Festival Program 2023

„More than 70 films from all around the world – many of them world premieres or German premieres – will be screened for you at the 16th LICHTER Filmfest from April 18th to April 23rd 2023. Playful, super romantic, weird, smart, queer, poetic, excessive, eloquent, short and long films: the programme turned out insanely wonderful. Just like Love is. See for yourselves!“

You can find all venues here
You can find here festival passes & congress passes

THU, 6. Apr

00:00 h

Revision der Positionen

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Thursday 6 April 2023, 00:00 h, CineStar Metropolis

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FISHBOWL: Vor fünf Jahren waren die „Frankfurter Positionen” seit langem der erste ernstzunehmende Vorschlag zu einer grundsätzlichen Neuausrichtung der deutschen Filmpolitik. Initiativen, Positionspapiere und neu gegründete Verbände folgten – nur die Filmpolitik reagierte mutlos und unentschlossen. Erst Anfang 2023 kam es zu einer ersten Wortmeldung der zuständigen Kulturstaatsministerin. Fünf Jahre sind für uns Anlass zu einer Wiedervorlage der verschiedenen Stellungnahmen 2018-2023: Was hat sich getan? Welche Entwicklungen und Wortmeldungen sind enttäuschend, welche bringen tatsächlich Neues? Oder können zu einer Verbesserung der deutschen Filme nur diese selbst beitragen? Mit: Anna Schoeppe, Sung-Hyung Cho, Frieder Schlaich, Torsten Frehse, Saralisa Volm, Anna de Paoli, Rüdiger Suchsland; Moderation: Angela Heuser

MON, 17. Apr

19:00 h

Vernissage: Exhibition Lichter Art Award

Section: Lichter Art Award

2022

Language: Turkish, Kurdish, English, Japanese, Spanish, Korean

Playtime: 138 min

Free Entrance

Monday 17 April 2023, 19:00 h, Festivalzentrum

The LICHTER Art Award reaches video artists and filmmakers. The award and the corresponding exhibition have been a platform for contemporary video art since 2011. The five nominated artists' works will be exhibited in a curated exhibition on the premises of the LICHTER festival center.

TUE, 18. Apr

17:00 h

Exhibition Lichter Art Award

Section: Lichter Art Award

2022

Language: Turkish, Kurdish, English, Japanese, Spanish, Korean

Playtime: 138 min

Free Entrance

Tuesday 18 April 2023, 17:00 h, Festivalzentrum

20:15 h

Bis ans Ende der Nacht

Section: Future German Cinema

Direction: Christoph Hochhäusler

Feature film, 2023

Language: German

Playtime: 123 min

Berlinale 2023: Silver Bear for Best Acting Performance in a Supporting Role

OPENING FILM - In the presence of the director Christoph Hochhäusler, the producer Bettina Brokemper and the actor Michael Sideris

Tuesday 18 April 2023, 20:15 h, CineStar Metropolis

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Robert works as an undercover investigator and is supposed to bust a major Frankfurt dealer: Viktor is a club owner and runs a successful website which he uses to sell drugs on a grand scale. To establish contact with him, Robert fakes a relationship with Leni, a trans* woman, who knows the criminal from her past before her transition. But the feigned romantic involvement turns complicated: Robert is not sure of his feelings, the lines between reality and investigation strategy blur. For Leni, things are clearer: If the mission fails, she will have to go back to the men’s prison.

WED, 19. Apr

10:00 h

Exhibition Lichter Art Award

Section: Lichter Art Award

2022

Language: Turkish, Kurdish, English, Japanese, Spanish, Korean

Playtime: 138 min

Free Entrance

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 10:00 h, Festivalzentrum

10:00 h

Film als ästhetische Theorie und Erfahrung

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 90 min

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 10:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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WORKSHOP: Einen Film muss man gesehen, ästhetisch erfahren haben, um über ihn zu sprechen. Ohne die geteilte, sinnliche Erfahrung und ohne die Zeiterfahrung, die das Kino ermöglicht, ist eine Theorie des Films nicht denkbar. Der Zusammenhang von Filmtheorie und Kinoerfahrung lässt sich nicht einseitig auflösen. Dieser Gedanke leitet auch Siegfried Kracauer, der ein solches Denken ‚durch den Film‘, ein filmisches Denken, in seinen zahlreichen Filmkritiken sowie seinen späteren Büchern über den Film erprobt hat. - In Kooperation mit dem IfS Mit: Juliana Müller, Nora Neuhaus, Jochen Schuff; Moderation: Daniel Fairfax

12:00 h

Vom Regisseur zum Shooter – Wer führt beim Film?

