ENFF 2026 is about to start!
The 18th edition of Eastern Neighbours Film Festival is almost here. As of 4 November 2026, you can enjoy the finest cinema from broader Eastern Europe at Filmhuis Den Haag. Get ready for five days of inspiring films, talks, Q&As, good wine and much more. Our opening night on Wednesday is already sold out, but there’s plenty more to look forward to.
Here are some of Thursday’s highlights.
OUTLIVING SHAKESPEARE
“To be or not to be?” echoes through the halls of a run-down Armenian care home, where a group of elderly residents rehearse Shakespeare’s Sins, an original play in which the renowned playwright’s own characters confront him over their tragic fates. From casting to premiere night, Outliving Shakespeare follows the residents’ theatre troupe as they grow closer, transforming from a lighthearted look at aging into a deeper, thought-provoking exploration of the loneliness that accompanies it.
As the production unfolds, the theatre begins to mirror reality. A tender yet unsparing portrait of a generation that once lived fully and, now waiting in the wings, still finds moments of vitality, connection and joy.
Thursday 5 November 16:30
Saturday 7 November 21:30
SERMON TO THE VOID
This Dutch premiere follows Shah Ismail at the end of the world, while he crosses an endless desert in search of the mythical Water of Life. Around him, unnamed figures emerge from the landscape only to disappear again, their identities and purpose remaining elusive. The final chapter of Hilal Baydarov’s Sermon trilogy turns this elemental journey into an apocalyptic fable about faith, salvation and the search for meaning at the edge of oblivion.
Thursday 5 November 18:30
Saturday 7 November 21:00
MINIMUM LOVE
On the streets of Prague, a young filmmaker asks strangers what they fear, desire and believe in, revealing a generation caught between uncertainty, loneliness and a longing for love.
“How are you?” the director asks people leaving a subway station. Brief answers from tired passers-by lead into intimate encounters with Czech youth. Drunken outbursts give way to tender embraces, while harsh words reveal anxieties about an uncertain world and sensitive, wounded souls. They speak about sex, feminism, the war nearby and the climate crisis. Young people emerge from the darkness and return to it.
Thursday 5 November 18:45
Friday 6 November 21:15
Director Maja Penčič will be present for a Q&A after the screenings
