Germany

FILMFEST DRESDEN, which was founded in 1989, is counted among the most renowned and best endowed short film festivals in Europe. Each year over the six festival days in mid-April, it brings the latest short film productions from Germany, Europe and the world to the cinema screens in the capital of Saxony, and attracts up until 20,000 visitors, including more than 500 accredited media professionals.

Each year, more than 2,500 short films from 100 countries are submitted for selection in the Regional, National and International Competition sections. Prize money totalling over €70,000 is awarded in the National and International Competitions for animated and fiction films, together with seven special prizes. These include the DEFA Promotion Prize Animation, the ARTE Short Fiction Film Prize, the LUCA – Film Award for Gender Diversity, as well as the Saxon Promotion Prize, which is endowed with €20,000.

In addition to the competitions, the festival also has an extensive range of special programmes which focus on specific themes and countries, as well as retrospectives and film programmes for children and adolescents. Since 2012, the festival’s “etc. – events.trainings.connections” section has also organised panel discussions, talks, workshops, exhibitions and receptions for media professionals attending the festival as an addition to the film programmes.