Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Berlin Independent Film Festival

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Location
  
Berlin, Germany

Language
  
International

Founded
  
2010

Website
  
Official Website

Berlin Independent Film Festival is a film festival with a special emphasis on independent films, which annually takes place in Berlin, Germany. It screens German and international films and awards them in various categories.

Contents

About

The festival was founded in 2009 and takes place at the same time as Berlin Film Festival, but is a separate event, independent from Berlin Film Festival. The festival takes place at historic Babylon cinema in Berlin, where at the same time also screenings for Berlin Film Festival take place. Besides short and feature-films of any genre, the festival also exhibits music videos and documentaries. After many screenings, the festival organizes Q&As with the filmmakers. One special emphasis of the festival are features that are the director's first or second film - but it also showcases other independent features. All films are screened with English subtitles as the audience is international.

Notable films (selection)

Among many others, the festival screened the following notable films:

  • 2011: Armless, an American feature film that premiered at Sundance Film Festival the year before.
  • 2012: You missed Sonja, the first German film based on a work by Stephen King.
  • 2013: The Taiwan Oyster, an American film that premiered at South by Southwest Film Festival the year before.
  • 2013: Jail Caesar (shown under its alternate title StringCaesar), a British production filmed in several working prisons in the UK and South Africa that was produced over the period of several years.
  • 2013: Menschenliebe, a German No-Budget-Film winning numerous international awards.
  • 2013: Death By Chocolate, the first interactive Swiss music-video.
  • 2014: Newlyweeds, an American film that premiered at Sundance Film Festival the year before.
  • 2016: In Search of a lost Paradise was screened at two sold-out screenings. It was followed by a Q&A with Lyudmila Ulitskaya and Alexander Smoljanski. Shortly after winning the award for the best documentary feature at Berlin Independent Film Festival, the film also received a Nika award

    • Reception

    Besides [showing] a wide array of indie-films, Berlin Independent Film Festival also developed into an important business-hub for the low-budget film industry.

    The visitor and movie fan can count on an interesting choice of screenings at one of the most important theaters for independent film.

    If the Berlinale’s 400-strong programme leaves you less than sated (...) this year’s Berlin Independent Film Festival offers its own groaning buffet table of features, shorts and more.

    References

    Berlin Independent Film Festival Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA