1. 149 films, 13 sections, 41 production countries
In its 34th edition, the FilmFestival Cottbus once again offers a diverse programme that reflects the cultural and artistic diversity of the Eastern European film landscape. From Ukrainian science fiction and Kazakh Easterns to Czech grotesques and Serbian refugee dramas, ou will find it all. There are once again three competitions in which the best feature films, short films and youth films will be honoured. This year's opening film will be MY LATE SUMMER by Oscar winner Danis Tanović (NO MAN'S LAND). 76 films celebrate their premiere at the FFC, including 12 world premieres.
A spotlight is on Armenia within the Close Up: Armenia this year, where you can expect innovative and bold cinematic narratives. Another highlight is the series ‘The Female Gaze: New Films from the Czech Republic’ series on Czech female filmmakers, curated by Lenka Tyrpáková. Here we show female voices of Czech cinema that you should keep an eye on. For lovers of the unconventional, this year there is also the special Midnight Madness, in which courageous and avant-garde films combine serious themes such as loneliness, sexism or the fight for freedom with exciting genre elements.
The festival will be complemented by a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary panels, in which the key themes of the programme will be discussed in dialogue between filmmakers, experts and the audience. Among others, there will be a master talk with the Armenian filmmaker Inna Sahakyan (November 6th), a discussion with the Bosnian journalist and filmmaker Aida Hadžimušić after her film MY UNCLE'S RING (November 7th) and a panel discussion on industrial landscapes in Brandenburg and the Baltic States (November 8th). A SlowTalk on the future of Sorbian media content will round off the programme on November 9th.
The full programme will be published on our website on October, 15th.
2. connecting cottbus: East-West co-production market from November 6th-8th
The East-West co-production market and networking platform connecting cottbus (coco) is entering its 26th round. Coco offers a stage for 13 feature film projects in the development phase as well as 6 projects that are already in post-production or in ‘works in progress’ status. These projects will be presented to an expert audience of experienced producers, buyers, editors, world sales agents and financiers. To be selected, the projects must have a connection to Eastern Europe either thematically or in their production context.
3. Accreditations: Special offer until 15 October 2024
You can now get accredited for the FilmFestival Cottbus. The early bird discount of only 45 EUR applies until 15 October. After that, accreditation costs 60 EUR. So be quick!
How to register:
Use our online form to get accredited. Simply fill it out and join us!
4. Early Bird Student Passes - only 34 available!
This year we have a special highlight for students: 34 Early Bird Student Passes at a discounted price of just 20 euros! The passes are available on a first come, first serve basis until 15 October. However, if you miss this deadline, you still have the option of registering for regular accreditation at a price of 30 euros.
How does it work?
Fill in the accreditation form on our website, complete the necessary fields under ‘Personal details’ and ‘For students only’ and click on ‘Send’.
5. FFC on the Road
Programme director Bernd Buder is currently on the road at various festivals! Here are the next stops:
- European Work In Progress (Cologne): 14-16 October 2024
- Haifa Film Festival (jury member): 17-22 October 2024
- DOK Leipzig: 28 October - 3 November 2024
Warmest regards
Your FilmFestival Cottbus team
