Bernd Bruder, director of the Cottbus FF, told the attendees that the 2021 edition has selected Slovakia for this year’s country focus, marking the centennial of the first Slovak feature film. The festival itself will also mark 30 years since its founding in 1991.

Marjorie Bendeck, who heads connecting cottbus, told FNE that while coco plans to be held in person, scheduled to run 3 – 5 November 2021, “we will have online components, though we strive to have some things happen live, so hybrid would be the best description for it.” The connecting cottbus team traditionally opens its call for projects in early summer.