Sections
Feature Film Competition
The twelve best productions from Central and Eastern Europe. Ambitious talents compete with old masters and star directors. From a family celebration full of local colour to a Balkan Western, a holiday on the island of Tenerife extended by the outbreak of war to a return home to work through a ...
Short Film Competition
Quirky humour meets shocking strokes of fate. A man speaks out against ethnic cleansing and a father-son duo struggle for the future of Kosovo. Breakdowns open up unexpected perspectives - whether in an electric car or on the way back from a failed romantic vacation. A Roma influencer gallops ...
Youth Film U18 Competition
Rebellion and escalation meet in search of identity and freedom. Whether in an idealised family home in Slovakia, a Georgian ghetto or a religious boarding school in Turkey - young people question their roles and fight against the expectations placed on them by their environment. They conjure up ...
Spectrum
Unusual times call for unusual films – with atmospheric density, melancholic proximity, hard-hitting humour and analytical astuteness, the films in this year’s Spectrum section get up close and personal with the spirit of the times. Engage with town and country, old and young, men and women, ...
Hits
This year's HITS once again presents the most successful box office hits from Eastern Europe. From a classic high school film about a Mediterranean wedding in distress to a reflection on sexualised violence in Central Asia, wrapped up in a horror story - something that commercial cinema can also ...
EcoEast
How do people shape a landscape and how does a landscape shape us? What actions do we undertake and what is the end result? What will happen if we carry on like this, and what cracks are already starting to appear on the surface - between man and nature, ecology and the economy, climate frustration ...
SPECIALS
Special approaches for special perspectives! In the MIDNIGHT MADNESS series, crazy genre crossovers full of deeper meaning make their way to Cottbus; these range from thriller to action, and spectacle to highly unconventional crossovers. The artistic and thematic breadth attained by female ...
THE FEMALE GAZE: New Czech films by female directors
Eight programs present a colorful, genre- and thematically diverse selection of recent Czech productions by talented female filmmakers. A unique portrayal of a famous photographer, an animated trip to Kabul, a glimpse into a retrofuturistic world, an intimate portrayal of loss, a witty ...
MIDNIGHT MADNESS
A wild blend: sometimes things should also get a little weird. In “Midnight Madness” a wealth of fantasy, action and horror film motifs creep onto the screen. The featured stories, often dealing with quite serious issues – loneliness, sexism, famine, drug trafficking, the struggle for freedom ...
MIOB
Founded in 2017 by seven European film festivals, MIOB aims to promote, show and discuss European cinema in all its diversity, also to initiate change and to bring issues such as environmental and climate protection or diversity to the fore in programme curation. In addition to FilmFestival ...
Ukranian Film Day
Amongst all the heated debates that have been used to court the favour of German voters in recent weeks, those of the greatest importance have been notable by their absence. Have we lost empathy? How, for instance, are the Ukrainians who have been living their daily lives under Russian fire for ...
Close Up: Armenia
Armenia is fascinating - because of its location at the geographical crossroads of various cultures, because of its position between the Silk Road and Christianity, because of its centuries-old culture, because of its landscapes and traditions. And because of its films. We showcase a very diverse ...
Homeland | Domownja | Domizna
Sorbian, regional and international filmmaking, all brought together in one place. Current feature films and documentaries as well as archive treasures and rediscoveries reflect, in a variety of ways, on the meaning of home. Films from Upper and Lower Lusatia speak of Sorbian worlds. Lusatia ...
Children's Film
Grab some popcorn and get into the cinema seat: Five children's films will be screened at this year's FilmFestival Cottbus for all kids and the young at heart. All films are shown in the original language and will be translated live into German for you; headphones are available at the box office. ...