35th International Short Film Festival Berlin 2019
5 - 10 November 2019 - About the Festival

Update: interfilm 2019

Record attendance and high spirits! interfilm is happy to have enthused 23,000 visitors for the 450 short films in the 60 programmes of the 35th festival edition. More than 1000 interested people saw the six programmes dedicated to "30 Years of Peaceful Revolution - Fall of the Wall" and KUKI delighted 9000 children and teenagers. We were particularly pleased that the big events in the grand hall of the Volksbühne - including Opening Night, "Eject" and "Sound & Vision" - were sold out, as were "Virtual Reality" in the dome of the Zeiss Planetarium, the Award Ceremony and many other programs in smaller and larger cinemas.

The atmosphere was just incredible, with 500 accredited guests who ensured a productive exchange and international flair. Throughout the six festival days visitors were able to experience the fruits of a successfully organised festival. And Festival means celebration! The films were celebrated and the filmmakers present were the stars of the week, inspired by one another and captivated by the festival crew. Festival sponsors had fun, Berliners were able to immerse themselves in new realities within the wonderful worlds of short film and the cinemas located in several Berlin districts also enjoyed the extraordinary kick of the short.

What a great team! During the weeks of preparation for the festival, when everyone is at the limit of their resources, it became clear what "festival" actually means: to work together. And then, when it all starts, everything becomes a rush: films, filmmakers, conversations, inspirations, community and merciless organisational pressure merge into an intense experience alongside the filmmakers and audiences. Suddenly everything becomes one. While we can now emphasize that the team behind interfilm in 2019 was once again a dream team, one nevertheless needs to ask whether this is also appreciated externally, beyond the mediocre salaries or even voluntary work. The answer - while nodding to all the many smaller festivals - is a resounding yes and no. A big thank you to our sponsors! But there is a gap between logo-phobia, press ignorance and funding scepticism between the punching of the everyday work-clock at 6pm and the kind of event preparation that goes way beyond that hour. And only those who really attended the event will be able to confirm that it was brilliant. Theoretically, festivals are a luxury in the appendix of neocapitalism, but in practical terms, they comprise exactly the kind of pulsating life that is so often talked about when the so-called reality, with all its richness of diversity is under threat, as it is now.

There were parties too. They were wild and beautiful. And we are already looking forward to the next festival edition. Especially since we know that we have the opportunity to use all the short films to bridge the gap between social neurotic developments and humanity. - Be part of the movement!

About interfilm and the Festival

interfilm Berlin organises the Berlin International Short Film Festival as well as interfilm Short Film Distribution. Established in 1982, the festival has years of experience and a growing number of contacts in the international cultural and short film sectors. This has enabled interfilm to forge ongoing links with several significant institutions and hold frequent, regular events, testifying to the festival’s success at bringing the short film format to an ever wider audience.

interfilm’s goal is to search out skilled and creative filmmakers and bring their work together -  presenting them in an international, culturally political framework in order to best facilitate the exchange of imaginative ideas. interfilm offers a wide variety of short live-action, animation and documentaries to enthusiastic audiences who value the short film format in its own right.  
 

The International Short Film Festival

interfilm has established itself as one of the most important short film festivals in Europe. It is the second oldest German short film festival (after Oberhausen), and is recognised as the second most significant and oldest international film festival in Berlin after the Berlinale. More than 7.000 films with a maximum running time of 20 minutes are submitted each year. Of those, approximately 500 films are selected and organised into different thematic programs. These include; international, German, animation, documentary and children’s films. 'Focus On' highlights productions from specific countries or regions. Beyond that there are also special sections devoted to areas such as music videos, commercials, experimental films, historical films and retrospectives.

interfilm: Oscar® Qualifying Festival: In 2018 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles has declared interfilm an Academy Award® Qualifying Festival - read more
 

interfilm Berlin Short Film Distribution

The interfilm distribution portfolio currently comprises around 300 films. We place equal importance on distributing both 90 minute short film programs and individual shorts shown before a feature film. Our films are hired out to cinemas, television stations, cultural institutions and internet platforms. interfilm distribution's DVD sector is continually expanding, mostly for use in public spaces such as subway trains, waiting rooms and on mobile entertainment devices. This format is particularly suited to exploiting extremely short films and interfilm has a great selection at hand.