News
09. October 2020
30th FFC – Feature Film Competition complete
The FilmFestival Cottbus has been known for the best cinema from Eastern Europe for 30 years. In the Feature Film Competition at the 30th FilmFestival Cottbus (November 3 to 8, 2020), twelve films from a total of 22 (co-)production countries compete for the main prize of 25,000 euros and the special prize for best director as well as the prize sculpture LUBINA (Sorbian: the Lovely).…
Under the title "Film Location Brandenburg", the 30th FFC will be exploring the state of Brandenburg, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of its founding on 3 October, as an extremely versatile film location for international and German productions from 3 to 8 November. Every year dozens of feature films and television series are produced in Brandenburg. Not only in Potsdam-Babelsberg, but also in the surrounding…
03. October 2020
Von Frust und Freiheit (Of Frustration and Freedom) – History of the post-reunification period
The 30th year of German unification marks a change not only for Germany but also for its neighbouring countries. The FFC section "Von Frust und Freiheit" (Of Frustration and Freedom) - History(s) of the Post-Revolutionary Era looks at the effects in (East) Germany and the former socialist states of East Central Europe– Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The works presented tell astonishingly colourful…
01. October 2020
„Stau 1990/2020“: Right-wing extremism as a side effect of the reunification process
With the series "Stau 1990/2020", the 30th FilmFestival Cottbus, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of German Unity, reflects on the right-wing extremism of the 1990s as an anti-democratic side effect of the reunification process and asks about the consequences for the current political culture. In the 1990s, the influx of right-wing extremist parties and right-wing subcultures was one of the side effects of…
23. September 2020
FFC at the Finále Plzeň
For three years now, the FFC has been presenting programmes of German films at the Finále Pilsen, the most important national Czech film festival. This year, under the title "30 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain", the programme includes eight feature films, documentaries and short films that deal with East-West German themes in a pointed way. They deal with the difficulties and the…
01. September 2020
Celebrating Hungarian film
Veszprém-Balaton Filmpiknik is Hungary's newest film festival, the very first cultural cinema event of the 2023 European Capital of Culture Veszprém-Balaton. From 3 to 5 September the most famous Hungarian film classics and a selection of the best films from 2019 and 2020 will be screened, including FOMO and TALL TALES – films from the 29th FFC edition. The jury of the Veszprém-Balaton Filmpiknik also…
On the occasion of its 30th anniversary edition (November 3 to 8, 2020), the FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC) makes itself and Germany a gift: The FFC is growing into the digital world and is expanding the Cottbus festival onto a new level with a nationwide online program. The goal of the FilmFestival Cottbus for already 30 years now has been promoting young, exciting, dialogue-oriented cinema from…
The European Film Academy has announced the first part of the feature films that will be recommended for nomination for the 2020 European Film Awards. Due to Covid-19 and its restrictions, the selection of 2020 will be announced in two steps. The second part of the list will be published in September. The two-step announcement allows the inclusion of films that would have premiered by…
19. August 2020
Here we are – the new team of the 30th FFC!
Here we are! And we're bright! The new team of the 30th FilmFestival Cottbus. We are preparing this year's anniversary festival for you. The 30th edition is under special circumstances, but it will surely be a blast. Let yourself be surprised!
From July 28 to August 1, 2020 the tenth Postira Seaside Film Festival (PSFF) will take place in the idyllic coastal town of Postira on the island Brač (Croatia). Since 2015 there is an intensive festival partnership between PSFF and the FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC).
