The festival is held in a developing East German city (90 minutes from Berlin, with regular rail connections from many German centers) Cottbus is actually part of an old Sorbish province with a local language and its own historical traditions and sights of interest. Don't be confused by the street signs which are in both German and Sorbish, a language that could be mistaken for Polish.

Toronto Human Rights Film and Video Festival
November 3 - 5
This year's Rights on Reel will show 15 documentaries and experimental films ranging in subject from the Black Panther Party (Public Enemy) to logging operations in the Solomon Islands (Since the Company Came). Canadian directors will be featured as well, including Jennifer Holness' and David Sutherland's Speakers For The Dead, the winner of the Best Documentary prize at the Reel Black awards. And the festival is growing.

Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival
November 3 - 11
The Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival is the longest-running documentary film festival in America and now in its 24th year and features a selection of documentaries from around the world. Some 25 countries are represented including New Zealand, Senegal, Tibet, the Rastafari Community of Jamaica, Sudan, Zanzibar, Russia, Cambodia, Papua News Guinea, as well as Japan and many Western European countries. One highlight this year is a sidebar section called "A Celebration of Mira Nair," a tribute to the documentary filmmaker. The Festival opens with "Science is Fiction: Jean Painlevé & Company," a tribute to Painlevé, (1902-1989) a French naturalist turned filmmaker. He transcended the restriction of scientific filmmaking, crafting artistic and surreal cinema steeped in biological accuracy. The first film on Opening Night is a 9-mintue short by Painlevé, The Vampire, in which a guinea pig is in the grip of a blood-sucking vampire bat, a metaphor for Nazism, set to a score of Duke Ellington's Echoes of the Jungle. A total of nine of his most celebrated works are featured in the Festival. In December 2000, selected films will begin a national tour from Philadelphia to Berkeley and abroad.

In Brief

Sundance/NHK Finalists Announced
The Sundance Institute and Japanese broadcaster NHK have announced the 22 semi-finalists for the 2001 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award. Click here for a complete list of finalists.

Screenwriters & Filmmakers find Work Havens in France
Equinoxe is a week-long screenwriting workshop held in France twice yearly at the Château de Beychevelle in Bordeaux.

Wrap-up/Awards

Billy's (also) Singin' in the Rain-dance
The 8^th Raindance film festival ended in London's Metro cinema late on Thursday night with Billy Elliot winning another 4 awards. These included Best Film, Best Director for Stephen Daldry, Best Screenplay for Lee Hall and Best On Screen Newcomer for the 14 year old Jamie Bell. Andrew Eaton won Producer of the Year for Michael Winterbottom's, Wonderland, the Special Jury figure was Mike Figgis and this year's Lifetime Achievement Award went to Colin Young.

Euro Kids Network Award
Varese, October 28 (Italy)
The Euro Kids Network Award will be presented during the 5th Annual Meeting of the cinema exhibitors, the cinema circuit co-ordinated by MEDIA Salles, which comprises over 300 screens in 16 European countries. The award was introduced in 1999 to draw attention of the industry and of the relevant European institutions to the importance of increasing and supporting film production and distribution, targeted for children and young people. The year 2000 Award is being presented to the promising Ella Lamhagen's Tsatsiki, Mum and the Policeman. This Swedish film describes universal issues like love and friendship as seen through the dreams and expectations of a child. After its success with audiences in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark it is now showing for international audiences in the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands and will arrive in Belgium in 2001.

Leipzig Documentary and Animation Film Festival
Germany, October 17 - 22, 2000
The film De Gevangenen van Bunuel (Bunuel's Prisoners) by Ramon Gieling of The Netherlands has been awarded the Prize of the International Film Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) "for its clever and entertaining recollections of a classic documentary, revisted in a very contemporary style."

Cork Film Festival
October 15 - 22 (Ireland)
The Murphy's Cork Film Festival closed on Sunday with Adam Bett's Australian animation Brother winning £20,000 for Best International Short and Ian Power's Buskers winning £25,500 for Best Irish Short Film in Europe's largest short film awards.

Uppsala International Short Film Festival
October 16 - 22 (Sweden)
The 19th Uppsala Short Film Festival was rich in diversity with over 200 films.

Sheffield International Documentary Festival
October 16 - 22 (UK)
After a week of documentary film discussion from industry professionals and fans from around the world, the 7th Sheffield International Documentary Festival ended with the sated exhaustion of many.