DEADLINE: October 30, 2021

The next edition of WEMW will mark the start of a brand-new era in the design and planning of the co-production market. After ten years based on a traditional physical format and one year run fully online, the new generation of WEMW will introduce a new concept based on hybrid content & format, with a full horizontal integration between physical and virtual participants. WEMW will take place on January 24-28, 2022 and it will include a first module of three days running both on-site in Trieste and online, and a second module available only on the WEMW digital platform. The heart of the event will still be the WEMW Co-Production Forum dedicated to documentaries and feature films in development from all over Europe and beyond. The upcoming edition of WEMW will bring together over 600 film professionals from more than 50 countries, in particular from the 2022 East & West countries in focus: Russia & UK, Ireland, Canada and USA.

OPUS BONUM Best World Documentary Film 2021
Winner:
Lines (dir. Barbora Sliepková / Slovakia, 2021)

BRNO/Czech Republic – A dangerous tug-of-war for survival in an almost fantastical landscape full of whaling traces, but also the hope of saving a nearly extinct bird or the hope that comes from people pulling together in a threatening situation. These are the themes of the competing films that won some of the awards at this year's 47th EKOFILM. The main prize of the Minister of the Environment, Richard Brabec, went to the Polish film The Whale from Lorino, directed by Maciej Cuske. The film offers a wordless reflection on who, in the clash of two disappearing worlds, has the right to kill: the hunting man or the hunted whale.

The 31st FilmFestival Cottbus returns to local cinemas from 2nd to 7th of November and presents its 170-film programme, for the first time, in seven venues and on a total of ten screens. In addition, there is digital cinema in streaming, parallel to the festival and extended until the 16th of November. In addition to the four competitions and traditional programme sections, the 31st FFC will highlight current Slovakian cinema, the Turkish film landscape and the transformation processes after the collapse of the Soviet Union.  

The 31st FilmFestival Cottbus returns to the Cottbus’ cinemas from 2nd to 7th of November and presents 32 films from 26 (co-)production countries in its three competitions feature film, short film and youth film. One of the films will celebrate its world premiere in Cottbus and 26 films their German premiere. 

This year, the 31st FilmFestival Cottbus is once again letting it rip with some films. They mix genres and bring exciting entertainment to the audience. Between breakneck shootouts, pointed jokes, adventurous liaisons and surreal communities of destiny reflect thoroughly contemporary social contrasts. From laughter to tears to fear, there is something for everyone.

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) announces the line-up for Rebels with a Cause, an international competition programme screening 14 feature films, alongside a short films competition that includes 13 entries this year, split across two programmes. The features line-up includes seven world premieres and six international premieres. 

The 25th annual Ji.hlava IDFF is only five days away! The festival will open with When Flowers Are Not Silent by Belarusian director Andrei Kutsila that captured the brutal suppression of demonstrations against last year’s rigged presidential election in Belarus. This year’s Contribution to World Cinema Award will be presented to Czech director Jana Ševčíková.

As a result of the strong interest in the upcoming edition of the WEMW Co-Production Forum, taking place on January 24-28, 2022, the deadline for submission has been extended to November 7, 2021 to allow as many producers as possible to finalize their materials and apply with their project.

MedFilm is the oldest film festival in Rome, whose 27th edition will take place between 5 and 14 November 2021. This year, the festival that showcases the cinematographies from the Mediterranean region will be held in a hybrid format: in four cinemas and on the MyMovies online platform. Slovenian cinema will be represented by as many as twelve films, which will participate both in the competition programme and in the section focusing on Slovenian women filmmakers. In the framework of the festival, Tuesday, 9 November, is designated as the Slovenian Film Day.