FFFB Programme 2026
Opening Feature Film: “By Design”
Opening Feature Film: “By Design”
by Amanda Kramer (Germany Premiere)
Canada - 2025 ‧ Sci-fi/Drama ‧ 1h 32m
*The Original Version in English will be screened
Camille (Juliette Lewis) enters a home décor store and becomes fixated on a chair. Soon after, she inexplicably swaps bodies with it, only to discover that those around her seem to prefer this new version of her. Narrated by Melanie Griffith, Amanda Kramer’s Sundance-premiered “By Design” is a surreal, darkly comic exploration of desire, identity, and the objectification of women.
Set in a hyper-stylised world, the film takes fetishisation to its most absurd conclusion: the desire not only to possess an object, but to become one. With a rigorous visual language and biting, dry humour, Kramer blends cinema, literature, and performance art to expose the absurdity and emptiness of social behaviour. As Camille’s body remains strangely present in the lives of those around he, even improving her relationship with her mother, “By Design” becomes both a rebellion against female objectification and a provocative examination of the desire to be desired, taken to the point of surrendering oneself entirely.
Opening Short Film Programme: “Between You & Me”
Opening Short Film Programme: “Between You & Me”
*100min/All films are screened in original language with English subtitles/Followed by Q&As with attending filmmakers
What happens in the space between two people? “Between You & Me” dives into the messy, tender and sometimes surprising ways we find and lose connection.
Sisters, mothers and daughters, friends, strangers and chosen families navigate care, loneliness, migration, memory and separation. From late-night encounters and shared meals to childhood memories, unspoken tensions and unexpected acts of tenderness, these stories reveal how deeply we shape one another.
Intimate, playful and bittersweet, this programme is about the invisible threads that pull us together, even when we are drifting apart.
Films:
El viaje de Liliana (20min) Mexico
Tartuca (16min) Italy
Dear Mama (6min) China
Muddled Meals (7min) UK
Né una né due (6min) Italy
Kids of Tomorrow (7min) Germany
A Small Service (11min) Canada
Dear Hans (2min) Germany
Flying Duo (10min) UK
Let Me Breathe Again (10min) France
Feature Film: "A Safe Distance" (Canada)
Feature Film: “A Safe Distance”
by Gloria Mercer (European Premiere)
Canada - 2026- Queer Feminist Thriller 1h 25min
*The original version will be screened in English.
Alex and her boyfriend Joey head into the wilderness for a romantic getaway. When Alex turns down Joey's surprise proposal, he abandons her in the woods. She’s rescued by Kianna and Matt, an enigmatic young couple living off the grid. Stranded and shaken, Alex accepts their invitation to stay at their remote campsite. As she’s drawn into their intoxicating world, complicated emotions and unexpected connections begin to surface. But when she learns they’re fugitives wanted for a string of violent bank robberies, Alex must navigate the blurred lines between desire, loyalty, and survival.
“A Safe Distance” is a sapphic psychological thriller with a sharp feminist edge, a slow burn exploration of power, intimacy, and the seductive pull of reinventing yourself.
A Safe Distance, premiered at SXSW before screening at Frameline, Fantasia, and Vancouver International Film Festival. It was acquired for distribution by Drafthouse Films in the United States and Vortex Media in Canada, and currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
This queer coming-of-age horror film is what happens when the star-crossed passion of Heated Rivalry and the unsettling atmosphere of It Follows collide. (Frameline)
Feature Film: “Corren las liebres” (“Up & running”) & Short Film: “ALBAŞ”
Feature Film: “Up & running” (“Corren las liebres”)
by Lorena Ros Sanz
Spain/70min/ Germany Premiere
*The Original Version in Spanish will be screened with English subtitles.
*The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director.
After serving a ten-year sentence, Noa, a 48-year-old Catalan Roma trans woman, tries to start over and regain custody of her children, who are under statecare. To achieve this, she needs a home… but she is on the verge of eviction. Between hardship and resistance, solidarity, friendship, art and humour help her not give up.
Filmed over five years, the documentary follows a group of trans women as they struggle to secure housing and build meaningful lives in a city that too often pushes them to its margins.
Rather than explaining or speaking for them, the director’s intention was to create a space where they could represent themselves in all their complexity, free from stereotypes or victimising narratives. By placing lives that are usually kept at the margins at the centre of the story, the film reveals how dignity, friendship and mutual care become powerful forms of resistance.
Find out more: https://novenanube.es/en/films/up-and-running/
Short Film: “ALBAŞ”
by Merve Yıldız
Turkey/15min
A child growing up in the countryside is caught between the masculinity role imposed on him and the identity he finds in fairy tales, while in real life he is also forced to become a wolf.
Short Film Programme: “The Art Of Resistance”
Short Film Programme: “The Art Of Resistance”
*100min/All films are screened in original language with English subtitles/Followed by Q&As with attending filmmakers
Resistance is not always loud. Sometimes it is a body in motion, a border crossed, a secret kept, a space reclaimed or simply the decision to keep going.
“The Art of Resistance” explores rebellion in its many forms: intimate and political, quiet and collective, born from necessity, anger, care or hope. From women taking their bodies into public space and confronting patriarchal power to lives shaped by dictatorship, migration, racial barriers and systems that demand too much, these films ask what happens when we refuse to accept the roles and realities imposed upon us.