Due to the Covid19 pandemic, all film festivals and film markets worldwide have been cancelled since the beginning of March. Most of them were postponed or presented their programmes online. With the necessary cautious reopening of the cinema landscape in Europe, it is foreseeable that film festivals will soon be able to take place again. The Sarajevo Film Festival and the Prishtina Film Festival, for…
08. June 2020
Cinema life in Germany restarts with NATIONAL STREET
One of the first releases to restart cinema life in Germany is NATIONAL STREET by Štěpán Altrichter. The film will start in German cinemas on 11 June 2020. The adaptation of the successful novel of the same name by Jaroslav Rudiš was screened as German premiere at the FFC 2019 in the Feature Film Competition and received the "Cottbus ins Kino" award for the promotion of…
Our series "EINBLICKE #stillcreative INSIGHTS" includes videos in which European filmmakers send greetings about the current situation. The complete playlist of "EINBLICKE #stillcreative INSIGHTS" is available on the YouTube-Kanal of the FilmFestival Cottbus: www.youtube.com/ffc
18. March 2020
Call for submissions – 30th FFC
Submission closed. Deadline: July 15th, 2020. Cottbus looks for new feature and short films from Eastern, East Central and South Eastern Europe* From November 3 to 8, 2020 the 30th jubilee edition of the FilmFestival Cottbus, one of the continent’s leading festivals for Central and Eastern European Cinema, is scheduled to take place. Featuring a total of up to 200 films from more than 30…
03. March 2020
Polish Film Awards ORŁY – CORPUS CHRISTI breaks record
The drama CORPUS CHRISTI by Jan Komasa has set a new record with eleven awards at the Polish Film Awards ORŁY (Eagle). Never before in the history of ORŁY, which has been awarded since 1999, has a film won so many prizes. With nominations in 15 of a total of 18 categories, CORPUS CHRISTI had already started the race with clear dominance and has now…
26. February 2020
Photo Gallery "EAST EUROPEAN BRUNCH" – Kick-off 30. FFC
Auftakt ins Jubiläumsjahr Das FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC) feiert 2020 sein 30. Jubiläum. Der offizielle Auftakt in dieses bedeutende Festivaljahr ist der heutige internationale Branchentreff „East European Brunch“ im Rahmen der 70. Berlinale.Gemeinsam mit der Vertretung des Landes Brandenburg beim Bund begrüßten das FFC und der Ost-West-Koproduktionsmarkt connecting cottbus (coco) 300 Gäste aus Film, Kultur, Politik und Wirtschaft.Erste Programminhalte des 30. FFC, die 22. coco-Ausgabe sowie…
The FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC) celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2020. The official start of this significant festival year was the international industry meeting "East European Brunch" during the 70th Berlinale on 26 February 2020. Together with the Representation of the State of Brandenburg to the Federal Government, the FFC and the East-West co-production market connecting cottbus (coco) welcomed over 300 guests from the film industry,…
05. February 2020
Ognjen Glavonić is member of debut jury at the Berlinale
The Serbian director and author Ognjen Glavonić is member of the jury "GWFF Best First Feature Award" of this year's 70th Berlinale (Feb 20 to Mar 1, 2020). Glavonić participated with TERET | THE LOAD 2018 in the Feature Film Competition of the 28th FilmFestival Cottbus. The film received a Special Mention by the International Jury and won the FIPRESCI Prize. Together with the Egyptian…
19. January 2020
FilmFestival Cottbus and connecting cottbus in Trieste
In collaboration with the Film Festival Cottbus and with the support of the Goethe Institut Rome, the 31st edition of TRIESTE FILM FESTIVAL (January 17-23, 2020), Italy’s leading festival for East Central European cinema, presents the festival section "1990-2020: 30 years from German reunification. Time Will Tell". Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall discussions about the events of 1989/90 and the post-reunification…
17. January 2020
Film critics workshop "Civil society discourse in film journalism"in Cottbus and Batumi
During the 29th FilmFestival Cottbus, 14 film journalists from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Russia came together for a four-day workshop. Under the title "Civil society discourse in film journalism", participants from all areas of the media have been sensitised for differentiated reporting on films that transport and discuss civil society values. Headed by film journalist Marta Balaga (Cineuropa, Variety), the participants have been made…
04. December 2019
OIFF General Producer Julia Sinkevych receives award
Julia Sinkevych, General Producer of the Odesa International Film Festival (OIFF), was awarded for her engagement to the development of the Ukrainian film industry at the 8th Subtitle: Spotlight European Film Festival in Kilkenny. The award was presented by the Irish actor Cillian Murphy (28 DAYS LATER, BROKEN, DUNKIRK). "The Odesa International Film Festival has been one of our partner festivals for several years," explains…
