Overview

• The festival kicked off with the political satire 'Muxmäuschenstillˣ' by Jan Henrik Stahlberg, addressing populism and party politics with humor and sharp critique.
• 57 films are competing for awards in categories such as feature film, documentary, medium-length film, and short film, with 38 world premieres included.
• A new €10,000 'Treatment Development' prize, created in collaboration with ZDF, will support the development of debut feature film projects.
• Festival themes focus on family, loss, gender identities, love, and magical realism, with fewer entries addressing migration and war compared to last year.
• Highlights include a tribute to filmmaker Christian Petzold and the participation of prominent jury members like Sibel Kekilli and Lorna Ishema.