"This year we are more diverse than ever before," says programme director Bernd Buder about the 33rd edition of the festival, which will screen 150 films from 40 (co)production countries.
Alongside the three competitions for the best feature, short and youth film, other eight programme sections will include a Close up: Kazakhstan, EcoEast, What Remains of History, Spectrum and Kids at the Movies, among others.
The industry segment of the festival, the East – West coproduction market connecting cottbus, will celebrate its 25th anniversary from 8 to 10 November 2023.
FilmFestival Cottbus is one of the world's leading festivals for current filmmaking in Central and Eastern Europe.
Click HERE to see the connecting cottbus 2023 project selection.
Feature Film Competition:
Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry (Switzerland, Georgia)
Directed by Elene Naveriani
Produced by Alva Film
Coproduced by Takes Film
Cold as Marble (Azerbaijan, France)
Directed by Asif Rustamov
Forever – Forever (Ukraine, the Netherlands)
Directed by Anna Buryachkova
Imago (Poland, the Netherlands, Czech Republic)
Directed by Olga Chajdas
Produced by Apple Film Production
Coproduced by Topkapi Films, Moloko Film, CANAL+ Polska, House Media Company
Supported by the Polish Film Institute, the Netherlands Film Fund, the Czech Film Fund, the Netherlands Film Production Incentive, Eurimages, the City of Gdańsk
Libertate (Romania, Hungary)
Directed by Tudor Giurgiu
Produced by Libra Film Productions
Coproduced by Mythberg Films
Supported by the Romanian Film Centre (CNC), the National Film Institute – Hungary
It Came from the Water / Apokawixa (Poland)
Directed by Xavery Żuławski
Produced by TVN Grupa Discovery
Light Light Light / Valoa valoa valoa (Finland)
Directed by Inari Niemi
Three Thousand Numbered Pieces (Hungary)
Directed by Ádám Császi
Produced by Uniofilm Entertainment
Supported by the National Film Institute – Hungary (NFI)
Where the Road Leads / Ovuda će proći put (Serbia)
Directed by Nina Ognjanović
Produced by Pointless Films
Coproduced by the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, RTS - Radio Television of Serbia
Supported by Film Center Serbia, the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Serbia
The Invisible Fight / Nähtamatu võitlus (Estonia, Latvia, Greece, Finland)
Directed by Rainer Sarnet
Produced by Homeless Bob Productions
Coproduced by White Picture, Neda Film, Helsinki-Filmi
Supported by the Estonian Film Institute, Eurimages, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Estonian Ministry of Culture, the National Film Centre of Latvia, the Finnish Film Foundation, the Riga Film Fund, the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, ERT SA, FLAG Co.Ltd, Tallifornia, ERR
Patient #1 (Georgia)
Directed by Rezo Gigineishvili
Produced by Independent Film Project
M (North Macedonia, Croatia, Kosovo, France and Luxembourg)
Directed by Vardan Tozija
Produced by Focus Pocus
Coproduced by 4 Film, In My Country, Les Contes Modernes, Wady Media
Supported by the North Macedonia Film Agency, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC), the Kosovo Cinematography Center, SACEM, TV Telma