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 90 min

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 12:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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PANEL: Der Autorenfilm steht unter Attacke – von allen Seiten. Vorbereitung, Drehtage und Geld werden weniger, aber immer mehr Menschen und Gewerke wollen mitreden. Alle glauben, es besser zu wissen, als die Regisseur:innen. Neueste Kapriole: Kontrakt 18, die Selbstermächtigung einiger Drehbuchautor:innen, die glauben, die Regie einfach ersetzen zu können. Mit: Irene von Alberti, Mariko Minoguchi, Rolf Silber; Moderation: Bettina Blümner

12:00 h

Realismus als Kritik

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 90 min

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 12:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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WORKSHOP: Was heißt es, die Wirklichkeit ästhetisch zu erschließen? Innerhalb der Kritischen Theorie führte diese Frage bereits zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts auf den Realismusbegriff, zunächst bezogen auf die Literatur. Siegfried Kracauer und später auch Alexander Kluge gehen dieser Frage vor allem mit Blick auf den Film nach. Ausgangspunkt ist für sie die Annahme, dass die Wirklichkeit nicht nur etwas Konstruktives hat, sondern um sie auch gestritten wird. Dies setzt voraus, dass Wirklichkeit etwas Unbestimmtes, Offenes hat, und darüber hinaus, dass sie veränderbar ist. - In Kooperation mit dem IfS Mit: Steffen Andrae, Daniel Fairfax, Claudia Young-joo Park; Moderation: Felix Trautmann

14:00 h

Abschied von Morgen? - Kracauers Erben: Filmkritik zwischen Podcasts und dem Feuilleton

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 120 min

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 14:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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WORKSHOP: Kritische Theorie heißt auch Kritik der Kultur und ihrer Medien. Wie sieht die Zukunft der Filmkritik aus? Gibt es sie überhaupt in Zeiten der Digitalisierung, in denen Zeitungen sterben und Anarchie und Meinungsblasen in den sozialen Netzwerken am Zerfall der Werte arbeiten? Mit: Georg Seeßlen (Keynote), Philipp Stadelmaier, Wolfgang M. Schmitt, Dana Linssen, Rudolf Worschech; Moderation: Rüdiger Suchsland

16:30 h

„Angst essen Kino auf“ - Junge Regisseur:innen und der deutsche Film

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 120 min

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 16:30 h, Festivalzentrum

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PANEL: So geht es nicht weiter! Es ist mehr als nur eine Handvoll junger Regisseur:innen, die längst zu diesem Schluss gekommen sind. Sie wollen kein weiteres Mimimi – sondern sie sind wütend. Darüber, dass sie bereit wären, Opfer zu bringen, dass man dies aber gar nicht zulässt und ihre Stimmen nicht hören will. Viele von ihnen können ihre Filme machen. Aber nur zu künstlerischen Bedingungen, unter denen sie sie nicht so machen können, wie sie es wollen. Mit: Pauline Roenneberg, Eileen Byrne, Alfred Holighaus, Anna Schoeppe, Frieder Schlaich; Moderation: Rüdiger Suchsland

17:00 h

Film & Media Meetup LIVE!

Section: Specials

Playtime: 120 min

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 17:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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Want to network, but preferably live and in colour? The digital networking event Film & Media Meetup goes live: Here, in a relaxed atmosphere, you can exchange ideas about projects with other filmmakers over a drink, make contacts or simply hear what's going on at the moment. We have everything you need to get started in the film and media industry.

