Other non-competitive sections of the FILMKUNSTFEST Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania:
- Guest Country (Programme 2021 Finland: see below)
- Focus Baltic Sea (Programme 2021: see below),
- Movies of NDR television station,
- 'gedreht in MV' (Filmed in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania),
- DEFA-Films,
- Tribute to the Guest of Honour.
Our neighbours: Focus Baltic Sea
FILMKUNSTFEST MV builds bridges between international and regional cinematic culture. The section FOCUS BALTIC SEA serves just that purpose, showcasing current feature films and short films from the eight countries along the Baltic Sea coast: Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. Usually one exceptional, award-winning feature film and short film are selected per country and the makers are invited to Schwerin, which traditionally fosters a close connection to its neighbouring countries.
DEFA films: a presentation of East Germany's cinematic heritage
Exploring cinematic history is another important aspect of the festival. That is why we are again cooperating with the DEFA Foundation in 2021 to pay tribute to DEFA's cinematic heritage in a special programme. Among other things, we will present newly restored digital copies from DEFA's film inventory.
Regional filmmaking at a glance: "Gedreht in MV" (Filmed in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania) / Movies of NDR state broadcaster
The sections "Gedreht in MV", which features films realised in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and in some cases funded by the state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, and NDR SPECIAL with productions from the state broadcaster, give festivalgoers a glimpse of the regional cinematic landscape and offer a cinematic perspective on the region.
Tribute
For the tribute we dedicate a small retrospective featuring exceptional examples selected from our current honorary guest's filmography.
Cinéfête
FILMKUNSTFEST MV's international programme also includes the French youth film festival CINÉFÊTE, which the festival has offered a platform for six years now. In collaboration with the Rostock Institut français, this section offers school classes in the region opportunities for lessons in French as a foreign language.
Focus Baltic Sea 2021
Films from countries around the baltic sea
This year, eight feature films and five short films provide fascinating insights into the film cultures of countries along the Baltic Sea region. These include the latest masterpiece "In the Twilight" by Šarunas Bartas, one of the most important filmmakers of the Baltic States - a magnificently photographed epic about betrayal and loyalty. Also, there are several German premieres in this series:
All screenings will be held in the festival's cinema "Filmpalast Capitol", Wismarsche Str. 126, 19053 Schwerin:
A TASTE OF HUNGER
CHRISTOFFER BOE DK/S 2021, 100‘ I German Subtitles I German premiere
ORGIASTIC HYPER PLASTIC
PAUL BUSH DK/GB 2020, 7‘ I no Dialogue
01.09. 21:15 Uhr Kino 2
03.09. 16:45 Uhr Kino 3
04.09. 19:30 Uhr Kino 2
I NEVER CRY
PIOTR DOMALEWSKI PL/IR 2020, 97‘ I German Subtitles
WE HAVE ONE HEART
KATARZYNA WARZECHA PL 2020, 11‘ I English Subtitles
31.08. 16:00 Uhr Kino 2
04.09. 16:45 Uhr Kino 3
IN DER DÄMMERUNG
ŠARŪNAS BARTAS LIT/FR/CS/SRB/P 2020, 128‘ I German Subtitles
SNOW SHELTER
ROBERTAS NEVECKA LIT 2020, 16‘ I English Subtitles
31.08. 18:30 Uhr Kino 6
05:09. 14:15 Uhr Kino 3
DIE GRUBE
DACE PŪCE LETT/FIN 2020, 107‘ I German Subtitles
THE FIRST BRIDGE
LAILA PAKALNINA LETT 2020, 12‘ I no dialogue
02.09. 11:00 Uhr Kino 3
03.09. 11:30 Uhr Kino 6
04.09. 19:00 Uhr Kino 6
TIGERS
RONNIE SANDAHL S/DK/I 2020, 116‘ I German premiere I English Subtitles
COMEBACK
VLADIMIR LESCHIOV LETT/LIT 2021, 8‘ I no dialogue I German premiere
01.09. 19:15 Uhr Kino 6
02.09. 19:00 Uhr Kino 2
WAHRHEIT UND RECHT
TANEL TOOM EST 2019, 149‘ I German Subtitles
31.08. 21:15 Uhr Kino 2
04.09. 21:45 Uhr Kino 6
05.09. 16:30 Uhr Kino 2
THE WHALER BOY
PHILIPP YURYEV R/PL/B 2020, 94‘ I English Subtitles I German premiere
10.000 UGLY INKBLOTS
DMITRY GELLER R/CHN 2020, 8‘ I no Dialogue I German premiere
03.09. 21:30 Uhr Kino 2
04.09. 21:45 Uhr Kino 3
Finland is Country in Focus at 30th FILMKUNSTFEST Mecklenburg-West Pomerania 2021
Opening night with Mika Kaurismäki's latest movie "Gracious Night"
Current feature films, documentaries and short films from this year's guest country Finland will be presented during the festival from August 31st - September 5th, 2021
The latest feature film by Finnish director Mika Kaurismäki, "Gracious Night", opens on the 30th FILMKUNSTFEST Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania as the German premiere on the 31st of August in the state capital Schwerin and thus sets the starting point for an extensive programme from this year's guest country Finland.
Mika Kaurismäki will personally present the feature film to the local audience at the festival cinema Filmpalast Capitol. Finland's Ambassador to Germany, Anne Sipiläinen, and the Minister President of Mecklenburg- Western Pommerania, Manuela Schwesig and German actor Ulrich Tukur ("Amen!") with his “Rhythmus Boys” are also expected.
In "Gracious Night" (original title: "Yö Armahtaa"), Mika Kaurismäki tells the story of three people who, in search of conviviality during the lockdown, find themselves in a pub in the Finnish capital Helsinki. Not only because of the conversations, but also because of other unexpected guests, the evening becomes longer than expected. Once again, Mika Kaurismäki proves his aptitude for current topics and atmosphere with "Gracious Night".
Mika and his brother Aki Kaurismäki have virtually embodied contemporary Finnish film since the 1980s. “Gracious Night" was filmed in the pub that the brothers run in Helsinki: the “Corona Bar”! The film distributer Arsenal will release the film in Germany on the 16th of December.
With a series of unusual short and feature films, Mika Kaurismäki gained a reputation as a versatile auteur of world cinema. Such films are the thriller "Helsinki-Napoli - All Night Long" from 1988 or the road movie "Honey Baby" from 2004, but above all with numerous music documentaries, some of which he shot in his adopted country Brazil (such as "Brasileirinho", 2005).
Other current Finnish feature films in the programme of the 30th FILMKUNSTFEST MV are the generational portrait “Games people play" by director Jenni Toivoniemi. Topic is the reunion of eight childhood friends that is thrown off balance and rivalries, tensions and old scores come to the fore.
Furthermore, the tragicomedy "Forrest Giant" by director Ville Jankeri will be screened during the festival. It is about the upwardly mobile Pasi, who has started a hopeful career in an international timber company and is to make dismissals in the factory in his home village. The drama "The Last Ones" by Estonian director Veiko Öunpuu casts a critical spotlight on the life of the Finnish Lapland minority in the villages of the tundra. On the radar is also the conflict-ridden relationship between reindeer herders and mine workers under harsh working conditions.
The Finnish-Swedish creator of the world-famous cartoon characters, the Mummins, who still enjoy great popularity today, is featured in director Zaida Bergroth’s film. The captivating artist drama "Tove" tells the story of the unusual life of children's book illustrator Tove Jansson (1914-2001). (German distributer: Salzgeber)
The documentary "Nature Symphony" by the award-winning nature filmmaker Marko Röhr focuses entirely on impressive images of the fascinating Finnish flora and fauna and is presented as an open-air screening in the courtyard of Schwerin Castle. The nature film, accompanied by symphonic music, will be introduced by the director himself and by Ilias Missyris, the director of the Vaasa Wildlife Festival, which takes place in Schwerin's Finnish twin city Vaasa.
For the first time in Germany, two English-subtitled episodes of the highly acclaimed Finnish television series "Peacemaker" by director Aj Annila ("The Eternal Road") are presented. The thriller, which is set against the backdrop of the Kurdish conflict in the web of global politics and the arms trade, is fast-paced and exciting and proves impressively that TV series can be produced in Finland at a high international level. The film was also shot in Southwest Finland, Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania’s partner region, and representatives of the local Film Commission are expected in Schwerin.
The director of the renowned international short film festival in Tampere, Finland, Jukka-Pekka Laakso, has put together a special short film programme for the FILMKUNSTFEST MV with six very different contributions, which completes the cross-section of filmmaking from this year's guest country.
Numerous filmmakers from Finland are expected to attend the screenings.
The artistic director of the FILMKUNSTFEST MV, Volker Kufahl, emphasises: "Finnish cinema is vital, diverse and lives from its strong stories. In selecting current productions, it was important to us to emphasise the cultural connections between our guest country and Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania, which are based on city and regional partnerships, among other things."