25. November 2019
Five FFC films are Oscar contenders
The submissions for the best international feature film at the Oscars 2020 have been made. For the first time, the prize will be awarded under the name "Best international feature film" instead of "Best foreign-language film". 92 films compete for the award. 28 of them come from countries which, according to the regulations, belong to the territory of the FFC. Among them are five films that…
09. November 2019
Variety is what makes the 29th FFC stand out – Women's portrait SISTER wins Main Prize
In the evening on the 9th of November, the winners of the 29th FilmFestival Cottbus were chosen at the award ceremony in the FESTIVALZentrum Stadthalle.The Main Prize for Best Film goes to the Bulgarian film SESTRA | SISTER by Svetla Tsotsorkova. Teodor Kuhn is delighted to receive the Special Prize for Best Director for his emotional feature film OSTRÝM NOŽOM | BY A SHARP KNIFE.For…
09. November 2019
29. FFC – Winners und Jury Statements
Wettbewerb Spielfilm | Competition Feature Film Hauptpreis für den besten Film | Main Prize for Best Film 25.000 EUR gestiftet von | donated by Gesellschaft zur Wahrnehmung von Film- und Fernsehrechten (GWFF) SESTRA | SCHWESTER | SISTER Svetla TsotsorkovaBG/QA 2019 Wenn ein Film dem Kino das gibt, was das Kino am meisten liebt, dann ist die Begeisterung des Publikums und der Jury die gleiche: Es geht um faszinierende…
30. October 2019
Student Encounter 2019
Film festivals are an excellent place for encounters and intercultural exchange between filmmakers and their audiences. Films can point to current narratives and it is not unusual for political and historical taboos to regain more public attention on the screen. They therefore offer an opportunity for joint reflection. Thus it is more than necessary to involve a young, multinational audience in this dialogue. The FilmFestival…
The FilmFestival Cottbus presents its complete programme, which this year includes 210 films from 45 (co)producing countries. With the Georgian film GORI | PIG by Giga Liklikadze, the FFC presents another world premiere in the Feature Film Competition. Patrons of the 29th edition of the FilmFestival Cottbus are Olaf Scholz, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance, and traditionally Dietmar Woidke, Minister President of Brandenburg. "The…
18. October 2019
Festival Programme and FESTIVALMagazine of the 29th FFC online!
The film programme of the 29th FilmFestival Cottbus is complete, the FESTIVALMagazine is printed and the presale has started. The printed version with all information about the programme is already being distributed. Here on our website, the category SECTIONS gives you online an overview over the this year's programme. In addition, you can download the FESTIVALMagazine as a PDF here: FESTIVALMagazine - 29th edition
26. September 2019
Lone warriors among themselves – First films in competition
The FilmFestival Cottbus (November 5-10, 2019) announces the first six of twelve films of the FEATURE FILM COMPETITION. FULL MOON, the feature film debut of Bosnian director Nermin Hamzagić, celebrates its world premiere in Cottbus. People under pressure, angry citizens on adrenaline who have had enough and revolt - lone warriors of all ages against conventions and gentrification, corruption and right-wing networks, their own family…
14. September 2019
Georgia - Cottbus: Workshops for film journalists at BIAFF and FFC
On September 15, the Batumi International Art-House Film Festival (BIAFF) will begin in Georgia. For 14 years, the festival in the Black Sea city of Batumi has offered the public the opportunity to see the latest international arthouse productions. In the three competitions - Feature Film, Documentary Film and Short Film - which characterize the festival, nine prizes are awarded. BIAFF will be showing a…
12. September 2019
FilmFestival Cottbus opens with SMUGGLING HENDRIX
On November 5th, FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC) will open its 29th edition in a festive ceremony in the Staatstheater Cottbus (Großes Haus). Opening film is the cross-border comedy SMUGGLING HENDRIX, the feature film debut of director Marios Piperides. The production, in which "Soul Kitchen" star Adam Bousdoukos plays the protagonist, has won numerous international awards, including the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. "The opening film…
On the occasion of the 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the FilmFestival Cottbus and connecting cottbus together with Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH invited to the East European Brunch. Programme Director Bernd Buder and Brigitta Manthey of Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg welcomed both established and aspiring filmmakers as well as representatives of the media, politics and culture.
