With his US$1.1 million budget, festival head Josef Wutz arranged 190 public screenings - and a media event which sent waves throughout the country thanks to enthusiastic press coverage.

Since there is no official main selection in this non-competitive festival the programme presented about 90 feature films in various sidebars: 'European Masters' (Breaking the Waves, Brigands), 'Young Cinema' (Jenseits der Stille by German newcomer Caroline Link), 'Franfolies' (The Eight Day), 'Hollywood and Beyond' (The Funeral, A Month By the Lake), 'US-independents' (Trees Lounge), 'Cine Latinoamericano' (Bajo la piel), 'Spotlight Asia' (A Weatherwoman), 'Down Under' (Lilian's Story) as well as TV made in Hamburg, the commercial section 'Limit: 1 Minute!' among other programmes linked to Hamburg as a location.

Among the 60 international guests were directors Ed Burns, Otar Iosseliani and Buddy Giovinazzo, actresses Deborah Unger (Crash), Frances O'Connor and Alice Garner (Love and Other Catastrophes) and actor Daniel Auteuil (The Eight Day). Silke Schütze