The FilmFestival Cottbus is delighted to announce that following an international job posting a new Artistic Director has been found for the next five years. Bernd Buder, until now the festival’s Programme Director who for the past two years was responsible for artistic direction in place of the departed Roland Rust, will be the future Artistic Director.
The academically trained political scientist works as a curator for various film festivals and as a film journalist. Since 1996, the proven expert of the Eastern European film landscape has been working for the FilmFestival Cottbus, curating various film series and crucially contributing to the development of the festival. From 2011 to 2014, he directed the East-West co-production market connecting cottbus, which granted him valuable insights into the European film industry.
“In the past two years, I have developed the programme of the FilmFestival Cottbus with great passion,” says Buder, “and I am looking forward to being able to do so in the future as well. With its unique profile, the festival has established itself internationally, nationally and regionally, and offers an artistic and economic showcase for Eastern Europe’s diverse cinema, which is always good for surprises. I am looking forward not only to cinematic encounters but also to promoting an intercultural and cross-national dialogue that is currently more vital than ever.”
The 25th FilmFestival Cottbus will take place from 3 to 8 November 2015. Last year, a total of 165 films from 39 countries were shown on six festival days, attracting more than 20,000 visitors to the cinemas and the events of the supporting programme.