Sections
Feature Film Competition
Twelve films from nineteen producing nations compete for the Lubina awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Acting Performance. Twelve stories as diverse as eastern Europe itself; from inner journeys to a barnstorming escape from reality. Films about people, more than half of them ...
Short Film Competition
Absurd and sweet, groovy and poetic, the thirteen films from a total of eleven producing nations that feature in this year's Short Film Competition take us to worlds full of exciting contrasts. They all share a clever wit and an ability to get straight to the point. From major resistance on a small ...
U18 Youth Film Competition
Exuberant emotions and time and again a great longing for freedom. The seven films in this year's U18 Youth Film Competition impressively display the various facets of growing up in the digital age. In a journey the encompasses algorithms that rule the world and hidden longings to ...
Lusatian FilmShow
Traditionally the Lausitzer FilmSchau, scheduled on the evening before the official opening of the festival, is an opportunity for Lusatians to present their film productions to a wider audience. Unconventional, enthralling, inspiring ideas and their filmic implementation as a ...
Spectrum
Everything, just not what you'd expect. Police officers who arrest you because you're too pessimistic about life? Film Noir in the Serbian lowlands? Grandma as a legendary figure from Estonian mythology who grows restless when she has nothing to do? War veterans as squatters in revolt? ...
Specials
Numerous SPECIALS round off this year's festival programme: these range from films by our jury members to TV series in the SerienLounge@KB in the formerly cafeteria of the Cottbus Kammerbühne, a homage to Christa Wolf on the occasion of the DEFA studio's 75th anniversary to FullDome ...
Specials FULLDOME
An immersive, intoxicating experience played out in a public space: FullDome film screenings combine a unique 3D viewing experience with a visit to the cinema. FullDome filmmakers continue to explore the possibilities of a cinematic genre that has made a significant contribution to the development ...
Polskie Horyzonty
The film series contains contributions by both established and young filmmakers from Poland - one of the most (film) productive countries in Eastern Central Europe. With its finger on the pulse of the times, it is a discourse-loving, controversial and artistically diverse country. In Poland ...
Homeland | Domownja | Domizna
A lot of ground is covered between the works of Toni Bruk, the grandfather of Sorbian film who sadly passed away last year, and those of its youngest representatives: venerable tradition and experimental breaks therewith. An experiment by the Cottbus State Theatre assists in coming to ...
Hits
In their countries of origin east European productions often prove more successful than international mainstream hits. Ranging from adventure thriller and social comedy, films with high production value are created that provide multi-faceted entertainment full of intellect, endless tension ...
Children's Film
The series shows five film programmes with a current overview of Eastern European children's film production. Fantastic adventures and stories suitable for viewers between the ages of three and twelve. The series was curated by Anke Donnerstag. The KIDS AT THE CINEMA series is supported by ...
It's all go in the East
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary since the dissolution of the Soviet Union the FFC places this event in a broader context with the help of the ten films featured in the series IT‘S ALL GO IN THE EAST. The focus is on Poland, Russia, (East) Germany and the Ukraine - and thus also the social ...
Spotlight Slovensko
This year Slovak cinema celebrates its centenary. Reason enough to take a look at the past and present of an unconventional film-producing nation. And to compare cult films from the 1960s with current productions, in inspiring pairs of films from Slovakia. Slovak cinema is traditionally ...
FilmWerkStadt
Brandenburg and eastern Europe between industrial tradition and vision Structural change in Brandenburg is one of the region's most discussed topics. And yet where industry changes industrial heritage also changes, and where industrial heritage changes urban spaces, everyday working lives and ...
Close Up TR
In spite of everything contemporary Turkish cinema remains willing to engage in discourse and full of artistic surprises. With psychological sensitivity and unforeseen twists and turns, current developments, historical references and personal upheavals are thematised in a manner that is thoughtful, ...
On the Occasion of DEFA's 75th Anniversary
Christa Wolf In Focus DEFA was founded on May 17th 1946 in Potsdam-Babelsberg. In the course of its existence the studio produced around 700 feature films, 2,500 documentaries and short films as well as 950 animated films. We pay tribute to this anniversary by focusing on the works of Christa Wolf ...