18:00 h

Riceboy Sleeps

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Anthony Shim

Familiendrama, 2022

Language: English, Korean with English subtitles

Playtime: 117 min

Toronto Film Festival 2022: Best Canadian Film, Busan International Film Festival 2022: Publikumspreis

GERMAN PREMIERE

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 18:00 h, Kino des DFF

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Incredibly sensitive and hauntingly filmed, Riceboy Sleeps tells the story of single mother So-Young and her son. After emigrating to Canada, life certainly is not easy: Dong-Hyun must quickly become David, lest he be the strange boy with the unpronounceable name at his new school. Meanwhile So-Young is hard at work trying to feed them with her factory job.

18:15 h

49 Problems (and my future is one)

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: Maxi Buck

Documentary, 2022

Language: German

Playtime: 86 min

Kasseler Dokfest 2022: Nomination for the "Golden Hercules"

In the presence of the director

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 18:15 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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How far should protest go if one’s way of life is threatened? 49 Problems (and my future is one) accompanies the protests against the construction of Highway 49 through the Dannenröder Forest and the trial against “Ella”. She has been accused of endangering a police officer’s life during the eviction.

19:30 h

Regional short films I

Section: Regional Short Film Program

2022/2023

Language: German, French with English subtitles

Playtime: 93 min

In presence of the filmmakers

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 19:30 h, Pupille Kino

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PLOPP (2022, Director: Carolin Glomp, Length: 5 Min.) // DIE SCHULE BRENNT UND WIR WISSEN WARUM (2023, Director: Janina Lutter, Length: 25 Min.) // 밥을 하는 여자들 (FRAUEN, DIE REIS KOCHEN) (2022, Director: Hansol Kim, Length: 6 Min.) // DIE MACHT DER ENTSCHEIDUNG (2022, Director: Anton Algrang, Length: 25 Min.) // ON POINT (2022, Director: Anouschka Fritz, Length: 3 Min.) // PACIFIC CLUB (2023, Director: Valentin Noujaïm, Dauer: 16 Min.) // SO SOON - YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND (2022, Director: Daniel Knußmann & Daniel Sax, Length: 5 Min.) // WENN DIE ERDE STEHEN BLEIBT (2022, Director: Benjamin Fiedler, Length: 7 Min.)

20:00 h

Vamos a la Playa

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: Bettina Blümner

Feature film, 2022

Language: German, English, Spanish

Playtime: 90 min

Filmfest Köln, Achtung Berlin, Braunschweig International Filmfestival

HESSIAN PREMIERE

In the presence of the director

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 20:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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Vacation time! Soaking up the sun in Cuba. Technically, the students Benjamin, Katharina and Judith are trying to find Katharina‘s brother Wanja. But this plan quickly becomes irrelevant. Katharina is looking for sexual adventures, Benjamin for true love and Judith definitely not for a relationship. When they meet the dance instructor Ignacio, their triple constellation is shaken up.

20:00 h

Talking To You - Christof Lauer (sax)

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: Lucie Herrmann

Dokumentarfilm, 2023

Language: German

Playtime: 90 min

WORLD PREMIER

In the presence of the director and Christof Lauer

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 20:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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He is one of the best jazz saxophonists in Europe, has played with the great stars of the international jazz scene, was a member of the NDR Big Band in Hamburg for 25 years, and was also a frequent guest at the hr Jazz Festival in Frankfurt. And he has remained true to his Hessian homeland: Christof Lauer. "I tell something about myself by playing and putting sounds together. That's my story," he says. Talking To You enters the musical cosmos of an idiosyncratic saxophonist who rejects any routine and persistently works on new forms. Most importantly: "it has to be intense!".

20:30 h

Das Lehrerzimmer

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: İlker Çatak

Drama, 2023

Language: German, Turkish, Polish, English

Playtime: 94 min

German Film Award 2023: 7 nominations (including Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay), Berlinale 2023: Panorama Award, CICAE Art Cinema Award

in the presence of the screenwriter

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 20:30 h, Kino des DFF

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Carla wants to do everything right in her first job at high school and is fully committed. Her idealism is quickly confronted with a major challenge: a series of unsolved thefts leads the young teacher into a conflict that makes her increasingly desperate. Was it the German-Turkish student from her class or can the culprit be found in the teacher’s room?

