36. FilmFestival Cottbus — Festival of East European Films

The Gateway to East European Film

The FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC) is one of the most important international festivals for East European cinema worldwide. Founded in 1991, the year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the festival has since carved out a firm place in the cinema calendar — a must-attend event for anyone serious about films from Central and Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, the Baltics, the Balkans, Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus).

Up to 150 Films, Three Main Competitions

Up to 150 films will be screened over six festival days. Three central competitions form the core:

• Feature Film Competition
• Short Film Competition
• Youth Film Competition

In addition, there are sections such as U18 Youth Section, Spectrum, Russkiy Den, Heimat | Domownja (a Sorbian-German section with a connection to Lusatia), and connecting cottbus as the accompanying Co-Production Market.

Prize Money Over €50,000

The festival's total prize money exceeds €50,000, with €34,500 allocated to the three main competitions. Several special prizes from sponsors and partner institutions are also awarded. An international jury of directors, critics, and industry experts will select the winners on the final day of the festival.

Festival Director Bernd Buder

Festival director for many years has been Bernd Buder, who selects the program in close cooperation with scout trips to Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Karlovy Vary, and East European festivals. The organizer is Pool Production GmbH in Cottbus.

Submissions 2026

Submissions for the competitions are open from April 1 to July 15, 2026, via FilmFreeway. The festival is open to all genres from the East European film space — from arthouse dramas and comedies to documentaries and animation.

Cottbus — Festival City in Lusatia

Cottbus, the largest city in Lower Lusatia with around 100,000 inhabitants and a focal point of structural change after the phase-out of coal mining, is home to the Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU). The festival takes place in several cinemas and cultural venues in the city: the Weltspiegel, the Stadttheater, the Kammerbühne hall, and other locations in the city center. Cottbus is only 30 km from the Polish border — geographically perfect for a festival of East European film.