We were thrilled to attend and cover the 3rd edition of the dazzling International Film Festival Cologne, from June 1st to 4th.
Started from scratch in 2020 by German filmmaker and film programmer Anselm Diehl, the International Film Festival Cologne has become, in only three editions, a major hub for independent film and industry gatherings in Germany. After attending and covering the 2nd edition of the festival in 2021, we were thrilled to jump again this year in the warm and friendly atmosphere of IFFC.
Altough the festival had barely started, festival director Anselm Diehl managed to spark curiosity in the minds of the local and international guests just a few minutes into the opening ceremony, held on June 1st at the beautiful Hotel Stadtpalais. By showing trailers and excerpts from the films curated by his programming team, Anselm Diehl quickly set the tone: one goes to IFFC to watch refined, bold, emerging and critically-acclaimed cinema.
For four days, festival goers were able to discover a fine selection of feature films, documentaries, short films, experimental films and music videos. This year’s edition was also marked by a remarkable effort to put to the foregroud the topic of representation of disabled people in cinema. By organizing auditions for disabled with major German casting directors, as well as talks as part of the ‘Cast me in’ initiative, IFFC demonstrated once more its commitment to an ever fairer German film industry.
To wrap up four days of screenings, artists’ talks, industry events, gatherings, and parties, and before heading to the closing party, festival goers and guests came together for a last exciting event: the Awards Ceremony, held this year at the Rex Am Ring cinema. Festival director Anselm Diehl, along with jury members unveiled the winners of this year’s edition.
The Best Short Film Award was swept by Maximilian Andereya for The Other Night (La Otra Noche), which aptly centers on the weeks following a major earthquake in Mexico City. Three friends try desperately to overcome their trauma, by preparing sandwiches and trying to bring them to the people in need. Throughout the night, they meet different generations who have all found their own way to deal with the impending danger of an occurring earthquake… With flair and sensitivity, director Maximilian Andereya managed to capture the social and human dynamics of how people come together in the wake of a collective trauma.
The Best Experimental Film Award went to a work which impressed most of the festival goers: Lock, by Stanton Cornish-Ward & Trent Crawford. Made out of stock footage, Lock is a remarkably smart, relevant, multi-layered and powerful essay centering on three individuals who recall their life’s journey and how it led them towards a radical form of decentralised self-improvement therapy.
The Best Documentary Award went to a powerful and important work previously featured at the Berlinale 2022: Myanmar Diaries, by the anonymous The Myanmar Film Collective. What comes to the fore in the film is the sense of emergency and the necessity of such a film. Hidden from the world’s TV cameras, life under Myanmar’s junta of terror in the aftermath of last year’s military coup has been largely invisible. As an act of creative resistance, the anonymous Myanmar Film Collective composed this feature-length film by blurring reality and fiction, all segments from their first-person perspective, woven together with blood-chilling eye-witness footage in the form of citizen journalism. The film is a powerful tribute to the ones who fight and resist everyday against the injustice and cruelty of the regime, and to their relentless creativity and resilience. Moreover, directors Jelena Ilic & Linda Schefferski were awarded the Cinegate Award, a 7,500€ worth prize supported by Cinegate, for their moving film Night Like Day.
The Best Acting Performance Award went to Finnish actress Aamu Milonoff for her excellent part in Alli Haapasalo’s Girl Picture, which previously hit the Sundance Film Festival and the Berlinale this year.
The Best Feature Film Award was gleaned by Yohan Manca’s My Brothers and I. Nour, a 14-year-old boy, is enjoying the beginning of the summer holidays in the South of France. He is the youngest of four brothers. They live together in a council estate, taking turns caring for their mother who is in a coma. She used to love Italian Opera, so Nour plays it for her, and develops a passion for that music. Between community work and rising tensions at home, Nour dreams of escaping to a faraway place. When he crosses paths with Sarah, an Opera singer teaching summer classes, he finally finds the opportunity to come out of his shell and explore new horizons. After premiering at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, Yohan Manca’s My Brothers and I was released in French cinemas where it gathered over 100,000 spectators. Debut feature director Yohan Manca was in attendance in Cologne, Germany, to answer the audience’s numerous questions following the screening of the film.
Overall, every award was much deserved, which also stems from the quality of the official selection crafted by Anselm Diehl and his team.
At last, we highly recommend filmmakers to send their work to the International Film Festival Cologne for a chance to be a part of this high quality and energizing event as soon as next year!
