The 20th edition of Freiburger Filmforum - Festival of Transcultural Cinema will take place from May 12st – 21th as a hybrid event.
For the upcoming festival we are following up on our idea of #JUNCTIONS: Together with our partners of docubox, Nairobi and the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, we are working on focus programmes that will be screened simultaneously in multiple locations, followed by shared discussions.

Together with our partners of Emergent Futures CoLab we are co-curating a line-up of films and multimodal outputs that are speculating and rethinking the future(s) from various perspectives. In our FILMING FUTURES section, we will showcase a selection of films and audio, visual and digital outputs that deal with futures,utopian/dystopian imaginations, our understanding of time and related topics.

*The Call for Entries for the 20th edition of Freiburger Filmforum – Festival of Transcultural Cinema is closed. Notifications to filmmakers will be sent out by March 15, 2023. Stay tuned and follow us on Fb & Instagram or sign up for our newsletter!*

--About the Festival--
Since its founding in 1985, the biannual FREIBURGER FILMFORUM - FESTIVAL OF TRANSCULTURAL CINEMA has been dedicated to a sensitive portrayal of current, historical, socio-political, and cultural issues. In recent years, the festival has focussed on the question of the West's responsibility regarding its colonial history and the restitution of cultural goods as well as the increasing urbanization and its consequences. Global societal asymmetries, war, and displacement are, inevitably, recurring topics.
Back in 2015, the STUDENTS’ PLATFORM was established as a section for debut and student filmmakers and visual anthropologists from across the globe. Attached to the main forum, its selection gives an insight into the diversity, creativity and originality of the next generation of filmmakers.
In 19 editions of the Filmforum to date, about 800 films from 90 different countries on all continents were shown and discussed with the audience. Students and academics from a wide range of universities and disciplines as well as film enthusiasts from across the globe use the festival as an opportunity for transcultural exchange, dialogue and discussions.

Awards & Prizes

The festival strives for a workshop-like atmosphere instead of competition. There are no prices or awards. The festival does not pay a screening fee for debut and student films.

Rules & Terms

*Please make sure to read our Rules & Terms carefully before submitting your work*

1) Please select one of the categories that fits your: 1) STUDENTS' PLATFORM (debut/student film) or 2) FILMING FUTURES (work dealing with future(s)). Films that do not fit into one of these categories will not be considered.
2) Filmmakers are asked to provide a director's note, a downloadable file / vimeo link of their film with English subtitles, along with synopsis and selected film stills in high resolution. Films without English subtitles will not be considered.
3) The selected films for our JUNCTION program will be screened both online and on-site at the Kommunales Kino, Freiburg and simultaneously our cooperation partners' venues at the National Institute of Design & the Conflictorium, Ahmedabad and/or the UNSEEN cinema in Nairobi, Kenia.
4) If you are a student, a filmmaker from the Global South and/or a person with low income and cannot afford the submission fee, please reach out to us for a discount via students@freiburger-filmforum.de with a short synopsis & a trailer of your film.
5) Submissions for our STUDENTS' PLATFORM may be debuts or student films of any genre (fiction, documentary, animation or experimental) and length, dealing with socio-cultural topics in the widest sense. Additionally, VR, AR, 360 and iDoc projects are highly welcome. The film should have been produced after February, 2021.
6) Submissions for our FILMING FUTURES program may be films or other multimodal projects which explore the topic of future, future-making and related topics such as utopia/dystopia or temporality in the widest sense. We welcome a variety of formats, including but not limited to film, VR, AR, 360, iDoc, sound installations, and photography projects.

4 Reviews
Overall Rating
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Value
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Networking
  • Pietro Francesco Pingitore

    I am very happy to have been selected with my film for this amazing festival and to have spent a great week in Freiburg surrounded by amazing filmmakers and academics full of passion. I send lots of love to all of you :)

    September 2023
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  • Orkan Bayram

    Amazing festival&crew in a beatiful location!

    May 2023
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  • Hadi Moussally

    A great festival with a great selection and a lot of communication. All the team of the festival & the fellow filmmakers were very sweet and inspiring. Had a blast and can't wait for the next one!

    May 2023
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  • effi weiss

    Small scale, high quality festival, where films and filmmakers are really in the center. It's not about business but about cinema. Great encounters, great discussions, a real pleasure.

    May 2023
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