Editor

With its U18 Youth Film Competition, the 27^th FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC) explores the lives of young people in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Nine feature- and medium-length films from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic will compete in the U18 Youth Film Competition of the 27^th FFC (7 to 12 November 2017) for the prize for Best Youth Film endowed with EUR 3,000 bestowed by Lausitz Energie Kraftwerke AG (LEAG). As in previous years, the prize will be awarded by a tri-national jury of pupils from the 5^th Lyceum Zielona Góra, the Gymnazium Teplice and, for the first time, the Humboldt-Gymnasium in Cottbus.

“This year’s U18 Youth Film Competition is an inspiration with its enormous variety. It addresses big issues such as family, self-determination, digital worlds and, of course, the exciting adventure of love”, says U18 curator Jarek Godlewski. “The films are fast-paced, entertaining, artistic and at times a little thrilling – an enthralling programme for teenagers and young adults alike.”

From junkie to iron man: the Polish director Łukasz Palkowski tells the true story of Jerzy Górski in BREAKING THE LIMITS. At a young age, Jerzy consumes hard drugs with his clique. When many of his friends die as a result of overdosing, he decides to fight against his addition by keenly pursuing athletic goals. A gripping biopic that recently won three awards at the renowned Polish film festival Gdynia.

Another recent award winner is LOMO – THE LANGUAGE OF MANY OTHERS by Julia Langhof. Principal actor Jonas Dassler won the Götz George Award for Emerging Talents at First Steps. He plays Karl, who is fed up with satisfying the wishes of his ambitious parents and therefore regularly ‘feeds’ his blog by mercilessly posting his unfiltered experiences. A gripping drama that innovatively explores the world of digital natives in their search for meaning.

MONTENEGRO by Petr Kubík likewise gathers pace by virtue of the internet: this is where the young Czechs Tomaš und Adam arrange to undertake an off-road Jeep tour through Montenegro with two young Serbian women. A charming road movie with strong cars, stunning landscapes, plenty of jealousy and the spirit of summer.

The U18 Youth Film Competition is supported by Lausitz Energie Kraftwerke AG (LEAG) and the Brandenburg State Ministry of Science, Research and Culture (MWFK). “The FilmFestival Cottbus’s U18 Youth Film Competition and the tri-national student meeting add to exchange within the border triangle on a very special level”, says Dr Martina Münch from the MWFK. “The youths from Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany meet in Cottbus on a cinematic and a personal level and in doing so discover connectedness, yet perhaps also differences in their lives, which in turn initiates dialogue. I am delighted that this competition forms part of the festival. Europe needs such formats that promote mutual understanding and the engagement with a wide range of different cultures. This is particularly important for our young generation, as it is they who will shape the vision of Europe.”

Save the date – Press conferences
The 27^th FilmFestival Cottbus and the co-production market connecting cottbus (coco) extend their joint invitation to their press conferences on October 19^th in Berlin (11 am, Federal Representation Offices of the Federal State of Brandenburg in Berlin, In den Ministergärten 3, 10117 Berlin) and Cottbus (4 pm, Galerie Fango, Amalienstr. 10, 03044 Cottbus), where media representatives will be given exclusive information about the feature film and short film competitions and the coco programme. In addition, curators of the sections will be present for background talks. Please register at: presse@filmfestival-cottbus.de

Accreditation
The reporting media can obtain accreditation free of charge and online as of now until 23 October: www.filmfestivalcottbus.de/en/service-en/accreditation.html

List of titles U18 Youth Film Competition

DER BESTE | BREAKING THE LIMITS

ŁUKASZ PALKOWSKI, PL 2017, 103 MIN

THE ERLPRINCE | THE ERLPRINCE

KUBA CZEKAJ, PL 2016, 102 MIN

DIE FAMILIE | UNDER THE FAMILY TREE

CONSTANZE KNOCHE, DE/PL 2017, 93 MIN

LOMO - THE LANGUAGE OF MANY OTHERS | LOMO - THE LANGUAGE OF MANY OTHERS

JULIA LANGHOF, DE 2017, 101 MIN

MONTENEGRO | MONTENEGRO

PETR KUBÍK, CZ 2016, 83 MIN

NINA | NINA

JURAJ LEHOTSKÝ, SK/CZ 2017, 83 MIN

halblangXdrei

3 medium-length films, DE/PL/CZ 2016-2017, 93 MIN

HIKIKOMORI - LEBEN DURCH DIE LINSE | HIKIKOMORI

ARKADIJ KHAET, LEONARD OSTERMEIER, MICKEY PAATZSCH, DE 2017, 31 MIN

HEISS UND KALT | HOT AND COLD

MARTA PRUS, PL 2016, 36 MIN

BO HAI | BO HAI

DUŽAN DUONG, CZ 2017, 26 MIN