Visceral, poetic and fiercely alive, “The Art of Resistance” is about breaking boundaries, claiming freedom and discovering that sometimes the very act of existing on your own terms is resistance.
Films:
Il giorno della bestia (20min) Italy
Swim Sistas (11min) UK
What Stays (12min) Germany
NATAЛЛЯ (21min) Belarus
Five Walls (14min) Spain
Enough Enough (30min) Montenegro
Feature Film: "Life is" (La Vida es”)
Feature Film: "Life is" (La Vida es”)
by Lorena Villarreal Treviño
Mexico/120min/Germany Premiere
*The Original Version in Spanish will be screened with English subtitles.
*The screening will be followed by a Q&A with attending team members.
Nora’s about to turn 40; all she can think of is What’s the point of it all? Her father passed away at that same age. A relationship after a trio has its challenges and facing life is a tough pill to swallow. Life is wonderful, painful, and messy all at once.
A universal story told through a modern and honest lens, exploring female empowerment and the midlife crisis, not as a stage of decline, but as a moment of transformation, questioning, and personal rebirth. From a powerful female perspective, Life Is narrates the diverse realities of contemporary women in their middle years, navigating the journey of redefining desire, loss, and their own freedom.
An intimate and witty film that tackles emotional fragility, the meaning of existence, and life’s major crossroads, while maintaining the humor, desire, and lightness inherent in reinventing oneself halfway through the journey. Shot on 35mm with a soundscape designed to heighten the emotional experience, the film touches on timely themes such as feminism, eroticism, mortality, and, above all, love.
Led by internationally recognized talent that ensures press coverage, media attention, and a global following: Paulina García, Naian González Norvind, and Natalia Plascencia.
Music Videos/Dance/Fashion Programme: “Bodies, Beats & Other Worlds”
Music Videos/Dance/Fashion Programme: “Bodies, Beats & Other Worlds”
*90min/All films are screened in original language with English subtitles/Followed by Q&As with attending filmmakers
One of our most popular programmes is back and once again, it refuses to fit neatly into any box. “Bodies, Beats & Other Worlds” brings together music videos, dance, fashion and experimental filmmaking in a wild celebration of movement, sound, style and imagination.
Bodies break free from plastic, dance becomes its own language, wombs turn into cosmic universes, analogue drawings come alive, PS1 horror games collide with music, and fashion bends perception and transforms identity. Across oceans, generations and alternate realities, these films play with femininity, ancestry, desire, fear, freedom and the many ways we inhabit and reinvent our bodies.
Bold, strange, sensual, playful and occasionally otherworldly, this is cinema turned up a little louder: come for the music, stay for the fashion, and expect the unexpected.
Fashion:
Tem Fé (8min) Portugal
Nystagmus (2min) Austria
The Awakening (15min) Russia
Mean Goddess’s Spit (1min) Germany
Venus (3min) Georgia
Tides Of Freedom (4min) Germany
Music/Dance/Experimental:
MAIA. A Mother of Nations (11min) UK
OVARYVERSE (6min) Germany
Oblivion (5min) Germany
La Superstición del Huevo (12min) USA
Instructions for a body (5min) Peru
Stay with me - YagmanX (5min) UK
VICE 2 OUF (3min) France
The Best Day of My Life (4min) Czechia
Língua Solta (5min) Brazil
Lucy Dreams - Code to my Mind (3min) Austria
社畜 Shachiku (4min) Japan
Green Short Film Programme: “No Planet B”
Green Short Film Programme: “Not Planet B”
*97min/All films are screened in original language with English subtitles/Followed by Q&As with attending filmmakers
There’s no backup plan and definitely no backup planet.
From devil rays gliding through the waters of the Azores and wolves fighting for their last refuge to women confronting oil extraction in the Amazon, farmers reclaiming the land and communities living with the consequences of pollution, “No Planet B” looks at the climate crisis through the people, places and species experiencing it first-hand.
Moving between documentary, fiction, dance and sci-fi, these films take us from oceans, forests and farms to landfills and a climate-ravaged Earth of the future. But this programme isn’t only about what we stand to lose. It’s about resistance, coexistence and finding new ways to care for the world around us and for each other.
Urgent, imaginative and ultimately hopeful, “No Planet B” reminds us that the future of this strange, wild and beautiful planet is still ours to shape.
Films:
Where Devils Return (13min) UK
The windmill and the sea (12min) South Korea
KIN (5min) Mexico
Altyn-Kazyk: The Golden Stake (6min) South Korea
Shelter (9min) France
The Caterwoman -the movie (2min) Denmark
2389: Coming Home (12min) USA
The Land That Holds Us (12min) UK
Buen Vivir – ñutse canseye (16 min) Switzerland
Irish Farmers: A Love Story (16min) Ireland
Feature Film: "The Reckoning of Erin Morrigan"
Feature Film: "The Reckoning of Erin Morrigan"
by Gabrielle Russell
90min/UK/ Germany Premiere
*The Original Version in English will be screened
*The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director.
A former IRA operative confronts the ghosts of her past in a final reckoning. Dying of cancer in an isolated safe house on the Northern Irish border, Erin Morrigan, once part of a covert IRA unit responsible for suspected informers, lives surrounded by memories of violence and betrayal.
When a teenage boy on the run arrives at her door, Erin reluctantly offers him shelter in exchange for his care. As her health deteriorates, their uneasy relationship deepens, forcing Erin to confront memories she has long tried to suppress. When she asks him to help end her life, his refusal brings them both face-to-face with questions of conscience, loyalty, remorse, and redemption.
