Welcome to HARD:LINE International Film Festival

Once a year, the international HARD:LINE Film Festival presents barriers and perspectives of extreme cinema and transforms Regensburg into a capital of genre and subculture. Together, films are seen, discussed, celebrated or condemned here. Over five days, contributions from the genres of horror, thriller and science fiction are shown, mostly at least as German premieres.

As a member of the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF), the festival presents the coveted Méliès D'Argent Award for the best European short film entry. Many renowned guests from all over the world are invited to present their work in Regensburg and answer questions from the audience. HARD:LINE offers a platform for the darker side of cinema entertainment and presents border crossers of good taste, will-o'-the-wisps of popular genres or simply highlights beyond the mainstream.

HARD:LINE consistently celebrates the freest of all genres!

Admission to the events is strictly from the age of 18!

HARD:LINE at a glance

Thirteen years of the finest film festival culture with thousands of visitors each year
276 films and 183 film premieres. Of these, 14 were world premieres, 17 were international premieres, 17 were European premieres, and 135 were German premieres
109 filmmakers from around the world as guests of honor at film screenings and award ceremonies

What others say about us

Das Manifest
Das Manifest Film Magazine
"The Hard:Line Festival is a pleasantly quaint film festival perfectly organised by real enthusiasts with a strong family touch, where you can have a lot of fun away from watching films!"
Filmdienst
Filmdienst Online cinema portal
"Approach the subject with a more ambitious focus."
Chad Archibald
Chad ArchibaldDirector
"One of my favourite fests in the world."
Scary Movies
Scary MoviesHorror movie web portal
"Established as an annual must-attend event for many film fans. After all, there are world and German premieres to see here every year and a unique atmosphere to experience."
Bayern 2
Bayern 2Zündfunk
"Selected with great passion and with love and connoisseurship".
Mittelbayerische Zeitung
Mittelbayerische NewspaperDaily newspaper
"Extreme cinema with depth"
Simeon Halligan
Simeon HalliganDirector
"An amazing festival."
Deadline Magazine
Deadline MagazineFilm Magazine
Extreme cinematic excesses and unique genre gems that are second to none.
Kult
KultEvent Magazine
"Above all, it's the film selection that scores points with both die-hard horror fans and true cinephiles."
Gabriel Carrer
Gabriel CarrerDirector
"Incredible, unique and punk rock."

Important links

News

The 2026 interviews are online

During HARD:LINE XIII, we interviewed all the filmmakers who were our guests. You can see the results here!

Photo Album 2026 #2 – Saturday & Sunday

For the nostalgia and the memory hole: Here’s the second batch of photos from the HARD:LINE Film Festival—taken today: Saturday and Sunday.

Photo Album 2026 #1 – Thursday & Friday

For the nostalgia and the memory hole: Here’s the first batch of photos from the HARD:LINE Film Festival—taken today: Thursday and Friday.
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