Films by filmmakers from Bremen or Lower Saxony and productions of all kinds shot in Bremen or Lower Saxony are a central element of Filmfest Bremen. In the local competition, on the one hand, feature films and documentaries are shown that are set all over the world but were made with Bremen or Lower Saxony participation, and on the other hand, films that deal directly with regional history or were shot in the region. The Bremen Film Festival is thus a hub for networking local and national filmmakers.
Twenty-two short and medium-length films and six feature-length films – ranging from comedy and drama to experimental and documentary – represent the broad spectrum of local filmmaking and compete for the following prizes, which are again determined by audience vote: