Berlin Independent Film Festival Explained

Berlin Independent Film Festival
Location:	Berlin, Germany
Founded:	2009
Language:	International

Berlin Independent Film Festival (BIFF) is a film festival with a special emphasis on independent films, which annually takes place in Berlin, Germany. It screens German and international films and awards them in various categories. It screens at the historic Kino Babylon, and offers jury awards in many categories as well as two audience awards.

The festival is independent of, but runs concurrently with, the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in the city, along with the European Film Market.

Description

The festival was founded in 2009^{[1] [2]} and takes place at the same time as Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), but is a separate event, independent from the Berlinale. The European Film Market takes place at the same time, providing an opportunity to market films. The festival takes place at the historic Kino Babylon cinema in Berlin Mitte.^[3]

Besides short and feature films of any genre,^[4] the festival also exhibits music videos and documentary films.^{[5] [6]} After many screenings, the festival organises question-and-answer panels with the filmmakers.^[7] One special emphasis of the festival are features that are the director's first or second film, but it also showcases other independent features.^[8] All films are screened with English subtitles, as the audience is international.^[9]

Awards

BIFF offers jury awards in the following categories for films:^[1]

• Best Feature (over £100k)
• Best Micro-budget Feature (under £100k)
• Best No-Budget Feature (under £10k)
• Best UK Feature
• Best Documentary
• Best Sci-Fi / Horror Feature
• Best Female Director Feature
• Best LGBT film
• Best Short Film
• Best UK Short
• Best Short Documentary
• Best Animated Short
• Best Experimental Short
• Best Short Short
• Best Horror / Sci-Fi Short
• Best Music Video

There are also four awards for screenplay:^[1]

• Best Feature Screenplay
• Best Sci-Fi / Horror Screenplay
• Best EU Screenplay
• Best Comedy Screenplay

Audiences get to vote for Best Feature and Best Short.

Notable films (selection)

Among many others, the festival has screened the following notable films:

• 2009: Samson and Delilah, by Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton^[10]
• 2011: Armless, an American feature film that premiered at Sundance Film Festival the year before
• 2012: You Missed Sonja, the first German film based on a work by Stephen King^[11]
• 2013: The Taiwan Oyster, an American film that premiered at South by Southwest Film Festival the year before
• 2013: Jail Caesar (shown under its alternative title StringCaesar), a British production filmed in several working prisons in the UK and South Africa that was produced over the period of several years^{[12] [13]}
• 2013: Menschenliebe, a German No-Budget-Film winning numerous international awards
• 2013: Death by Chocolate, the first interactive Swiss music video^[14]
• 2014: Newlyweeds, an American film that premiered at Sundance Film Festival the year before^[15]
• 2016: In Search of a Lost Paradise was screened at two sold-out screenings. It was followed by a question-and-answer panel with Lyudmila Ulitskaya and Alexander Smoljanski.^[16] Shortly after winning the award for the best documentary feature at Berlin Independent Film Festival, the film also received a Nika Award.^{[17] [18]}

External links

• • Berlin Independent Film Festival in IMDb

Notes and References

1. Web site: Berlin Independent Film Festival . Festagent . 18 February 2022 . 21 September 2022.
2. Web site: Mack . Andrew . An exciting world première at the Berlin Independent Film Festival. . ScreenAnarchy . 25 January 2017 . 21 September 2022.
3. Web site: Festival – Berlin Independent Film Festival . Berlin Independent Film Festival . 15 February 2021 . 19 September 2022.
4. Web site: Sleaze Mag: Artikel über das Festival 2016. 2016-03-14.
5. Web site: Berliner Zeitung: Note about the Festival. 2015-01-14.
6. Web site: Bieler Tagblatt: Article about a music-video that won an award at the festival.. 2015-01-13.
7. Web site: Exberliner Magazine Official Website: Article about the Festival. 2015-01-14. 15 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150115172718/http://www.exberliner.com/culture/film/berlin-independent-film-festival/. dead.
8. Web site: Nu - Official Website: Article about "Silent One" winning at the Festival. (Dutch). 21 January 2014. 2015-01-13.
9. Web site: Berlin Independent Film Festival Official Website: Article about the festival. 2015-01-14. 5 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150205180832/http://www.berlinfest.com/?page_id=1498. dead.
10. Web site: Warwick Thornton. Anna Schwartz Gallery . 21 September 2022.
11. Web site: Filmuniversität Babelsberg: Official Website for the film "You Missed Sonja". 2015-01-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202001434/http://www.filmuniversitaet.de/en/festivals-distribution/film-title/detail/you-missed-sonja.html. 2017-02-02. dead.
12. Web site: Article about the film. The Independent. 14 September 2012. 2015-01-14.
13. Web site: Jail Caesar: Official Website. The film was screened under its alternative title "String Caesar" at Berlin Independent Film Festival.. 2015-01-14.
14. Web site: Bieler Tagblatt: Article about a music-video that won an award at the festival.. 2015-01-13.
15. Web site: Newlyweeds.. The Hollywood Reporter. 6 February 2013. 2015-01-13.
16. Web site: Article about the screening event.. 2016-03-14.
17. Web site: Article about the film being nominated for a Nika award.. 11 March 2016. 2016-03-14.
18. Web site: Лауреаты за 2015. kino-nika.com. Russian. 2016-04-07.