“The Reckoning of Erin Morrigan” is an intimate and haunting portrait of a woman confronting the consequences of her past and the possibility of grace in its aftermath.
Short Film Programme: "Me, Myself & I"
Short Film Programme: "Me, Myself & I"
*104min/All films are screened in original language with English subtitles/Followed by Q&As with attending filmmakers
Growing up, growing older, falling apart, starting again, becoming yourself is rarely a straightforward journey.
“Me, Myself & I” brings together characters caught at moments when something inside them begins to shift. They confront childhood wounds, imposed identities, fading memories, broken relationships and versions of themselves they thought they had left behind. Some retreat into fantasy, some transform, some hold on, and others finally learn to let go.
Surreal, intimate, playful and at times unsettling, these films move between memory and imagination to explore identity as something constantly being lost, questioned and rebuilt. “Me, Myself & I” is a journey through the many selves we become along the way.
The Lion (11min) UK
Eyelash (7min) Turkey
Room (5min) China
Venere Liberata (4min) Italy
Crumble (3min) Germany
Eva (10min) Italy
Finché morte / Until death (2min) Italy
To my grandfather (10min) Germany
ALBAŞ (15min) Turkey
Sonshine (16min) Jamaica
Alone (21min) Egypt
Short Film Programme: “Next Level”
Short Film Programme: “Next Level”
*102min/All films are screened in original language with English subtitles/Followed by Q&As with attending filmmakers
Ready to level up? Things are about to get weird and difficult.
“Next Level” is where reality starts to bend and the familiar takes an unexpected turn. Cities disappear underwater and humans grow fins, a muse becomes a statue, a grieving father faces an impossible decision, a live TV interview erupts into rebellion, anonymous lovers discover they already know each other, and a seemingly idyllic retreat sends its guests deep into the wild and even deeper into themselves.
Blending dark comedy, fantasy, heartbreaking drama, surrealism and the wonderfully absurd, these films take real human fears, relationships and turning points and push them somewhere entirely unexpected. Strange, bold and unpredictable, Next Level is for stories that refuse to play by the rules.
Films:
Revel (20min) Canada
Tall Hours (13min) New Zealand
She is Calliope (12min) UK, Hong Kong
Even Though I Ate The Cake (16min) South Africa
Fullmoonbaby (11min) Sweden
Fin People (10min) Croatia, Slovenia
Would You Be Dead By Now? (20min) Germany
Closing Feature Film: "Isola" (Germany)
Closing Feature Film: "Isola" (Germany)
by Nora Jaenicke
90min/Germany/Germany Premiere
*The Original Version in English will be screened
*The Screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director as well as the 2026 winner announcements and the screening of the winning music video.
On a remote Italian island, Joanna, a woman in her early forties, abandoned her dreams of becoming an artist years ago when she married Oskar, a much older, now disabled geologist. Now, isolated in a crumbling villa overlooking the sea, her days have become quiet, her youth fading into routine and resignation. Meanwhile, Joaquin, a young art teacher staying on the island, strikes up an affair with Joanna, offering her a brief escape. However, he soon discovers that Joanna has no access to her husband’s wealth.
As the three characters become entangled in the suffocating intimacy of the villa, a psychological game of manipulation, desire, and violence unfolds. Isola is a haunting drama exploring the fragile boundary between nurture and control, and how women across different roles can both liberate and imprison each other.
Closing Feature Film: "Honeymoon" (Ukraine)
Closing Feature Film: "Honeymoon" (Ukraine)
by Zhanna Ozirna
Berlin Premiere
(Film length: 84min)
*The film will be screened in Ukrainian with English subtitles.
*This screening will be followed by the winners announcement + screening of the winning music video.
TICKETS: https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3297043019
Taras and Olya spend their first night in their own apartment in a new residential complex in Kyiv.. At dawn, they wake up from the massive explosions. They fail to leave the town on time; meanwhile, the Russian troops arrange headquarters in their house, right in their inner yard. The couple finds themselves trapped in their flat with no electricity, water and mobile connection. They even don’t know if Ukraine still exists.
For the next five days, Taras and Olya will explore the black abyss of real intimacy between two people and will face crucial existential questions under mortal danger. Their main goal now is to keep in secret their presence, to plan the way to escape and to believe that the future is possible.
Closing Short Film Programme: "What She Knows"
Closing Short Film Programme: "What She Knows"
From prison cells to haunted coastlines, from hospital wards to the edges of life itself, these shorts explore the hidden knowledge women carry - about loss, love, resistance, and the human spirit’s capacity to endure. A dancer defies the walls that confine her. An interpreter hears a truth she’s tried to forget. A caregiver and her patient lock horns in a battle of wills. In Gothic shadows, a woman confronts her sins; in a future wasteland, a robot learns the language of grief. Whether facing death, injustice, or the supernatural, each protagonist holds fast to what she knows, even when the world would rather she forget.
*All films will be screened in their original language with English subtitles.
*There will be a Q&A after the screening with attending filmmakers.
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3297042177
Short Films:
“Roya Was Here” (Netherlands) (10.30min)
“Graveyard” (China) (6min)
“The interpreter” (Argentina) (12min)
“The Hollow Of The Three Hills” (UK) (12min)
“Mrs. Fleischer wants to die!” (Germany) (19min)
“It Burns” (Belgium) (11min)
“She Went” (Iran) (10:30min)
“Decisions” (Germany) (2.30min)
“Under The Whether” (Indonesia) (20min)
Total: 103min (+ Q&As after the screening)
Short Film Programme: "Ghosts of Yesterday"
Short Film Programme: "Ghosts of Yesterday"
A tapestry of memory, resilience, and reclamation, this programme weaves together deeply personal visions from women exploring the echoes of the past. From a choreographer in Colombia confronting the shadows of 1990s violence, to a Berlin-based artist imagining a free homeland; from a granddaughter retracing a 1950s Spanish journey, to a lyrical ode to youth in East Harlem, each story carries the imprint of time.
These films traverse landscapes of political upheaval, family history, and personal trauma: a woman grappling with childhood abuse confronts the fragility of body and identity, while another leaves her childhood home under the gaze of a wedding-day donkey. Intimate, poetic, and unflinching, “Ghosts of Yesterday” reveals how the past haunts, shapes, and ultimately liberates.
*All films will be screened in their orginal language with English subtitles.
*The screening will be followed by a Q&A with attending filmmakers.
TICKETS: https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3297042133
FILMS:
“Origin” (Colombia, Canada) (17min)
“Peace with Myself” (Israel) (3:50min)
“Ocean Bursting Into Tears” (Germany) (2.30min)
“Sweet Boys” (USA) (15min)
“A Child Never Born” (Iran) (14min)
“The Donkey with the Baby on her Back” (UK) (13min)
“An Excess Baggage” (France) (16.20min)
Fine (Israel) ( 4:47min)
Total: 87 min (+ Q&As after the screening)
Speed Networking Session with Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin x WIFT Germany
Speed Networking Session with Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin x WIFT Germany
Connections create opportunities: this networking event brings together filmmakers, producers, and industry professionals to exchange ideas, spark collaborations, and build lasting relationships. In an open and inspiring atmosphere, we invite you to strengthen creative networks, discover synergies, and collectively amplify the visibility of women and non-binary voices in film.
Duration: 90 minutes with festival drinks
Location: Kino Moviemento Lounge
Free for WIFT members, registration required in advance via email to: info@femalefilmmakersberlin.com
Short Film Programme: "Save Me While You Can"
Short Film Programme: "Save Me While You Can"
From moonlit beaches to the crowded streets of Lahore, from the scarred skin of survivors to the shadow of authoritarian rule, these shorts tell stories of women and girls confronting danger, isolation, and the weight of their own choices. Some navigate quiet, internal awakenings; others face the blunt force of violence, harassment, or political oppression.
Whether tending to fragile plants, confronting corrupt developers, reclaiming a body marked by trauma, or daring to love in the face of death, each protagonist wrestles with the question of how to live and love on her own terms. Poetic, harrowing, and defiantly human, these films reveal that survival is not just about enduring, but about reclaiming the right to shape your own story.
*All films will be screened in their original language with English subtitles.
*There will be a Q&A after the screening with attending filmmakers.
TICKETS: https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3297040561
Short Films:
“Don't be late, Myra” (Pakistan) (15min)
“Oplà” (Italy) (18min)
“They Call Me The Tattoo Witch” (USA) (14min)
“Echo” (Mexico) (9.48min)
“A Little Bird Told Me” (Ireland) (13.30min)
“When Everything Burns” (Argentina) (12min)
“Red Moon” (Cambodia) (15min)
Total: 100min (+ Q&As after the screening)
"Call of Water" (Feature Film) (France)
"Call of Water" (Feature Film) (France)
by Élise Otzenberger
Germany Premiere
*The film will be screened in French with English subtitles.
During a day at the beach, 9-year-old Simon disappears. After long minutes of search, his mother Sarah finally finds him wet and disturbed, facing the sea. Back home, Simon acts strangely, spending hours in his bath and seeking contact with water at every opportunity. Concerned, Sarah pushes him to reveal the reason for this behavior and Simon finally confesses his secret: when emerged in water, he can hear extraterrestrial voices.
TICKETS: https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3297040523
Failing Forward – How Setbacks Can Fuel Creative Growth
Failing Forward – How Setbacks Can Fuel Creative Growth
Failure is not the end of the road but often the beginning of something new. This panel brings together filmmakers to discuss how setbacks, rejections, and obstacles have fueled their creativity and shaped their artistic journeys. Through candid conversations, we will explore how moments of failure can spark innovation, resilience, and unexpected growth.
Duration: 1 hour
Location: at Kino Moviemento Lounge
Free for WIFT members, registration required in advance via email to: info@femalefilmmakersberlin.com
"Not what you think" (Feature Film) (Turkey)
"Not what you think" (Feature Film) (Turkey) (Berlin Premiere)
by Vuslat Saracoglu
Three siblings who are different from each other in terms of mentality and lifestyle: Tahsin (44), Yasin (38) and Remziye (34). Due to the mysterious death of their father, they meet in the city they were born. During the time in Tokat, sometimes they get close to each other in a warm relationship, and sometimes they get tense. Sometimes one to two alliances are formed. The tangled structure of siblinghood is experienced in all aspects. They realize that they remember their common past differently. Tahsin and Yasin learns shocking truth about Remziye. Nothing is as any of them know.
*This film will be screened in Turkish with English subtitles.
*This screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director/attending film team.
