World Cinema Fund

📣 Exciting news from the 40th Jury Session of the Berlinale World Cinema Fund! 🌍✨ We are thrilled to support these incredible projects with a total of €260,000! 🎬🎥

🌟📽️ For more details, check out the full press release: https://www.berlinale.de/en/2025/news-press-releases/news-wcf-detail_256898.html
Highlights include:

WCF Classic:

"I’m Coming for You" (Cameroon)

"La libertad doble" (Argentina)

"Aisha Can’t Fly Anymore" (Egypt)

"A Margem do Rio" (Brazil)

"You Don’t Die Two Times" (Algeria)

WCF EUROPE

"Ancestral Visions of the Future" (Lesotho)

"The Sky is Mine" (Nepal)

WCF CLASSIC DISTRIBUTION

"Goodbye Julia" (Sudan)

"Critical Zone" (Iran)


, Berlinale Talents Berlinale - Berlin International Film Festival Kulturstiftung des Bundes Berlinale Co-Production Market

🎬✨ Wonderful news from the Guadalajara International Film Festival! 🌟

Three have earned top honors:

🏆 FENÓMENOS NATURALES by Marcos Díaz Sosa (Cuba-Argentina-France), awarded with Best First Feature

🏆 YO VI TRES LUCES NEGRAS by Santiago Lozano Álvarez(Colombia-Mexico-France-Germany), winning Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay.

🏅TONGO SAA (Democratic Republic of the Congo-Belgium-Germany-Burkina Faso-Qatar) by Nelson Makengo, receiving an Honorable Mention.

Huge congratulations to all teams! 🎉🎥

Mark your calenders!📅

On April 24th EUREKA by Lisandro Alonso will have its premiere in German cinemas - don't miss out on this amazing film. 💥

It's time for announcements! 🎬✨ Proud to announce the selection of not one, but TWO outstanding from Vietnam and Somalia at Festival de Cannes l! 🎬✨A moment to celebrate diverse voices in film!

🌟VIET AND NAM by Truong Minh Quy (Vietnam). Producers: Epicmedia Productions Inc (Philippines), E&W Films, (Singapore), Deuxième Ligne Films (France), Scarlet Visions (Germany)
🌟 THE VILLAGE NEXT TO PARADISE by Mo Harawe (Somalia). Producers: Producers: Maanmaal ACC (Somalia), NiKo Film (Germany), FreibeuterFilm (Austria), Kazak
Productions (France)

- Berlin International Film Festival des Bundes

⚠️Premiere Alert⚠️

Make sure you don't miss out on the German film start of OMEN by Baloji on April 4th 2024.

Congratulations are in order!👏

I SAW THREE BLACK LIGHTS by Santiago Lozano Álvarez won the Grand Prix Coup de Coeur in the Fiction Feature Film Competition at Cinélatino, in Toulouse. 🏆

Check this out!🧐

💥There's no way around at this year's Cinélatino Festival in Toulouse. Many films from all around Latinamerica will be presented at this festival, swipe through this post to see the candidates!👏

toulouse

Happy faces all around!🤩 At this year’s , a number of harvested many different awards...

Huge congratulations to all the talented filmmakers honored, including Juliana Rojas for Encounters Award for Best Director with CIDADE; CAMPO, Phạm Ngọc Lân and team for the GWFF Best First Feature Award with CU LI NEVER CRIES, and Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias for his Silver Bear win for Best Director with PEPE! 🏆✨

Compliments to MY FAVOURITE CAKE for the Ecumenical Jury Prize and FIPRESCI Jury Prize. As well as for MY STOLEN PLANET for winning second place at the Panorama Audience Award! Last but not least, DISCO AFRIKA received an honorable mention from the Prize of AG Kino. 🥳

Big applause!👏👏👏

What a day!🤩

This Wednesday, we joined forces with to host the 2024 and we couldn’t be happier with the outcome!👏

Many thanks to our esteemed guests for enriching our discussions with their interesting perspectives, knowledge and valuable input. It was a day packed with thought-provoking exchanges and significant connections. And, of course, a big thank you to our audience for their active participation and strong attendance – we’re already looking forward to next year! 💥

Photos:

LatAm cinema entrevista a Vincenzo Bugno, director del World Cinema Fund de la Berlinale https://bit.ly/49HgC6O

🥳Exciting news!

