Berlin Independent Film Festival

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.

Berlin Independent Film Festival
LocationBerlin, Germany
Founded2010
LanguageInternational
WebsiteOfficial Website

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.[1] The festival takes place at historic Babylon cinema in Berlin, where at the same time also screenings for Berlin Film Festival take place.[2] Besides short and feature-films of any genre,[3] the festival also exhibits music videos and documentaries.[4][5] After many screenings, the festival organizes Q&As with the filmmakers.[6] One special emphasis of the festival are features that are the director's first or second film - but it also showcases other independent features.[7] All films are screened with English subtitles as the audience is international.[8]

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.[9]
  • 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.[10][11]
  • 2013: Menschenliebe, a German No-Budget-Film winning numerous international awards.
  • 2013: Death By Chocolate, the first interactive Swiss music-video.[12]
  • 2014: Newlyweeds, an American film that premiered at Sundance Film Festival the year before.[13]
  • 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.[14] Shortly after winning the award for the best documentary feature at Berlin Independent Film Festival, the film also received a Nika award[15][16]


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.

— article on www.berlin.de[17]

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

— Friederike Suckert, article in Kaltblut Magazine, 2015.[18]

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.

— Camilla Egan, article in Exberliner, 2014.[19]

References
  1. "Berlin Independent Film Festival Official Website: Article about the festival". Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  2. "Babylon Berlin Official Website: Article about the festival". Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  3. "Sleaze Mag: Artikel über das Festival 2016". Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  4. "Berliner Zeitung: Note about the Festival". Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  5. "Bieler Tagblatt: Article about a music-video that won an award at the festival". Retrieved 2015-01-13.
  6. "Exberliner Magazine Official Website: Article about the Festival". Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  7. "Nu - Official Website: Article about "Silent One" winning at the Festival. (Dutch)". Retrieved 2015-01-13.
  8. "Berlin Independent Film Festival Official Website: Article about the festival". Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  9. "Filmuniversität Babelsberg: Official Website for the film "You Missed Sonja"". Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2015-01-13.
  10. "Independent.co.uk: Article about the film". Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  11. "Jail Caesar: Official Website. The film was screened under its alternate title "String Caesar" at Berlin Independent Film Festival". Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  12. "Bieler Tagblatt: Article about a music-video that won an award at the festival". Retrieved 2015-01-13.
  13. "The Hollywood Reporter: Article about Newlyweeds". Retrieved 2015-01-13.
  14. "Article about the screening event". Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  15. "Article about the film being nominated for a Nika award". Retrieved 2016-03-14.
  16. "Лауреаты за 2015". kino-nika.com (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  17. "www.berlin.de - Article about the festival. Original quote in German: "Neben einem breiten Spektrum an Indie-Filmen, entwickelt sich das Berlin Independent Film Festival zu einem wichtigen Geschäftsknotenpunkt für die Low-Budget-Filmindustrie."". Retrieved 2015-01-13..
  18. "Kaltblut-Magazin: article about the festival". Archived from the original on 2015-01-23. Retrieved 2015-01-13..
  19. "Exberliner-Magazin: article about the festival". Retrieved 2015-01-13..
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