TICKETS: https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3297040484
Music & Dance Videos Meet Fashion Films: "Vibe Check"
Music & Dance Videos Meet Fashion Films: "Vibe Check"
This is where the runway hits the rhythm. “Vibe Check” brings a high-voltage mix of music videos, dance films, and fashion visions from women and non-binary filmmakers. Packed with pounding beats, fearless moves, and next-level style, this festival favourite is pure energy on screen - every frame struts, sweats, and simply owns it. Expect real attitude in motion and leave inspired into the night.
*This screening will be followed by a Q&A with attending filmmakers.
TICKETS: https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3297036878
Fashion:
“Audrey” (Germany) (1.50min)
“Mx.” (UK) (5.30min)
“Ukshiringa: Fashion regenerating Amazonia” (Australia) (11.30min)
“Weightless Wardrobe” (Germany) (1.15min)
“Echo Bloom” (Japan) (9min)
“The Balloon that Can Fly” (Canada) (1min)
Music & Dance Videos:
"Nica Unfug - “No4” (Germany) (4min)
“Millenium” (Belgium) (4.30min)
“Something” (USA) (2.30min)
“Precious” (Germany) (3min)
“Be Silent, Beloved Country” (Israel) (4min)
“Cycle of Pain” (Germany) (4min)
“Utopce” (Poland) (4min)
“Marionette” (USA) (3min)
“Going Crazy” (Germany) (4min)
“In Viadi” (Switzerland) (17min)
“The Island of Renegades” (Germany) (10min)
Total: 89 min + Q&As
"Where In The Hell" (USA) (Feature Film)
"Where In The Hell" (USA) (Feature Film)
Germany Premiere
by Laramie Dennis
When her girlfriend disappears mid-road trip, sardonic prop master Kasey is left stranded in a California backwater. Panicked, she hitches a ride with cash-strapped actor Alan on his trek to an audition in Canada. Together, the unlikely duo dodges Reno psychics, stale corn nuts, and border security on a quest to find a missing soulmate and maybe validation.
TICKETS: http://bit.ly/4guLjAQ
*This film will be screened in its original English version.
*This screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director.
Talk: Inventing Tomorrow's Stories with AI
What happens when creativity meets AI? Join Inken Paland and Shamila Lengsfeld, with moderator Katerina Russman, for an eye-opening talk on how artificial intelligence is changing the way we tell stories.
Expect hands-on tips, behind-the-scenes case studies, and a look at tools that can turn small ideas into big-screen visions. From visual development to self-marketing, AI is opening doors for women and underrepresented voices to create more independently than ever before.
Fresh perspectives, bold questions, and practical takeaways - discover how to see AI not as a threat, but as a new creative ally.
TICKETS:
About the Speakers:
Shamila Lengsfeld:
Shamila Lengsfeld is a German-Iranian director and AI in filmmaking enthusiast. She studied at SAE Institute Cologne and the New York Film Academy and has since directed award-winning independent films. Her work focuses on strong female characters, queer perspectives, and the innovative use of AI technologies in filmmaking. Alongside her own directing projects, she currently consults international film productions on AI applications, from series to documentaries and VFX.
Inken Paland:
Inken Paland is the founder of vely.ai and an expert on communication and artificial intelligence. A former actress and director, she realized the film industry is on the verge of change, especially with the rise of avatars in acting. This led her back to her previous profession: researching human-machine interaction and communication, with a focus on AI avatars as communicators and the role of generative AI in shaping public discourse.She studied Social and Economic Communication at the Berlin University of the Arts and Design Thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute. As a content creator with over 200,000 followers, she bridges research and practice. She runs a company specialized in AI content creation and has produced two AI-based short films for social media, which you can find on her LinkedIn profile. She also hosts the podcast "Reboot Society – AI, Diversity, and the New World Order".
KI-Workshops & KI-Kurse
www.inkenpaland.com
Podcast Co-Host
Reboot Society
Short Film Programme: "Planet Femme- Green Shorts"
"Planet Femme- Green Shorts"
This year’s eco-focused shorts spotlight women and non-binary voices confronting our planet’s most urgent challenges with imagination, resilience, and defiance. From the storm-battered mangroves of the Sundarbans to the drought-stricken streets of Cape Town, from a fairy’s polluted sky to a drag queen’s stage, these films capture climate change’s human stories, its grief, its grit, and its unexpected sparks of hope.
Blending documentary, animation, performance, and poetry, this programme celebrates those fighting for the earth, reimagining waste, preserving traditions, and finding beauty in untouched places. Together, they remind us that protecting the planet is as much about saving our humanity as it is about saving our home.
TICKETS: https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3297036775
*All shorts will be screened in their original language with English subtitles.
