Festival of Young East European Cinema
Cottbus, November 1 - 5 (Germany)

Held in a developing East German city (90 minutes from Berlin's Tegel airport, 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.

Despite the modern hotels and international restaurants, Cottbus has a current lack of cinemas. It is a mark of the skills of the organizers that saw the Festival last year reopen the historic Weltspiegel auditorium in the center of the city,which will again be the principal focus for the wide-ranging programs in and out of competition. With good sightlines, sound and projection, and a large stage for the awards ceremony, it is a festival cinema with evident character.

The luxurious UCI complex, technically just outside the city limits but accessible by streetcars, will again house parallel programs of "hits" such as Alexander Balabanov's contemporary crime sequel Brother 2 starring Sergei Bodrov Jr which has been a huge success in its native Russia. The social center of the event is the aptly-named Glad House, a charming arts center with two modest-size cinemas and a well-appointed bar and cafe, with late-night musical entertainment.

The world's only event devoted to new East European fare, Cottbus ploughs its furrows seriously with artistic director, the film critic Roland Rust, personally going in search of the often exotic features, shorts documentaries and children's films that offer a rich and varied panorama of 93 films from 26 countries with 4 competitive sections and seven juries offering cash and ornamental awards.

International jury this year boasts Russian producer Raissa Fomina, Croatian actress Miranda Toma, Czech director Petr Zelenka, Yugoslav Film Institute director, Mila Vuckovic,and Hollywood Reporter rep Nick Holdsworth. Guests include writer Chingiz Aitmatov from Kyrgyzstan (Regional Focus this year are the Central Asian Republics) and Hungarian director Istvan Szabo, currently filming Taking Sides in nearby Studio Babelsberg. Szabo has just accepted the honorary Presidency of the event.

Sure to raise the temperature this year are some new episodes in the German-produced series Erotic Tales directed by East European directors such as Petr Zelenka,a previous award-winner at Cottbus.

Phillip Bergson