60th Hof International Film Festival Opens with ZOEY & BEN and CHÉRIE ON TOP

Some stories need time. For ZOEY & BEN, ten years to be exact. Alexander Conrads’ extraordinary long-term project will open the 60th Hof International Film Festival on October 20, 2026. The anniversary evening will begin with the short film CHÉRIE ON TOP by Liselotte Séchet.

As of today, the complete anniversary programme is also available online. At the same time, the festival website has been relaunched, featuring a programme planner, film swiper and ride-sharing platform.

Ten Years of ZOEY & BEN

For more than a decade, Alexander Conrads filmed a new episode of ZOEY & BEN every year. In this way, the passage of time itself becomes part of the story.

Synopsis: When Ben unexpectedly becomes the full-time father of his nine-year-old daughter Zoey, the two embark on a journey in which they both grow up – each in their own way.

At the 2025 Hof International Film Festival, Conrads was awarded the Friedrich Baur Gold Prize for his feature-film debut ZUSAMMEN IST MAN WENIGER GETRENNT, sharing the award with PLAN F by director Ina Balon.

The short film CHÉRIE ON TOP by Liselotte Séchet, a student at the University of Television and Film Munich (HFF Munich), will open the anniversary evening.

Synopsis: A perfectly planned gender reveal party spirals out of control when the expectant father sets off a chain reaction that sends the afternoon into chaos.

The Programme for the 60th Hof International Film Festival Is Now Online

As of October 1, 2026, the complete programme for the 60th Hof International Film Festival is available online. At www.hofer-filmtage.com, film fans can now explore the full anniversary edition and plan their festival visit. Digital ticket sales begin on October 13, 2026. From October 17, 2026, tickets will also be available in person at the festival centre at the Bürgergesellschaft in Hof from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (for additional opening hours, please visit www.hofer-filmtage.com).

The festival website has also been redesigned, together with the Hofer Filmtage Connect app. An individual programme planner connects favourite films with available screenings, while the film swiper invites users to discover films in a playful way. Tickets that have already been purchased can be accessed through the app, and events from the HoF PLUS programme can be viewed there as well.

The app is available directly at app.hofer-filmtage.com. Users can sign in with their existing login details or register for a new account.

Also new is the ride-sharing platform at app.hofer-filmtage.com/mitfahrboerse, designed to make travelling to the festival more sustainable. Visitors can offer rides to Hof or find available seats – outward and return journeys can be arranged independently of one another.

60 years of the Hof International Film Festival – the next chapter begins now.