Bremen & Surroundings

Films made by the people of Bremen and surrounding regions as well as productions of all kinds shot in Bremen and Lower Saxony are a central element of Filmfest Bremen. On the one hand, the local competition showcases both feature films and documentaries produced all over the world, but with involvement from Bremen or Lower Saxony, on the other hand it features films that deal directly with regional history or were shot in the region. The Filmfest is meant to be a place where the Bremen audience can see for themselves the great diversity and creativity within the local film scene.

The ”Senator for Culture” is once again donating the price money of 3.000€ for the Best Bremen Film this year.

28 short and medium-length films as well as eight feature films show the broad spectrum of local filmmaking – this year once again with many documentaries, including the international version of a portrait on the life and work of activist Fasia Jansen, the film “His Parents” about a married couple’s life after their son’s criminal conviction or a historical reappraisal of the life of a Holocaust-survivor. Alongside these there are the dramatic feature films: We have a tense family reunion, someone’s return to their childhood home which re-opens old wounds, and a downward spiral into depression.

We are also proud to once again present a wide range of genre diversity in four blocks of short films. Tailored to moods and contents, these short film programs tell of the uniqueness of the individual and the isolation often associated with that, of the search for oneself, of the development of a consciousness or simply depict a bizarre picture of Bremen. There is a little something for everyone!

Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte, President
of the Senate and Senator for Culture

Prize money

Best Bremen film: endowed with EUR 3,000, donated by the Senator for Culture
Best film from the Bremen region: endowed with EUR 3,000
Best short film from Bremen & surrounding area: endowed with EUR 1,500

Nominated films

Fasia, Defiant Women and a Troubadora

Forest within me

His Parents

IN MY PARENT’S HOUSE

A Dinner to Remember

Tango Daddy

Before Then

Mirjam

People between Elbe and Weser

Nominated Shorts

Shorts Bremen and Surroundings #1

Isolated/Unique

Shorts Bremen and Surroundings #2

(Selbst)-[Ver]Suche

Shorts Bremen and Surroundings #3

Becoming Aware

Shorts Bremen and Surroundings #4

Bremen Grotesque

Our Jury

Malte Can

Born in Achim in 1983 and grew up in Bremen. Studied German and Turkology in Hamburg and Istanbul. Subsequently studied production at the Baden-Württemberg Film Academy (VGF scholarship at UCLA, Los Angeles).
He then worked as a producer for H&V Entertainment and as a producer for Geißendörfer Pictures GmbH. Film selection includes “Souls – a Sky Original” (2 awards in Cannes Series 2022) and the feature film “Der Fuchs” (Silberne Lola Best Feature Film 2024 and Best Leading Actor, as well as Romy – Best Feature Film Austria).
Working as a producer for Wiedemann & Berg Television since 2023.

Peter Roloff

Peter Roloff studied social and business communication at the Berlin University of the Arts, is a filmmaker and producer and runs maxim film Produktion in Bremen and Berlin with a current focus on long documentaries.

Susanne Hensdiek

Susanne Hensdiek came to the camera via an editorial career in radio and newspapers. From 1997, she worked at Television Aktuell in Bremen, where she later became head camerawoman and editor. She has been working as a freelance filmmaker, editor and camerawoman since 2005. In 2023, her documentary “Die Bergmanns” won the audience award for the best Bremen film at the Filmfest Bremen.