34. FILMKUNSTFEST

In the organizer's words:

The FILMKUNSTFEST MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN, which will take place for the 34th time from May 6 to 11, 2025 , was launched in the spring of 1990 by filmmakers as the first new festival in the new federal states. It takes place in the first week of May in the state capital Schwerin in the Capitol Filmpalast, which has 6 screens and one of the most beautiful movie theaters in Germany, the listed Hall 1.

With around 15,000 visitors in 2023 and 2024, including 300 accredited film industry professionals - filmmakers, actors, producers, journalists - and around 150 feature films, documentaries and short films, FILMKUNSTFEST MV is one of the largest public festivals in eastern Germany.

FILMKUNSTFEST MV organizes four competition programmes in the areas of feature film, documentary film, children's and youth film and short film . Cinema productions from Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as co-productions with these countries are eligible. Films that are not available in a German version must have German subtitles.

The prizes are awarded by professional expert juries and a youth jury; the audience prize, donated by the Schweriner Volkszeitung, is determined by vote. The festival program also includes a tribute to the honorary award winner, current films from a guest country, DEFA film history and the 'Shot in MV' series. Concerts, readings and exhibitions complete the program.

Schwerin, with a population of around 100,000, is the state capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, one of the most scenic and sparsely populated regions in Germany. A large number of architectural and cultural monuments, such as Schwerin Castle with its magnificent castle gardens, the floating island and its seven lakes, as well as the history of the GDR, make Schwerin an impressive architectural and natural backdrop. And the Baltic Sea is only a short seagull flight away.

The regulations for submitting films or participating as a filmmaker can be found in our guidelines.

The FILMKUNSTFEST MV is characterized by a relaxed, informal atmosphere on site, which allows the audience to ask the filmmakers questions after the screenings and experience directors and actors up close. Many moderated interviews and film discussions take place in the cinema itself; since 2016 also in cooperation with political foundations on cultural and socio-political issues.

In addition to the series of feature films for children and young people, FILMKUNSTFEST MV has also hosted the French youth film festival Cinéfête since 2015, where the youngest moviegoers can enjoy films in the original French version with German subtitles together with their teachers.