Hanna Reifgerst to Become New Artistic Director of the Nordic Film Days Lübeck
Thomas Hailer will leave the festival at the end of March 2026.
The Nordic Film Days Lübeck (NFL) will see a change in artistic leadership. The decision was announced on October 9, 2025, during the festival’s programme press conference by Monika Frank, Senator for Culture and Education of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck.
Hanna Reifgerst, dramaturge, curator, and systemic organizational consultant, will take over as Artistic Director on January 1, 2026. For the past 15 years, she has played a key role in shaping German and European film culture – from story development and film funding to event design and festival work, with a focus on talent development. Since 2022, she has curated the Young Audience section and led the cross-sectional initiative Cinema for All, dedicated to expanding accessibility at the Nordic Film Days Lübeck.
“The Nordic Film Days Lübeck uniquely combine cinematic quality with social relevance. I see my task as preserving and further developing this curatorial vision. As a place of cinematic excellence and social dialogue, the festival should remain a space where new voices and perspectives can be heard – for a diverse audience across all generations,” said Hanna Reifgerst.
Reifgerst succeeds Thomas Hailer, who has served as Artistic Director since 2021 and will leave the festival at the end of March 2026. Since June 2025, a selection committee consisting of Senator Monika Frank, Managing Director Susanne Kasimir, and Berlinale Chief of Staff Florian Weghorn had been seeking his successor.
Senator Monika Frank expressed both gratitude and optimism about the transition:
“It’s definitely too early to thank Thomas Hailer – after all, he still has a full festival edition ahead of him. But next year he will certainly be given a worthy farewell. Appointing Thomas Hailer was a great gain for Lübeck. He has further developed the Nordic Film Days with great commitment, sensitivity, and a clear artistic profile. With Hanna Reifgerst, someone deeply connected to the festival will now take over – she knows the team and the audience and brings fresh impulses for the future. I am very pleased that she is taking on this important role within Lübeck’s cultural landscape, ensuring both continuity and innovation in close dialogue with the city’s cultural community.”
The structure established in 2020 – with a full-time Managing Director employed by the Hanseatic City of Lübeck working in close cooperation with a freelance Artistic Director – has proven successful and will be continued.
