The films selected for the official competition of the Luxembourg City Film Festival 2026 have been revealed.
The 16th edition of the festival is scheduled to take place from 5 to 15 March. Over the course of ten days, films from around the world will be screened across four main categories and 16 subcategories.
This year’s official competition features nine films spanning short films, documentaries, animations, and more. A distinguished jury will evaluate the entries and present awards to the winning productions. Below is a brief overview of the films in competition:
The German black-and-white film “Rose” has been selected to open the 2026 festival. Set in the aftermath of the Thirty Years’ War, this historical drama follows an unknown soldier who arrives in an isolated Protestant village seeking integration. The soldier is, in fact, a woman disguised as a man – a premise based on real events from European history. The film, which was also represented at this year’s Berlinale, will be screened on 5, 6, and 12 March.
The Ukrainian film “How to Divorce During the War” is set in Vilnius in 2022. It juxtaposes a Europe in crisis with the intimate collapse of a couple navigating a divorce. Screenings will take place on 6, 11, and 12 March.
Another film featured at the 2026 Berlinale is “Nina Roza”. The story follows Mihail, who leaves Bulgaria with his daughter Roza after his wife’s death and settles in Montréal, where he works as a contemporary art expert. He is tasked with authenticating the work of Nina, a young artist who has gone viral on social media – a job that forces him to confront his own past. The film will be screened on 7, 8, and 11 March.
This US coming-of-age film follows Rico, a Dominican teenager from the Bronx who spends his summer in New York trying to make money and build connections. However, when his girlfriend unexpectedly becomes pregnant, he is forced to grow up quickly. The film will be screened on 7, 10, and 11 March.
A Hungarian film that can be interpreted as an allegory for the threat of totalitarianism, “Feels like Home” unfolds as a psychological thriller. The protagonist, Rita, is kidnapped by a man who mistakes her for his lost sister and must find a way to escape. Screenings will take place on 6, 12, and 13 March.
The Thai film “Human Resource” offers a portrait of the world of work through the story of a woman who lives alone and works in HR at a major company. Against the backdrop of social changes in Thailand, she must also confront her own personal struggles. The film will be screened on 8, 10, and 11 March.
Set in Lagos in 1993 – a time of political crisis in Nigeria – this African film unfolds over the course of a single day. Two brothers spend the day with their father, and through the children’s eyes, the film captures the complexity of the city, its tensions, and its hopes during a difficult period. Screenings will take place on 7, 13, and 14 March.
“Rose of Nevada” takes viewers to the British coast, where a missing boat mysteriously reappears in the port of a small fishing village after three decades. To lift the curse that has apparently fallen upon the village, protagonists Nick and Liam must steer the vessel back out to sea, where the film’s most pivotal scenes unfold. The film will be screened on 9, 10, and 13 March.
The final film in the official competition is “Blue Heron,” a Hungarian production set in the late 1990s. Young Sasha moves with her family to Vancouver, but their new life is disrupted when her brother suddenly develops a behavioural disorder. The story unfolds through Sasha’s eyes, revealing how her own development is shaped by her brother’s condition. Screenings will take place on 9, 12, and 13 March.
