About
FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC) is one of the world’s leading festivals for contemporary cinema from Central and Eastern Europe. From November 3 to 8, 2026, its 36th edition will bring filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences together in Cottbus.
Since its founding in 1991, the FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC) has stood for the diversity of Central and Eastern European cinema, distinctive cinematic voices, socially relevant stories and unexpected perspectives on a region in transition.
Each year, the festival presents a wide selection of recent feature films, shorts and documentaries from numerous production countries. Established filmmakers meet emerging talents, major productions share the programme with new discoveries – many of them being shown in Germany for the first time.
Q&As with directors, actors, producers and other guests create opportunities for direct exchange between filmmakers and audiences.
The Programme
At the heart of the festival are three competitions: the Feature Film Competition, the Short Film Competition and the GenNext Competition, newly introduced in 2026. GenNext presents recent feature films by a new generation of young directors, highlighting their perspectives on the present, social developments and the realities of life for a young generation.
The competitions are complemented by a diverse programme featuring changing thematic and regional focuses. These include Heimat | Domownja | Domizna, where Sorbian, regional and international filmmaking come together; Hits, showcasing recent audience favourites from Central and Eastern Europe; EcoEast, featuring films at the intersection of the environment, nature and technological change; and Kids im Kino, aimed at the festival’s younger audiences.
Cinema Between East and West
Cottbus is located around 120 kilometres southeast of Berlin, close to the Polish border and at the heart of the bilingual German-Sorbian region of Lusatia. This location has shaped the festival since its beginnings. The FFC sees itself as a place for encounters and dialogue between different countries, generations, languages, experiences and cinematic perspectives.
The festival venues are Filmtheater Weltspiegel, Kammerbühne, Glad-House and Obenkino.
All films are screened in their original language and are made accessible to international audiences. Information on subtitles and language versions for individual screenings can be found directly in the online programme.
A Meeting Place for the International Film Industry
The FFC is also an important showcase for the European film industry. Running alongside the festival is connecting cottbus (coco), one of Europe’s longest-running co-production markets. Here, new film projects from Central and Eastern Europe are presented to international producers, funding institutions, world sales companies and other industry professionals.