🏆🌎The World Cinema Fund Audience Strategies Award is back, and this time it's heading to a Co-Production Market project from a WCF-supported country!
👏Congratulations to SEERA FILMS from Germany and director Fradique! They'll be receiving extensive consultations to enhance the audience and communication strategies for their film project, HOLD TIME FOR ME.

🍀Good luck to PEPE and MY FAVOURITE CAKE at the competition!

Make sure you watch these cinematic gems!✨

🫂MY FAVOURITE CAKE
The 70-year-old Mahin has been living alone in Tehran since her husband died and her daughter left for Europe. One afternoon, tea with friends leads her to break her solitary routine and revitalise her love life. But as Mahin opens herself up to a new romance, what begins as an unexpected encounter quickly evolves into an unpredictable, unforgettable evening.

🦛PEPE
In PEPE we delve into the surreal and poignant perspective of a deceased hippopotamus, known as Pepe, the first of his kind ever killed in the Americas. Through a mesmerizing narrative that blurs the boundaries of time and perception, we witness Pepe's existential journey as he grapples with the concept of existence, mortality, and the enigmatic nature of language. Amid encounters, misunderstandings, and moments of epiphany, we are immersed in a world teeming with stories within stories, exploring the profound orality of forgotten places and beings who, like Pepe, departed without ever truly understanding their surroundings.

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🥳Two wonderful films from Brazil and Senegal are shown at the Encounters section. Read below to check them out!

🌃CIDADE; CAMPO
In CIDADE; CAMPO two tales of migration intertwine as Joana, displaced by floods, navigates the challenges of urban life in São Paulo while forging unexpected bonds amidst labor struggles, while Flavia and her wife, Mara, confront the mysteries of her late father's rural estate, unearthing buried secrets and confronting personal demons among the unforgiving wilderness.

💫DEMBA
After 30 years of service in a small Senegalese town, Demba faces retirement and the looming anniversary of his wife's passing, sending him spiraling into a battle with grief and mental health. In the middle of the boiling summer, he reconnects with his estranged son, but must confront his own demons to find healing without losing himself. DEMBA is a poignant exploration of loss, belonging, and the struggle to understand mental health in a society that lacks the language for depression.

📅Stay tuned for screening updates and more on these must-see films and others at this year’s Berlinale.

👀Take a look at this!

🤝Excited to be part of the Audience Design Summit at this year's Berlinale, where the World Cinema Fund is collaborating with experts to explore innovative strategies for engaging diverse audiences worldwide. 🎥

🥳Another round of dates!
Time for screened at .panorama:

🐒CU LI NEVER CRIES
After collecting her estranged husband's ashes in Germany, a woman returns to Vietnam with a pygmy slow loris he left her. At the same time, her young niece is preparing for her wedding. The young couple anxiously ponders their uncertain future together. The present in which the characters live and the complex echoes of Vietnamese history intertwine in a contemplative and poetic way.

🍃I SAW THREE BLACK LIGHTS
70-year-old José lives in a village on Colombia’s Pacific coast. He learned the art of ritual burial as a child. Like his ancestors who were brought to Colombia as African slaves, he accompanies the dying and the dead on their way to eternal rest. One day, the ghost of his son Pium Pium appears to José and tells him of his own death. After his warning not to die near his home, José embarks on his final journey, entering the jungle. But the area is controlled by armed groups. He must dodge their violence to save his soul from purgatory.

🪐MY STOLEN PLANET
MY STOLEN PLANET is a diary-style narrative by Farah, an Iranian filmmaker. Born during the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, she captures moments of joy and defiance in her daily life, navigating the contrast between domestic freedom and external oppression. She collects 8mm films from strangers and records and archives her own to create an alternative history of Iran. In 2022, the Women, Life, Freedom uprising becomes a turning point in Farah’s life, as well as in the lives of many others in Iran.

🌙RISING UP AT NIGHT
Darkness falls over Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and its 17 million inhabitants. It is just before Christmas and people are struggling to gain access to electric light. RISING UP AT NIGHT is a sensitive portrait of the residents of Kinshasa as they face the challenges of life in an environment plagued by violence and coloured by the uncertainty of tomorrow.

📅Stay tuned for screening updates and more on these must-see films and others at this year’s Berlinale.

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💥Exciting news - just in time for Berlinale!

📗Unveiling our latest WCF-Booklet edition, a cinematic journey through 20 years of stories with strong visual identity: you’ll find an overview of every film that has received support from the WCF! Explore the diverse films that have shaped the World Cinema Fund's legacy.