*Q&As will be held after the screening with attending filmmakers
Special: Green Plant Workshop in Cinema Lounge before the screening- reduced price for all FFFB attendees (More details: TBC)
Films:
“The Taste of Honey” (Bangladesh) (15min)
“The Fairy Tail” (Russia) (1.16min)
“Unless” (Poland) (5.30min)
“Madame Margaux” (Singapore) (17 min)
“Terradread” (Germany) (20min)
“Abigail's an Activist Now” (UK) (14:09)
“Intsikelelo Yamanzi” (South Africa) (8min)
“Place of Inaccessibility” (Sweden) (7min)
“The Bleeding Tides” (India) (18min)
Total: 106 min (+ Q&As after the screening)
"Natural Yeasts" (Feature Film + Shorts)
"Natural Yeasts" (Feature Film)
Germany Premiere
by Justine Saint-Lô (France) (63min)
(Total programme with shorts: 81min + Q&A)
*French with English subtitles
Béa, a Colombian woman living in Chinon, makes natural wine on her own in her cellar. Surrounded by natural yeasts - those invisible microorganisms naturally present on grape skins and in the environment that transform sugar into alcohol, she experiments, tastes, and transforms. As a foreigner, a woman, and an unconventional winemaker, she defies the norms of a traditionally male-dominated field and proves she belongs where no one expected her. Through living wine, she explores her freedom, her doubts, and gradually asserts her name, her style, and her place.
en français:
Béa, colombienne installée à Chinon, fait du vin nature seule dans sa cave. Entourée des levures indigènes, ces micro-organismes invisibles naturellement présents sur la peau du raisin et dans son environnement et qui transforment le sucre en alcool, elle expérimente, goûte, transforme. Étrangère, femme, et vigneronne hors normes, elle défie les codes d’un milieu traditionnellement masculin et prouve qu’elle peut être là où on ne l’attend pas. À travers le vin vivant, elle explore sa liberté, ses doutes, et affirme peu à peu son nom, son style, sa place.
*followed by wine tasting in the cinema lounge (included in ticket)
TICKETS: https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3297036737
Shorts as part of this programme:
“As if it could” by Ada Güvenir (Belgium) (13:16 min)
"As If It Could" is a semi-autobiographical tale of borders and belonging, told through the metaphor of a plant. When Olive’s plant fails to thrive, she leaves home in search of new soil, only to discover the journey demands far more than she imagined.
“Scents of the Season” by Maxime Cardol (Netherlands) (2:47 min)
After experiencing loss and grief, we attempt to live on and often tuck our memories away, hoping they’ll fade into the background. Yet, as the seasons shift, familiar scents bring back emotions. Emotions that transport you straight to the memory of what was once so beautiful.
*The Screening will be followed by a Q&A with attending filmmakers.
*All films are screened in their original language with English subtitles.
Opening Shorts Programme: “Metamorpho-Sis!”
Short Films Programme: “Metamorpho-Sis!”
Kicking off this year’s festival, our opening shorts programme bursts with stories of change in all its forms - tender, turbulent, and transformative. From the quiet germination of wheat to the charged rituals of coming of age, mothers, daughters, friends, and lovers face the moments that redefine them - in a bathhouse’s echo, a witch’s shadow, the wilderness of Ontario, or the midway of a county fair. Bodies change, friendships bend, and identities are remade. Whether through poetic reflection, supernatural encounter, or the fierce resolve to forge a new path, each story captures the beauty, fear, and inevitability of becoming someone new.
*All shorts will be screened in their original language with English subtitles.
*Q&As will be held after the screening with attending filmmakers
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3297029976
Films:
“Fairground” (USA) (13min)
“A Place at the Operating Table” (USA) (10.30min)
“The Cut” (Canada) (8min)
“Shaping Change” (Norway) (11min)
“Heather” (Germany) (8min)
“The Hollow Of The Three Hills” (UK) (12min)
“Nhandê” (Brazil) (12min)
“Orange Blossom” (USA) (12.30min)
“Grain of life” (Slovakia) (18min)
Total: 105 min (+ Q&As after the screening)
"Her difference" (Opening Film)
"Her difference" (Opening Film) (Germany Premiere)
by Lola Doillon
(Original French version with English subtitles)
Katia, a 35-year-old researcher in a documentary production company, has a chaotic way of navigating her relationship with Fred, her boyfriend. When she takes part in a new project, she finally puts her difference into words – and this revelation will turn their life upside down.
TICKETS: https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3297029942
With Jehnny BETH, Thibaut EVRARD, Mireille PERRIER, Irina MULUILE,
Julie DACHEZ, Fabienne CAZALIS, Philippe LE GALL, Johnny MONTREUIL
Produced by Agat Films, Ping Pong Productions
2025 / 100' / Drama / France / French with English subtitles
Closing Feature: "Sariri" (Chile) + Winner Announcements + Winning Music Video Screening
Closing Feature: "Sariri" (Chile) + Winner Announcements + Winning Music Video Screening
“Sariri” (Chile) (Germany Premiere)
by Laura Donoso
In a mining town lost in the desert, women live under male rules. Dina, pressured by an unwanted pregnancy, plans to escape to the city. But she cannot leave her sister Sariri, who has just reached menarche.
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3081336470
Feature Film: "Highly Explosive" (Germany)
Feature Film: "Highly Explosive" (Germany) (Berlin Premiere)
by Kerstin Polte
In the heart of a European metropolis, an unexploded World War II bomb ignites a cascade of fear and self-reflection. As residents confront anxiety and uncertainty, unlikely alliances emerge amidst the chaos.
HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE is a multi-layered narrative that delves into the human condition against a backdrop of societal unease. It intertwines stories of resilience and connection in a city on edge.
HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE is also a story about bombs. About the quarter of a million unexploded bombs from World War II that still lie buried in the ground, slowly decaying, and about the metaphorical bombs and fears that permeate our society, driving us further and further apart.
*This screening will be followed by a Q&A.
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3081336432
Short Film Programme: "Shifting Realities"
Dive into a compelling programme of short films that explores the profound themes of trauma, dreams, and transformative experiences. Each film offers a poignant reflection on how pivotal moments and inner struggles shape our lives and perceptions. Join us for an evocative exploration of the forces that alter our realities and forge our paths.
