Apr 21-27: Alfilm Film Festival, Spring Festival at Railroad Depot, Queer Market, and more!
Things to do in Berlin - April 21-27!
Do you like cooking for your guests? I went to a friend's party last night where he made everything from scratch. He actually started cooking on Thursday for a Saturday party! There's something really special about someone putting that much effort into hosting, especially when it comes to the food. Because anyone can order from a restaurant or pick something up from the supermarket, but giving up your time for others is a rare thing these days!
What’s in store for you this week:
🎵 The Infinite Now: Berlin Atonal x Unsound
🎞️ Alfilm - Arabic Film Festival
🎤 ESMT Insight Hour with Paul M. Achleitner
🏳️🌈 Queer Night Market
🚂 Spring Festival at Schöneweide Railroad Depot
🎬 Radical Frame Film Festival
🤝 Artist-Business Matchmaking Event
🖼️ CANE YO: “Running with Scissors” - Exhibition
♨️ Adana Grill - Turkish Restaurant
📅 Spotlight - Sponsored
SPNKD Berlin — Where Desire Rules - Intimate events for curious lovers to deepen connection and explore desires together. More info.
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1. The Infinite Now: Berlin Atonal x Unsound
Berlin Atonal and Unsound present the largest ambient experiment in the world: a thirty hour continuous programme at Kraftwerk Berlin, preceded by three prelude concerts. Over twenty artists perform across a single unbroken span from Saturday evening to Sunday night. Beds, hammocks and rest areas are installed throughout the venue. Inhabitants are invited to stay, sleep, and return. More info.
💵 €43+
📅 10, 12, 14 May & 16 (Sat) - 17 (Sun) May
2. Alfilm - Arabic Film Festival
Running across multiple Berlin venues, Alfilm is a festival dedicated to Arab cinema that brings films rarely seen in Europe to German audiences. The program includes over 40 works by Arab directors, divided into two sections: Alfilm Selection covers recent Arab productions from the past two years, while Alfilm Spotlight focuses on speculative fiction and post-colonial perspectives. The program.
💵 €9+
📅 22 Apr (Wed) - 28 Apr (Tue)
📍 Various Venues
⭐ sponsored post
3. ESMT Insight Hour with Paul M. Achleitner, Supervisory Board Member Bayer AG and Serial Investor
With four decades of experience across companies such as Goldman Sachs, Allianz, and Deutsche Bank, Achleitner will explore the three interconnected dimensions of modern management - legitimacy, performance, and leadership, as illustrated in his recent book, “Accelerate Your Experience: Principles for Success in a Fluid World.” Explore leadership under pressure and what it takes to remain effective, credible, and resilient. Register online.
💵 Free (prior registration required)
📅 22 Apr (Wed), 18:00-19:00 (followed by reception including snacks)
4. Queer Night Market at Holzmarkt
A one-night queer market and social event at Holzmarkt 25. Independent LGBTQ+ artists, designers, makers, and performers fill the space alongside live drag, tattoo artists, street food, and interactive workshops. More info.
💵 €3
📅 24 Apr (Fri), 16:00 - 23:00
5. Spring Festival at Schöneweide Railroad Depot
A two-day open-air festival at the historic Schöneweide railroad depot. Over 20 locomotives are on display, ranging from modern trains to a steam engine built more than a century ago - just like the depot itself. You can tour the inside of the trains and the depot building, and go on steam train rides. More info.
💵 €13 (reduced €6)
📅 25 Apr (Sat) - 26 Apr (Sun)
6. Radical Frame Film Festival - Short Film Series
A two-day short film festival, now in its 12th edition. Radical Frame focuses on independent films under 20 minutes, with a program that leans into progressive, experimental, and socially engaged work covering human rights, the environment, social justice, and anti-capitalist themes. The festival is non-competitive, with no prizes or certifications; the aim is to give independent short films a platform outside the mainstream. More info.
💵 €10
📅 27 Apr (Mon) - 28 Apr (Tue)
Submitted Event
7. Artist-Business Matchmaking Event
A one-evening matchmaking event at Factory Berlin Mitte, pairing 100 artists and businesses through pre-curated introductions. Participants fill out a short profile in advance and the organizers use it to set up targeted matches before arrival. The evening opens with welcome bites, moves into structured match rounds and open rotation sessions, and closes with networking. More info.
💵 €15
📅 23 Apr (Thu)
8. CANE YO: "Running with Scissors" - Exhibition
A pop-up group exhibition at the Atrium Tower. CANE YO is an international artists' collective that formed online through shared sketchbooks and open digital exchange. "Running with Scissors" brings together work from 40 collective members from around the world alongside 5 invited Berlin artists. The practice spans figurative painting, drawing, and digital media, exploring the tension between internet-saturated visual culture and the physical act of making images by hand. More info.
📅 23 Apr (Thu) - 26 Apr (Sun)
Restaurant Suggestion:
Adana Grill - Turkish Restaurant (⭐4/5)
I don’t usually make my way out to Charlottenburg for dinner since it’s a bit far from where I live, but visiting my uncle who lives there gave me a good excuse to take him out for Turkish food nearby. We ended up at Adana Grill, and honestly, it was a pleasant surprise. The place is spacious but was packed for a Wednesday night, which says a lot. Plenty of staff on the floor kept things moving quickly, and our Kurdish waiter was genuinely warm and attentive. There’s a big open BBQ grill visible behind glass, so you get all the atmosphere without the smoke filling the room. We went for the Adana Sarma Beyti, spicy minced lamb grilled on a skewer, wrapped in thin lavash, sliced into rounds, and served with yogurt, tomato sauce, and sizzling butter. Really good. The grilled chicken was also juicy and tender with no fatty bits, and they make their own Ayran too. The price is around €35 per person, and they take both cash and card.
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