26. April 2019
Curation seminar at the University of Potsdam
Starting in the summer semester of 2019, the FilmFestival Cottbus, the Institute of Eastern Slavic Literatures and Cultures at the University of Potsdam and the Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences (Eastern European Literatures) of European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) offer students the opportunity to curate a section of the festival. Within the curation seminar the students learn basic curation techniques, make a film selection…
23. April 2019
"Servant of the People" becomes real president
On April 21st, 2019 in Ukraine the comedian Volodymyir Selenskyj was elected president with an overwhelming majority – almost without political experience and without a programme. The audience of the FilmFestival Cottbus already knows Selenskyj from the leading role in the film SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE, based on the YouTube series of the same name. The film was shown in 2017 in the FFC section…
23. April 2019
FilmPolska and FFC present…
FilmFestival Cottbus‘ partner festival FilmPolska (April 24-May 1, 2019) also presents films of the 28th edition of FFC. Within the co-operation of FFC, the Polish Institute Berlin, Kino Krokodil, the Upper Silesian Museum and the German Culture Forum for Eastern Europe two cinematic highlights of the 2018’s FFC section Regio: Silesia are part of the programme of 14th FilmPolska: THE BEADS OF ONE ROSARY (Kazimierz…
In co-operation with the Finále Plzeň Film Festival and the Czech-German Future Fund the FilmFestival Cottbus presents the section “German Cinema” at this year's 32nd edition of the festival (April 11-16, 2019). The section with four long feature and documentary films as well as four short films was curated by the FFC Programme Department. Particular emphasis of the section is the current relevant political discourses in…
03. April 2019
„Everything remains different – the wild 90s“ – First joint project from goEast and FFC
This year the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall will be celebrated. On this special occasion and with the thematic focus „Everything remains different – the wild 90s“ the FilmFestival Cottbus and goEast – Festival of Central and Eastern European Film in Wiesbaden (April 10-16, 2019) take a look at the cinema of the 1990s. goEast shows six films that make it possible…
01. April 2019
Panel and reception at „Meeting Point – Vilnius“
In co-operation with the Film Festival Cottbus, connecting cottbus and the Medienboard Berlin- Brandenburg the international audiovisual industry event “Meeting Point – Vilnius” (April 2-4, 2019) invites to the panel „Bridging the gap – European cinema between festival and audience film”. With moderator Bernd Buder (FFC Programme Director), the panelists Andrė Balžekienė (Cinema "Pasaka", exhibitor), Alessandro Gropplero (head of the co-production market When East Meets…
22. March 2019
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS 2019
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS 2019 + FFC reglement with new eligible countries Cottbus looks for new feature and short films from Eastern, East Central and South Eastern Europe From November 5 to 10 November 2019 the 29th edition of the FilmFestival Cottbus is scheduled to take place. Featuring a total of up to 180 films from more than 30 countries over the course of six action-packed days, the…
The FilmFestival Cottbus and the „Kozzi Film Festiwal. Festiwal Filmu i Teatru“ in Cottbus' Polish twin town Zielona Góra have extended their long-standing cooperation. The main focus is on the cooperation within the framework of this year's festival edition "Kozzi-Czyżewska-Fijewski". FFC and Kozzi, which is organised by the Public Regional and City Library C. Norwid in Zielona Góra, have agreed mutual consulting on artistic ideas,…
13. February 2019
GWFF Award for Larisa Glebova
As part of the East European Brunch of the FilmFestival Cottbus and the East-West co-production market connecting cottbus, Larisa Glebova from Russia received the 4,500 EUR prize of the Münchener Gesellschaft zur Wahrnehmung von Film und Fernsehrechten mbH (GWFF).Larisa Glebova is a production student at the St. Petersburg State University of Film and Television. She is a producer of BEDROOM TOWN (Director: Stanislav Malkov), which was…
13. February 2019
FFC + coco – kick-off into the new festival year
The FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC) and the East-West co-production market connecting cottbus (coco) celebrated the official start of a new festival year with their traditional East European Brunch at the 69th Berlinale. The international industry meeting serves as stage for presenting the GWFF Promotion Prize and the Special Pitch Award, as well as a preview of the upcoming 29th edition of the festival (5 to 10…
22. January 2019
Three Oscar nominations for COLD WAR
On January 22nd, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 91st Oscars nominations. The Polish film COLD WAR by Paweł Pawlikowski – opening film at the 28th FilmFestival Cottbus and winner of two awards (Audience Award and “From Cottbus to Cinema” – Distribution support prize for a festival film) – has the chance to win an award in three categories: Best foreign…
16. December 2018
COLD WAR wins big at the European Film Awards
At the 31st European Film Awards awards ceremony on Dec 15, 2018 in Seville Paweł Pawlikowski's film COLD WAR won the European Film Prize in the categories Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Actress (for Joanna Kulig). In mid-November, the European Film Academy also announced the prize for Best Editior (for Jarosław Kamiński). COLD WAR was the opening film of the 28th FilmFestival…
12. December 2018
European Shooting Stars 2019
The European Film Promotion (EFP), the pan-European network for the promotion of European films and talent, has announced the European Shooting Stars 2019. Three of the ten freshly nominated actresses and actors, will be well known to the audience of the FilmFestival Cottbus: Blagoj Veselinov, Milan Marić and Dawid Ogrodnik, all starred in films during the last three editions of the festival. Blagoj Veselinov, Macedonia…
15. January 2019
Save the date: 29th FilmFestival Cottbus
Save the date: The 29th FilmFestival Cottbus will take place from November 5 to 10, 2019. The Cottbus FilmShow will kick off the festival week the day before (Nov 4th). FFC Programme Director Bernd Buder and the curators of the various programme sections are already on research for the new festival year.At numerous international film festivals, the team is watching the latest works of Eastern…
16. November 2018
Film festivals discuss politics and civic values at the FFC
During the 28th FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC), representatives of well-known Eastern European film festivals as well as film makers and journalists from the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia met in the context of the network meeting ‘Film festivals between politics and civic values’ to exchange views regarding the situation in their respective countries. The film festivals meeting at the FFC perceive themselves as social spaces within…
FEDOR'S JOURNEY THROUGH MOSCOW AT THE TURN OF THE XXI CENTURY, winner of the Main Prize of the Short Film Competition 2015, is now available at the online platform "Short of the Week". The soulfully narrated tale complemented by an absurd sense of humour and wonderful photography, accompanies the headstrong Fedor through today’s Moscow. Fedor temporarily finds home with a hitherto unknown aunt. Whilst the world…
12. November 2018
Impressions of 28th FilmFestival Cottbus
The 28th FilmFestival Cottbus begins with the opening ceremony on November 6th at the Großes Haus of the Staatstheater Cottbus. One day before the Cottbuser FilmShow at the Filmtheater Weltspiegel will give the "little" kickoff into the festival week. During the festival week you will find impressions of the 28th FFC right here.
11. November 2018
The Award Winners of the 28th FilmFestival Cottbus
AYKA wins the Main Prize for the Best Film at the 28th FilmFestival Cottbus On the evening of the 10th of November at the awards ceremony held at the festival centre Stadthalle, the winners of the 28th FilmFestival Cottbus were announced. The Main Prize for Best Film was awarded to AYKA by Russian director Sergey Dvortsevoy. Ivan I. Tverdovskiy won the Special Prize for Best…
11. November 2016
Award Winners and Jury Statements
Wettbewerb Spielfilm | Feature Film Competition Hauptpreis für den besten Film | Main Prize for Best Film AYKA | AYKA | AYKASergey DvortsevoyRussland, Deutschland, Polen, Kasachstan, China 2018 | Russia, Germany, Poland, Kazakhstan, China 2018 Der Film lässt uns durch konsistentes Erzählen, eine rastlose Kameraarbeit und intensives Spiel sehr nahe an die Protagonistin herankommen. Wir leben ihr Leben. Mit diesem dokumentarischen Ansatz überqueren wir die…