Cottbus, near Berlin, has established itself as an effective festival platform for new cinema emerging from the former east European socialist countries. For the sixth FilmFestival Cottbus (23-27 October), director Roland Rust will programme 50 films from almost all of central and eastern Europe.

Two Czech entries, Jan Sverak's Ride and Sasha Gideon's Indian Summer, walked away with the top awards at the 1995 festival. And in previous years, Slovak director, Martin Sulik, picked up prizes for Everything I Like (1993) and The Garden (1994).

The main competition is open to first, second, or third feature films. There's a back-up competition for films for young people. A sidebar focuses on new and recent productions from all successor states of former Yugoslavia.

Seminars, round tables, and meetings with visiting directors are on the agenda. And the icing on the festival cake will be a profile of FAMU, the Prague Film School.

"What I've seen here so far, I've liked very much - especially Kolja, the new Jan Sverak film," said Roland Rust after a meeting with some Czech directors he wants to invite to Cottbus.

Ron Holloway

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