👀Check out and download the collection on our website: https://www.berlinale.de/en/wcf/funded-projects.html

💥More screening info!💥

📅Save the dates and venues for these three captivating films at :

🍃OASIS OF NOW
In the heart of Kuala Lumpur's migrant community, OASIS OF NOW (Chia Chee Sum) follows Hanh, an undocumented mother navigating the complexities of daily life while grappling with her identity and dreams, in a poignant exploration of resilience and belonging.

⛓REAS
In the confines of a prison cell, Yoseli embarks on a journey of self-discovery and solidarity surrounded by a diverse group of cis and trans women in REAS (Lola Arias). Through voguing battles, music, and budding romance with Nacho, a trans man, they find empowerment and joy in the face of confinement, weaving a tapestry of resilience and love in the unlikeliest of places.

🌙THE NIGHT STILL SMELLS LIKE GUNPOWDER
In THE NIGHT STILL SMELLS LIKE GUNPOWDER, filmmaker Inadelso Cossa delves into the haunting echoes of Mozambique's civil war through fragmented memories, nightmares, and poignant encounters with survivors and former rebels. With archival footage and sensory exploration, the film unravels the trauma of the conflict, confronting the ghosts of the past against the backdrop of a nation's silenced history.

🧐Stay tuned for screening updates and more on these must-see films and others at this year’s Berlinale. 📅

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📣Attention, please!

🎬Discover the screening dates and places for DISCO AFRIKA from Madagascar, directed by Luck Razanajaona, screened in !🎟

SYNOPSIS
This follows twenty-year-old Kwame's journey into the clandestine sapphire mines and the harsh realities of corruption in his homeland.

Stay tuned for screening updates and more on the other films showcased at this year’s Berlinale.📅

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❗️Statement❗️

Earlier this month, the Berlinale was pleased to announce the selection of the Iranian film MY FAVOURITE CAKE by Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha in competition at this year’s 74th edition of the festival.

Since then, the festival has learned that as of the time of writing Iranian writers/directors Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha have been banned from travelling, have had their passports confiscated, and face a court trial in relation to their work as artists and filmmakers.

The Berlinale Directors Carlo Chatrian and Mariëtte Rissenbeek stated: “We call for the Iranian authorities to return the passports and to end all restrictions preventing Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha from freely travelling to Berlin this February, together with the other international directors and filmmaking talents from around the world, so they can present their new film My Favourite Cake as part of the Berlinale’s 2024 Competition.”

MY FAVOURITE CAKE was supported by the Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund, and prior to this was developed as a project through the Berlinale when it participated in the 2020 Berlinale Co-Production Market, where it was recognised with the prestigious Eurimages Co-Production Development Award.

Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha share a long and rich history with the Berlinale, and must be allowed to return to Berlin this February.

📆Save the Date!🙌

World Cinema Fund Day 2024 is happening on February 21st at HAU2, Berlin.
Immerse yourself in discussions on film culture, production landscapes, and the evolution of WCF's funding strategies. Explore new projects and celebrate 20 years of cinematic diversity with us!🎞

Here's what's in store:

🎬14:30: Introduction: World Cinema – Cinema and Beyond with Elisabeth Mansfeld

🦛15:00: Director’s Talk - "PEPE": Join Vincenzo Bugno in conversation with director Nelson Carlos De Los Santos about his film PEPE in competition at Berlinale 2024.

💫16:15: "Charm of the Minority": Christoph Friedel, Giovanni Pompili, Marion Wagner, and more discuss minority co-productions, financing, and prospects.

🌍17:15: "Dealing with Africa(s)": Explore new voices and stories in African Cinema with directors Mamadou Dia, Inadelso Cossa, Luck Razanajaona, and Nelson Makengo, moderated by Dorothee Wenner.

If you want to attend, please write an Email to [email protected] for registration!📩

More information about the program and the guests of WCF Day 2024 will be available on the WCF website shortly before the start of the festival.

WCF Day is happening in collaboration with

🔦World Cinema Fund Spotlight!✨

Thrilled to announce the premiere of PRAIA FORMOSA, a cinematic gem funded by the WCF, at the International Film Festival Rotterdam!🐅

📆Date: Friday, 31st of January

Best of luck to this incredible Brazilian film at the Tiger Competition!🍀🌊

🥁Drumroll, please!
We proudly present to you the TWELVE that will be shown at this years’ Berlinale. This is the highest number of films participating at the festival supported by the WCF, a record we happily celebrate alongside our 20th anniversary.🥳

"An impressive number of diverse films have been selected for the Berlinale 2024 programme – hailing from the Dominican Republic, Iran, Brazil, Senegal, Colombia, Vietnam, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique, Argentina, and Malaysia. Twelve geographically, culturally and artistically different films, with impressive narrative and artistic identities, screening across all festival sections."

