche Kategorien wie Best actor usw. werden durch uns bewertet und ausgezeichnet, ohne das Einreichenden zusätzliche Gebühren enstehen.
60 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Light Streams

    During one month I sent 3 emails trying to contact the festival. My last email was answered. I was asking about the digital award certificates for winners. The answer was: “due to the high cost of issuing new certificates for each award winner every year, we do not offer this service”
    What cost implies sending an editable pdf that would look identically for all winners except for category, filmmaker name and film name…. And changing the year every new year? If that maximum 45 seconds necessary for editing each digital certificate represent a high cost then editing certificates could be a bright idea for getting rich.
    It’s respect for filmmakers vs certificate editing time or cost or whatever reason… respect loses.
    First and last participation!

    November 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you for your review, which apparently only refers to the certificates (why then the poor rating in the other categories?). Your criticism fails to mention that it's not just the creation of certificates that takes time—even with around 60 winners, it takes a lot of time and can't be done in 45 seconds per certificate, otherwise mistakes creep in!
    We also have numerous other things to do in the schedule during the peak of the festival. Have you ever organized a film festival? (Besides, we are only 2 persons running the whole festival including being members of the jury!) Not to mention that each winner receives a trophy. Here, too, 60 trophies had to be correctly labeled and ordered. I don't think a certificate matters anymore, does it? The demand for it is so low that it's hardly measurable. And as already mentioned in the email, everyone has a laurel for the movie poster. We hope we have made our point clear.

  • Paul Schwind

    Wonderful Organizers, who were dedicated to the invited filmmakers and gave the event a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

    November 2025
    Helpful
  • Rasmus Kaessmann

    Really enjoyed being part of Independent Star Filmfest Freising! The team was super supportive and professional throughout. Great vibe, well-organized, and they genuinely care about the films and filmmakers. Taking home the Gold Award for Best Documentary from this festival means a lot – thank you! Would definitely recommend submitting to this festival. Thanks for the recognition! 🙏

    November 2025
    Helpful
  • Graham Green

    We were honored to receive the Gold Award at the Independent Star Film Festival, a truly outstanding celebration of independent cinema. The organizers’ passion for storytelling and their commitment to giving films with meaningful messages a platform is inspiring.

    Our film Force Drift was made to spark dialogue about humanity, unity, and resilience, and we’re deeply grateful that this festival recognized its voice during a time when America, and the world, are confronting dark and divisive far right wing forces again.

    Thank you, Independent Star, for standing with filmmakers who use art to illuminate truth and hope.

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • Benjamin Dinarica

    War super Abend, sehr Freundlich empfangen und freuen uns wieder teil der Festivals zu sein.

    October 2025
    Helpful