As part of its 60th edition (20–25 October 2026), the Hof International Film Festival will be hosting the Planet Rebels Award . With this new prize, the festival is expanding its portfolio of awards to include a prize specifically aimed at cinematic works that deal with Climate, the environment, resources and issues for the future to address.

The one with A prize worth 5,000 euros is awarded to feature films and documentaries from the festival programme that open up new perspectives on sustainability, both in terms of their content and the way they were made. The award is sponsored by the Upper Franconia Foundation. The award is decided by an independent jury; the prize money is shared between the director and the production team.

Under the guiding principle „be inspired to unf**ck the future“, the focus will be particularly on films that not only highlight environmental and social challenges, but also develop constructive perspectives and catalyses for change. The new award thus positions itself clearly at the intersection of artistic exploration and social responsibility.

A distinctive feature of the award is its broad definition of sustainability: the assessment focuses not only on the film’s content, but also on its production methods. Resource-efficient working processes, innovative production approaches and new forms of sustainable filmmaking are explicitly taken into account in the jury’s decision.

„Our future needs imagination,“ say the festival organisers. The Planet Rebels Award is intended as an expression of „constructive rebellion“ that opens up new perspectives and paves the way for change. Whilst cinema cannot change the world on its own, it can help to „make it a little better“.

In addition to the new prize, the Hof International Film Festival will continue to present nine further awards as part of its festival programme in 2026.