🎞In the following categories, you’ll find films from all over the world: make sure you don’t miss them!🌎

🟥Competition:
PEPE by Nelson Carlos de los Santos (Namibia/Dominican Republic)
MY FAVOURITE CAKE by Behtash Sanaeeha & Maryam Moghaddam (Iran)

🟧Encounters:
CIDADE; CAMPO by Juliana Rojas (Brazil)
DEMBA by Mamadou Dia (Senegal)

🟦Generation:
DISCO AFRIKA by Luck Razanajaona (Madagaskar)

🟨Panorama:
MY STOLEN PLANET by Farahnaz Sharifi (Iran)
CU LI NEVER CRIES by Pham Ngoc Lân (Vietnam)
I SAW THREE BLACK LIGHTS by Santiago Lozano Álvarez (Colombia)
RISING UP AT NIGHT by Nelson Makengo (Dem. Rep. of the Congo)

🟪Forum:
OASIS OF NOW by Chia Chee Sum (Malaysia)
THE NIGHTS STILL SMELL OF GUNPOWDER by Inadelso Cossa (Mozambique)
REAS by Lola Arias (Argentina)

💥Exciting news!
Our funding doors are wide open for your cinematic projects! 🎬

📣The call for entries is now LIVE! Don't miss out – the deadline is February 28th.

Dive into our website for all the details: guidelines, funding programs, eligibility criteria, funding regions, submission form, FAQs, and more!
⚡️www.berlinale-worldcinemafund.de⚡️

📩We are eager to read your projects!!

👏Exciting night ahead at the FOUR DAUGHTERS screening in Berlin today!💥

🎬Don’t miss the unique chance of watching FOUR DAUGHTERS in attendance of the protagonists Olfa Hamrouni, Aya and Tayssir Chikhaoui and the producers of Twenty Twenty Vision hosted by the German Distributor Rapid Eye Movies.🎉

🎫The German premiere of the Tunisian film by Kaouther Ben Hania will take place this Thursday, 18th of February, at the KulturBrauerei. Doors open at 19:30, the movie starts at 20:00.

See you in the cinemas!❤️

34 film projects from 27 countries have been selected for the 21st Berlinale Co-Production Market (February 17-21). Their producers will be looking for partners to help co-finance and realise their projects as international co-productions in the next few years. 17 of the 34 projects are directed by women. There were 318 submissions in total, a slight increase from the previous year.

The Berlinale Co-Production Market team will be organising over 1,500 one-on-one meetings during the Berlinale, enabling the selected projects’ producers and companies to meet with potential international co-producers, representatives of world sales companies, TV broadcasters, funding organisations, streaming platforms, film distributors and other financing partners from all over the world.

To date, over 360 films have emerged from Berlinale Co-Production Market projects, including several Bear winners.

Ten new series projects for the pitch event Co-Pro Series, also curated by the Berlinale Co-Production Market, as well as ten literary adaptations for Books at Berlinale will be announced in the coming week.

FB: Read the full press release and find all selected projects: bit.ly/CoProMarket2024

Berlinale Co-Production Market

🎬 Great news: The German Federal Cultural Foundation is increasing its funding so that the World Cinema Fund can continue to support film projects with high aesthetic standards and political emancipation potential in a complex international environment. 🌟From 2025 to 2029, it will support the World Cinema Fund with an annual sum of up to 450,000 euros as well as an increase of 90,000 euros in the funding already approved in 2024, totalling up to 2.34 million euros.🌍
🎬 Wunderbare Nachrichten: Die Kulturstiftung des Bundes erhöht ihre Förderung, damit der World Cinema Fund in einem komplexen internationalen Umfeld weiter Filmprojekte mit hohem ästhetischem Anspruch und politischem Emanzipationspotenzial unterstützen kann. 🌟Sie fördert den World Cinema Fund in den Jahren 2025 bis 2029 mit einer jährlichen Summe von bis zu 450.000 Euro sowie mit einer Erhöhung der bereits bewilligten Förderung im Jahr 2024 um 90.000 Euro, insgesamt mit bis zu 2,34 Millionen Euro.
Berlinale - Berlin International Film Festival Kulturstiftung des Bundes