22:00 h

Elaha

Section: Future German Cinema

Direction: Milena Aboyan

Coming of Age, Drama, 2023

Language: German, Kurdish

Playtime: 110 min

Locarno 2022: Kaiju Cinema Diffusion Preis, Berlinale 2023

In the presence of the director and producer

Wednesday 19 April 2023, 22:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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Honour or shame for the family? Follow Elaha, a German-Kurdish 22 year-old, in this brilliantly told story about family, expectations, and sexual self-determination.

THU, 20. Apr

10:00 h

Exhibition Lichter Art Award

Section: Lichter Art Award

2022

Language: Turkish, Kurdish, English, Japanese, Spanish, Korean

Playtime: 138 min

Free Entrance

Thursday 20 April 2023, 10:00 h, Festivalzentrum

10:00 h

Im Sinne der Materialität – Film und Gesellschaft nach Siegfried Kracauer

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 90 min

Thursday 20 April 2023, 10:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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BUCHPRÄSENTATION: Indem Siegfried Kracauer den Film als wesentliches Reflexionsmedium der Wirklichkeit begreift, entwickelt er eine zugleich ästhetische wie auch gesellschaftstheoretische Perspektive auf die sozialen und politischen Fragen seiner Zeit. Im Film vermitteln sich für ihn sowohl ideologische Tagträume als auch emanzipatorische Prozesse gesellschaftlicher Selbstaufklärung. Mit: Sebastian Staab, Franziska Wildt, Felix Trautmann

10:00 h

FERA's Eco Movie Manifesto: Inspiring Filmmakers to Create Sustainibly

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Thursday 20 April 2023, 10:00 h, Festivalzentrum

CLOSED WORKSHOP: How do green guidelines and tools affect the work of directors and audiovisual authors? What is missing for these to work better and feel more accessible, specifically for creators? In this closed session, FERA and friends will discuss their Eco Movie Manifesto which will later be presented at the public panel ‘The Politics of Creative Freedom and Sustainability’. In Cooperation with FERA. With: Severine Petit, Patrick Schaaf, Bill Anderson, Véronique Pevtschin, Martijn Winkler, Elisabet Gustafsson, Martina Haubrich, Jakob Zapf u.a.; Moderation: Michael Gubbins

12:00 h

Wunschprojektion Kino – Filmpaläste und Filmräume der Zukunft

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 90 min

Thursday 20 April 2023, 12:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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PANEL: Wir imaginieren uns Kino – als soziokulturellen Ort, als Forum, in dem gesamtgesellschaftliche Themen verhandelt werden, als Moment der Entrückung, als Rückzugsort und Traumfabrik. Die Wünsche, die an das Kino herangetragen werden, sind vielfältig und vielleicht gerade deswegen gestalten sich unsere Kinos heutzutage oft ganz anders. Mit: Sebastian Höglinger, Adiam Ghebremeskel, Svetlana Svyatskaya u. a.; Moderation: Sarah Adam

14:00 h

FERA: The Politics of Creative Freedom and Sustainability

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Thursday 20 April 2023, 14:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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Sustainability isn’t just a trend, it’s a necessity that encompasses social, cultural and environmental aspects. More and more film funds are making green producing a requirement for funding. We think it’s time to talk about the industry’s needs and issues regarding the sustainable production of audiovisual content, so everyone can be inspired to join in. With: Severine Petit, Bill Anderson, Elisabet GustafssonMartijn Winkler, Veronique Pevtschin; Moderation: Michael Gubbins

16:00 h

Edgar Reitz: Thesen zum Strukturwandel der Kinobranche

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 30 min

Thursday 20 April 2023, 16:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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Impulsvortrag: Edgar Reitz, Mitunterzeichner des Oberhausener Manifests, hat im Laufe seines Lebens viele Thesen zu profunden Themen aufgestellt. Viele davon ließen aufhorchen. Im April 2018 überraschte er mit seinen „4 Thesen zur Erneuerung der Filmkultur“ das Frankfurter Publikum im Zoo-Gesellschaftshaus. Im Rahmen des 3. Kongresses Zukunft Deutscher Film konzentriert er sich nun auf die neuen Distributionswege des Films und die Bedeutung des Kinos für die Zukunft der Filmkunst.

16:30 h

Sieht der deutsche Film rot?

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 60 min

Thursday 20 April 2023, 16:30 h, Festivalzentrum

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Panel: Edgar Reitz’ Thesen zur Zukunft des deutschen Films gaben den Anstoß für die erste Konferenz „Zukunft deutscher Film” im Jahr 2018. Fünf Jahre später wollen wir Gelegenheit geben, auf die zuvor vorgetragenen neuen Thesen des Münchner Regisseurs spontan zu reagieren, und zu einem ersten Dialog zu inspirieren, in dem diese Thesen gemeinsam weitergedacht werden – vor dem Hintergrund der von allen wahrgenommenen Dauerkrise des deutschen Films. Gelegenheit dazu erhalten Filmverleiher:innen, Filmemacher:innen, Filmpolitiker:innen – und das Publikum. Mit: Torsten Frehse, Björn Hoffmann, Frieder Schlaich; Moderation: Cornelia Grünberg

17:30 h

Mina – Der Preis der Freiheit

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: Hesam Yousefi

Documentary, 2022

Language: Farsi, German, Kurdish

Playtime: 70 min

HESSIAN PREMIERE

In the presence of the director and Mina Ahadi

Thursday 20 April 2023, 17:30 h, Kino des DFF

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As long as liberty does not flourish in every country, people like Gandhi and Mandela – or Mina Ahadi – are needed.The film portrays the Iranian human rights activist during her lifelong struggle against capital punishment. A touching, inspiring portrayal which reveals that people’s love for their fellow humans is stronger than any cruelty between them.

18:00 h

Geist und Begeisterung – 100 Jahre Frankfurter Schule Zur Zukunft der Kritischen Theorie

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 90 min

Thursday 20 April 2023, 18:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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PANEL: „Stahlbad des Fun“, „Verblendungszusammenhang“, „Kulturindustrie“ – diese Stichworte kennzeichnen unsere Wahrnehmung der Kritischen Theorie und ihrer Sicht auf Popkultur und Kino. Doch das ist allenfalls die halbe Wahrheit. Adorno liebte Chaplin, einer seiner besten Freunde war Fritz Lang, viele seiner Überlegungen lassen sich aufs Kino beziehen. Benjamin war von Eisenstein und Vertov fasziniert, sein „Kunstwerkaufsatz" ist bis heute ein zentraler filmtheoretischer Text. Mit: Irene von Alberti, RP Kahl, Roger Behrens, Prof. Inga Pollmann, Felix Trautmann, Daniel Moersener; Moderation: Rüdiger Suchsland

18:00 h

All The Beauty and the Bloodshed

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Laura Poitras

Documentary, 2022

Language: English with German subtitles

Playtime: 117 min

Venice Film Festival 2022: Winner Golden Lion, Academy Awards 2023: Nomination for Best Documentary Feature

Thursday 20 April 2023, 18:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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Is it acceptable to accept money from a family that profits from the pain of thousands of people? Artist and activist Nan Goldin confronts the biggest museums in the world with this question. Because they are still funded by the Sacklers, central actors in the opioid crisis and one of the most powerful pharma families in the USA.

18:15 h

Amanda

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Carolina Cavalli

Comedy, 2022

Language: Italian with english subtitles

Playtime: 93 min

Venice Film Festival, Festival du Film Italien de Villerupt 2022: Best Film

GERMAN PREMIERE

Thursday 20 April 2023, 18:15 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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Feeling unfulfilled and plagued with a chronically bad temper, Amanda wanders through her hometown in Italy after studying abroad in Paris. And no, she no longer has any friends, her family is too bourgeois for her, and her credit card is practically useless. Everything calls for a change and thus, with internal and external odds highly stacked against her, Amanda sets out on a mission: she needs to find a best friend, a job, and a great love…

19:30 h

Regional short films II

Section: Regional Short Film Program

2022/2023

Language: German, Ukrainian with English subtitles

Playtime: 99 min

In presence of the filmmakers

Thursday 20 April 2023, 19:30 h, Pupille Kino

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ENJOY THE SHOW (2022, Director: Michael Schwarz, Length: 1 Min.) // STAUDAMM (2023, Director: Noreen Erkardas, Length: 27 Min.) // Поки тут тихо. (IT IS QUIET HERE.) (2022, Director: Olena Podolianko & Novruz Hikmet, Length: 12 Min.) // MORTIMER UND DIE VERSCHWUNDENEN DINGE (2022, Director: Robert Scheffner, Length: 14 Min.) // MAUER DES SCHWEIGENS (2022, Director: Leonard Mink, Length: 19 Min.) // ZWISCHEN UNS BEIDEN (2022, Director: Benjamin Kessler, Length: 14 Min.) // WE MAKE HOME MOVIES THEREFORE WE ARE (2022, Director: Clara Jäschke, Length: 10 Min.)

