A film festival for the love of water
River film fest celebrates free-flowing rivers, clean water, and freshwater life.
Each year, we present an international selection of environmental and outdoor films in cities around Europe. By sharing stories and discussing scientific insight, we want to change the conversation about rivers, and inspire action.
For more information and for our events calender please visit this site: riverfilmfest.eu
River Film Fest Berlin 2025 - Flussfilmfest Berlin 2025
Flussfilmfest Berlin 2025 will feature “Covenant of the Salmon People” by Shane Anderson, a film about the Nez Perce and their call for the removal of four large dams in the Lower Snake River (Columbia Snake River Campaign) at Heinrich Boell Foundation in Berlin on January 15, 2025. We are glad to announce that guests from the Nez Perce tribe will come to Berlin to join our panel at the event.
A second film evening will feature “Salmo & sapiens” by Johan Granstrand about the relatio of our two species from a Scandinavian perspective at Patagonia Berlin on January 23, 2025. Film author Johan Granstrand will be joining our panel at the event.
Mainflussfilmfest 2025
Mainflussfilmfest 2024 receives Bavarian Environment Award!
A partner of the Main river film festival from the beginning, Living Rivers Foundation took part in the Bavarian Environment Award ceremony in November 2024.
Mainflussfilmfest 2023 and 2024 -
Festival trailers and photo impressions:
In 2023, the first edition of a Main river film festival took place. Not just in one town, but in several cinemas along the course of the river from its source to its mouth. In this way, Main River connects people over 500 km and is our common responsibility.
The first edition of Mainflussfilmfest was organised in March 2023 by Flussparadies Franken e.V. and Netzwerk Main in cooperation with Living Rivers Foundation and other partners. The event series was financially supported by the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs. The opening took place on 14 March, the International Day of Action for Rivers in Bayreuth. A matinee in Frankfurt am Main on 26 March marked the final event of the festival. During the festival, an international selection of environmental and outdoor short films was screened.
Mainflussfilmfest 2023 tour:
Tuesday, 14 March at franz & gloria- Bayreuth
Wednesday, 15 March at the Neue Filmbühne- Lichtenfels
Friday, 17 March at the Odeon/Lichtspiel- Bamberg
Friday, 17 March at the Roxy- Kitzingen
Saturday, 18 March at Central im Bürgerbräu- Würzburg
Saturday, 18 March at the Film-Photo-Ton Museum Huttenschloss - Gemünden a.Main
Sunday, 19 March at Capitol Kino- Zeil a. Main
Sunday, 19 March at KuK - Cinema & Pub- Schweinfurt
Sunday, 19 March at Burg-Lichtspiele - Karlstadt
Monday, 20 March at Capitol Kino- Zeil a. Main
Thursday, 23 March at Movie im Luitpoldhaus- Marktheidenfeld
Thursday, 23 March at Filmklubb- Offenbach
Thursday, 23 March at the Schloß-Theatre - Miltenberg
Saturday, 25 March at the Casino Filmtheatre- Aschaffenburg
Sunday, 26 March at Harmonie- Frankfurt a. Main
Michael Bender in Bayreuth for the opening of the Main Flussfilmfest (2023).
Greetings for the opening of the Main Flussfilmfest in Bayreuth, Franz & Gloria Cinema (2023).
Michael Bender and the panelists for the opening of the Main Flussfilmfest in Bayreuth, Franz & Gloria Cinema (2023).
Partners and Support
As rivers are threatened around the globe, biodiversity is in dramatic decline. If water is life, we better take care of it.
We know this much →
the love people have for water is real
options for better river protection are real
dam removal and re-wilding is real
For our events, we team up with local partners and curate programs that address current issues.
In 2023 and 2024, support for river film fest came from Open Rivers Fund. Support for previous event series came from Patagonia, Packraft Europe and others.
In 2025, we are once more partnering with Freshwaters Illustrated and feature some of their amazing short and feature films at our events.
Flussfilmfest München 2020 at Gasteig, in cooperation with WWF Germany. Panelists: Sigrun Lange, Tobias Schäfer, Prof. Dr. Klement Tockner, Vera Knook, Michael Bender, Toni Knittel, Walter Binder, Dr. Josef Heringer, Martin Rasper (photo credits: Kristof Reuther).