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3081333354
Short films shown as part of this programme:
The Giant Bird (Germany) (6 min)
Wanda (Poland) (21 min)
To The Body (Germany ) (3:48 min)
Sweet Lime (UK) (10:40 min)
Call me Lala (Poland) (20 min)
Echo (Spain) (8 min)
Pulse (Germany) (3 min)
I You He/She We You They (Turkey) (4:22 min)
Kharab (Lebanon) (14:49 min)
*This screening will be followed by a Q&A.
Feature Documentary: “The Man with A Thousand Faces” (France/ Poland)
Feature Documentary: “The Man with A Thousand Faces” (France, Poland) (Germany Premiere)
by Sonia Kronlund
He goes by the names of Alexandre, Ricardo or Daniel. He calls himself a surgeon or an engineer, Argentinean or Brazilian. He lives with four women at the same time, adapting his story and even his personality traits to each one. A first-person investigation, with the help of a private detective, into an impostor with a thousand imaginary lives.
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3081331479
Feature Film: "With Love & A Major Organ" (Canada)
Feature Film: "With Love & A Major Organ" (Canada) (Berlin Premiere)
by Kim Albright
Produced by Madeleine Davis
Starring Anna Maguire, Hamza Haq, Veena Sood and Donna Benedicto
In a world where everyone's heart is an object and there's a strong societal pressure to dampen emotion, lonely Virtual Insurance broker Anabel (Anna Maguire) always follows her heart. At odds with this overly pragmatic society, and after a series of devastating emotional blows, she rips her heart from her chest and gives it to a man she's fallen for, the strangely unfeeling George (Hamza Haq). Unburdened by her unique yet cumbersome heart, Anabel finds life easier.
George, on the other hand, begins to feel everything, to the shock of his overbearing mother, Mona (Veena Sood). Anabel soon realizes she needs to get her heart back if she's going to survive.
'*This screening will be followed by a Q&A.
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3081331440
Short Film Programme: “Connections”
Discover the myriad facets of human connection in a poignant collection of short films exploring the depths of relationships. Each film offers a unique lens on how we connect, communicate, and sometimes drift apart. With emotional depth and cinematic flair, "Connections" captures the essence of intimacy, conflict, and the beauty of human interaction. Join us for a moving and insightful exploration of the ties that bind us.
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3081331412
Short films shown as part of this programme:
Sick World (France) (2:20 min)
Tango to go (Germany) (14:17 min)
Manting (China) (15 min)
Gillyfish (UK) (10:51 min)
Sails of Sorrow (Austria) (10:30 min)
Not Him (USA) (15 min)
I'm Not Okay (Israel) (12 min)
Sasporumpet (USA) (13 min)
LovHer (Germany)- (9:39 min)
Talk: Intimacy Coordination with Katja Weitzenböck
Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin Talk: Intimacy Coordination with Katja Weitzenböck
Join us at the 6th "Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin" for an insightful and engaging talk on "Intimacy Coordination" in film, hosted by the esteemed actress and intimacy coordinator Katja Weitzenböck.
Katja Weitzenböck, known for her remarkable performances across various TV films and genres, brings a wealth of experience and emotional depth to her roles. Born in Tokyo on June 10, 1967, to a family with a rich artistic and academic heritage, Katja's diverse career spans from her early modeling days in New York, Milan, and Paris to her acclaimed acting work on stage and screen in Germany and abroad. Her extensive background includes studying acting at the Franco-American Cinema Theatre in Paris and training in dance, enriching her dynamic presence both in front of the camera and on stage.
In this talk, Katja will delve into the crucial role of intimacy coordination in filmmaking. This discussion will highlight how intimacy coordinators contribute to a positive and professional on-set atmosphere and why their role is vital in today's film industry.
Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from Katja Weitzenböck and bring your questions to the Q&A session that will follow this talk.
This event will be followed by a networking session including FFFB festival drinks at Kino Moviemento Lounge.
Location: Kino Moviemento Lounge
SIGN UP: https://bit.ly/4gyeym3
Feature Film: "Yellow Bus" (United Arab Emirates)
Feature Film: "Yellow Bus" (United Arab Emirates) (Germany Premiere)
by Wendy Bednarz
In the sweltering Arabian Gulf heat Ananda’s dreams of a better life than the one she left behind in India are shattered after her child is forgotten on a school bus. Armed with the dead child’s ashes, she stands up against society’s ‘invisible’ caste, refusing the customary blood money and demanding accountability.
Bednarz’s debut fiction feature Yellow Bus is a unique collaboration between Jordanian producer Nadia Eliewat and Indian Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga. Featuring an award-winning lead cast Tannishtha Chatterjee (“Brick Lane” and “Parched”), Yellow Bus showcases its transnational essence, using five different languages: Hindi, English, Urdu, Arabic, and Tagalog. The film was shot by the César winning Tunisan/French DOP Sofian El Fani ( “Timbuktu“, "Blue Is the Warmest Color”, “It Must Be Heaven”).
*This screening will be followed by a Q&A.
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3081323271
Shorts & Music Videos Programme: "Music & Couture"
Step into a world where music and fashion collide and enjoy a dazzling programme of music and fashion videos crafted by visionary female filmmakers. This collection fuses dynamic beats with striking visuals, showcasing innovative storytelling through both sound and style. From bold fashion statements to genre-defying music tracks, each piece is a testament to the creativity and artistic flair of women redefining the visual landscape.
