26/02/2026 - The festival fosters artistic dialogue and industry exchange through its sidebars, while spotlighting Rodrigo Sorogoyen, honouring Isabelle Huppert, and expanding immersive cinema

The 16th edition of the Luxembourg City Film Festival (5-15 March) promises a dynamic blend of film screenings (read news), masterclasses, conferences and networking opportunities. Continuing its commitment to professional exchange and cinephile discovery, the festival once again presents LUXFILMFEST FABRIC, a space dedicated to learning and exceptional encounters.

LUXFILMFEST FABRIC invites audiences to explore the mechanics of cinema alongside those who shape it, through masterclasses, roundtables and special events. This year’s programme is headlined by Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen, President of the International Jury. A major figure in contemporary European cinema, known for works such as Stockholm [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], May God Save Us [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
film profile], The Realm [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Isabel P…
film profile], Madre [+see also:
film review
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interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
film profile] and The Beasts [+see also:
film review
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interview: Rodrigo Sorogoyen and Isabe…
film profile], Sorogoyen has established himself as one of the sharpest observers of social violence, corruption and human complexity. Just weeks ahead of unveiling his new project The Beloved (read the news), he will chair the jury and take part in a masterclass on 14 March at the Cinémathèque at Théâtre des Capucins. A retrospective of his films will run throughout the festival.

The 2026 Talent Award will be presented to French icon Isabelle Huppert, Guest of Honour at this year’s edition, on the occasion of the screening of The Blood Countess [+see also:
film review
interview: Ulrike Ottinger
film profile], directed by Ulrike Ottinger, in which Huppert portrays Countess Elizabeth Báthory.

Among the additional masterclasses, “Quand le jeu vidéo fait son documentaire”, led by Inge Coolsaet, will explore the emergence of feature-length documentaries created within video game environments. Through practical and theoretical perspectives, the session examines how virtual worlds foster new cinematic approaches and challenge conventional notions of reality. A roundtable titled “Artists and/or Filmmakers: The Moving Image in Between Spaces”, with Aline Bouvy, Laura Lux and Karolina Markiewicz, will address the boundaries between contemporary art and cinema, questioning exhibition contexts and production models. Meanwhile, the “Lars Talks: Who Eats Who? - Zombies as Political Metaphor” session, led by Jacques Molitor and Yves Steichen, will revisit eight decades of zombie cinema as a reflection of shifting social and political anxieties.

During the Industry Days, members of Europa Film Festivals and Europa International will convene alongside national and international professionals to address pressing sector challenges. The “3'52'' max Upcoming Titles” pitching sessions (7 March), organised in partnership with Creative Europe MEDIA Desk Luxembourg and supported by Film Fund Luxembourg, will once again offer selected producers and directors exactly three minutes and 52 seconds - a nod to the Grand Duchy’s telephone code - to present projects at various stages of production.

A series of conferences will further explore the evolving landscape of independent cinema. “Unconscious Bias & Decision-Making in the Film Industry” will examine how invisible cognitive mechanisms shape project selection and representation. “Producing Today - Navigating Economy, Creation and Responsibility” proposes a transatlantic dialogue on balancing artistic ambition with financial and technological constraints. The case study “The Anatomy of a Film - From Script to Screen” will offer a detailed look at development, financing and risk management processes, while “Rethinking Festival and Release Strategies” brings together filmmakers, sales agents and festival representatives to reassess premiere positioning and long-term visibility. The Mix and Match Evening will provide a networking platform connecting Luxembourg’s film scene with European organisations and the EAVE training network.

The Immersive Pavilion expands in 2026, presented for the first time across three venues - neimënster, Mudam and Villa Louvigny. Showcasing ten works, including four Luxembourgian co-productions, the competition highlights virtual, augmented and mixed-reality experiences alongside sonic installations competing for the Best Immersive Experience Award. Themes range from loss and healing to ancestral memory, ecological collapse, forced migration and social injustice, reflecting the medium’s growing narrative maturity.

This edition also honours immersive artist Craig Quintero with Just for You, a retrospective trilogy of his VR works, exhibited at Mudam from 5-22 March. The Immersive Pavilion jury comprises Jordana Leigh, Senior Vice President of Artistic Programming at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, French producer and actress Julie Gayet and Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako.

The 8th Immersive Days (4-5 March), organised at Mudam and neimënster, will gather international XR professionals to discuss exhibition models, funding opportunities and the integration of immersive art into theatres and museums. Panels, presentations and project showcases will underline Luxembourg’s growing engagement with immersive audiovisual creation.