TICKETS: https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3081323244
Short Films & Music Videos shown as part of this programme:
Music Videos/Dance Films:
Voices (UK) (4:07 min)
Delingha (China) (5:52 min)
Rigmor - Alt Det Du Gør (3:27 min)
The Sentinel (USA) (4:25 min)
Antoha MY - Heart Rhythm (Russia) (3:45 min)
Maubak - By my Side (Germany) (2:43 min)
Nee-Sha - Sound Of The Waves (Austria) (4:50 min)
Visitors (Germany) (4:15 min)
Tanzt (7min) (UK)
Olhares (Gazes) (5 min)
A Place with Drama (Germany) (4:05 min)
East London Gorillas /UK) (2:14 min)
Fashion Videos:
House of pleasures (Russia) (2:34 min)
Love Letter to the past (Italy) (1:58 min)
S. Edoné (Italy) (6:14 min)
Digital Ghosts (Georgia) (2:49 min)
Dentro (Italy) (2:27 min)
Kitsch Kiosk (Germany) (1:40 min)
Printemps (Netherlands) (5:49 min)
Seemingly (Switzerland) (4min)
*This screening will be followed by a Q&A.
Feature Film: "Itu Ninu" (Mexico)
Feature Film: "Itu Ninu" (Mexico) (Berlin Premiere)
by Itandehui Jansen
In the not-so-distant future of 2084, Ángel finds himself trapped as a climate migrant in an unspecified smart city, under constant surveillance. Amidst a bleak and oppressive existence, Ángel makes a living by cultivating plants, preserving the fading wisdom of seeds.
Within this desolate landscape he crosses paths with Sofia, another climate migrant who works at a recycling facility. Fate intertwines their lives when a chance encounter reveals an unexpected connection: a shared language.
Fueling Ángel's longing for human connection and a glimmer of hope, he reaches out to Sofia. Aware of the omnipresent digital monitoring, Ángel decides to communicate with her through the timeless medium of pen and paper, fostering an intimate, clandestine bond.
As their secret correspondence unfolds, a friendship grows between Ángel and Sofia as does their desire for liberation from excessive control.
*This screening will be followed by a Q&A.
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3081315933
Environmentally-Themed Shorts Programme: "Eco Perspectives"
Immerse yourself in a vibrant collection of short films that tackle urgent environmental themes. From climate crises to ecological wonders, these powerful stories spotlight the critical issues facing our planet and the passionate voices advocating for change. Witness the intersection of film art and activism at the 6th edition of the “Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin”, where every frame resonates with the heartbeat of our Earth.
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3081315899
Short films shown as part of this programme:
Coexistence (France) (12 min)
Bakelite (France) (7 min)
The Prescribed Burn of a Savanna Oak (USA) (23 min)
Salt in their Veins (UK) (16 min)
The Lost Lake (Canada) (12 min)
Carrying Wood (Ireland) (9 min)
Roots in the sand (Uruguay) (24 min)
Opening Short Film Programme: "Reframing Identity"
Dive into a captivating array of short films by visionary female filmmakers, each boldly exploring the theme of identity. From personal battles with self-image to powerful cultural expressions, these films push boundaries and spark conversation. "Identity Unleashed" is an exhilarating journey through the diverse and complex worlds we inhabit, revealing the courage and creativity of women redefining themselves and their stories.
Tickets: https://bit.ly/3ZhUYUW
Short Films shown as part of this programme:
Journey (Lebanon) (6:12min)
Claude (USA) (14:54 min)
Instant (Brazil) (15:00 min)
Young People of Ireland (Ireland) (14:44 min)
Franky (Germany) (11:45 min)
Olga's Eyes (Belgium) (22:08 min)
SƐBƐN (Mali) (14 min)
*Followed by Q&A’s with attending filmmakersS
Opening Feature Film: “Spirit of Ecstasy“
Feature Film: “Spirit of Ecstasy “ by Héléna Klotz (France) (Germany Premiere)
French with English subtitles
Abused by her police officer father and forced to provide for her younger siblings, Jeanne Francoeur looks to make a living in the world of finance.
TICKETS:
https://www.kinoheld.de/kino/berlin/moviemento-kino/vorstellung/3081312678
Closing Feature: "Aller Retour" + Winner Announcements
Closing Feature: "Aller Retour" + Winner Announcements
+screening of winning music video
ALLER RETOUR
directed by Dorothée Van den Berghe
Belgium//85min//Germany Premiere//Focus: Belgium
Truck driver Erika catches a transmigrant (Idy) jumping out of his hiding place in her truck. The ensuing confrontation escalates to such an extent that Erika has no choice but to save Idy's life and take him back on board against her will. Since Idy has been wounded in the foot, and she feels somewhat responsible for this, they are dependent on each other during their trip to southern Spain.
Feature Film: "Ama Gloria"
Feature Film: “Ama Gloria”
written & directed by Marie Amachoukeli
France //84min//Berlin Premiere//Focus: France
*This film will be screened in French with English subtitles.
*Cannes Film festival , Critic's Week, opening movie coming to Berlin
Six year old Cléo loves her nanny Gloria more than anything. When Gloria must suddenly return to Cape Verde to care for her own children, Cléo makes her promise that they will see each other very soon. Gloria invites Cléo to her island and the two must make the most of their last summer together.