19:30 h

The Ordinaries

Section: Future German Cinema

Direction: Sophie Linnenbaum

Komödie, 2022

Language: German

Playtime: 120 min

Förderpreis Neues Deutsches Kino, First Steps Award, u.v.m

In the presence of the director

Thursday 20 April 2023, 19:30 h, Kino des DFF

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The world is separated into leading and supporting roles and people with film defects are persecuted and excluded. The 16-year-old Paula gets the chance to be promoted from supporting character to leading character. A critical test is about to start. Only the problem is: she is not able to compose a vivid soundtrack, which is a basic condition for leading roles. Paula is looking for a solution and finds the exiled Outtakes to whom she is more connected than she suspects.

20:00 h

Eigentlich eigentlich Januar

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: Jan Peters

Experimental film, 2022

Language: German

Playtime: 100 min

In the presence of the director

Thursday 20 April 2023, 20:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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20:00 h

Burning Days (Kurak Günler)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Emin Alper

Thriller, 2022

Language: Turkish with German subtitles

Playtime: 127 min

Antalya Golden Orange Festival 2022: 6 Awards, a.o. for Best Film; Cannes 2022: Nominee Queer Palm & Un Certain Regard Award

Thursday 20 April 2023, 20:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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The questions this film leaves its audience with are as burning as the eponymous heat of the title. As the new prosecutor in the small Turkish town of Balkaya, which has to contend with heavy landslides, Emre soon finds himself caught in a web of political intrigue. When a young woman is raped, he has to wonder if he is only a victim and saviour but actually a perpetrator as well. For political reasons, the film’s funding in Turkey was withdrawn.

20:15 h

The Worst Ones (Les Pires)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Lise Akoka, Romane Gueret

Drama/Comedy, 2022

Language: French with English subtitles

Playtime: 99 min

Cannes 2022: Winner un certain regard, TIFF 2022

Thursday 20 April 2023, 20:15 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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A casting call at a French school. Four troubled teens suddenly become parts of a filming community – where nothing is as expected. While things can get messy here, there are also no teachers and parents. Only adults who want to make a film and have yet to forget about their childhood. Les Pires thoughtfully depicts first love, how difficult it is to build trust, and how easily friendships can form.

22:00 h

Knochen und Namen

Section: Future German Cinema

Direction: Fabian Stumm

Spielfilm, 2023

Language: German

Playtime: 104 min

Heiner-Carow-Preis 2023, Berlinale 2023: Section Perspective German Cinema

HESSIAN PREMIERE

In the presence of the director

Thursday 20 April 2023, 22:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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Knochen und Namen, Fabian Stumm’s queer feature film debut, was celebrated with a standing ovation at the Berlinale.

FRI, 21. Apr

10:00 h

Exhibition Lichter Art Award

Section: Lichter Art Award

2022

Language: Turkish, Kurdish, English, Japanese, Spanish, Korean

Playtime: 138 min

Free Entrance

Friday 21 April 2023, 10:00 h, Festivalzentrum

10:00 h

Herr oder Knecht – KI: Die künstliche Intelligenz in der Kulturindustrie

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 90 min

Friday 21 April 2023, 10:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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Panel: KI – für die einen ist das die Macht der Computer, deren neueste Generation bald sogar Drehbücher schreiben und tote Schauspieler auf der Leinwand zum Leben erwecken kann. Für die anderen ist es die Kulturindustrie, ein Sklave im Dienst der Manipulation und des universalen Verblendungszusammenhangs. Vielleicht hat es seinen tieferen Grund, dass beide, künstliche Intelligenz und Kulturindustrie, in der gleichen Buchstabenkombination „KI" zusammenfallen. Über diese Konstellation und ihre Folgen für das Kino wollen wir nachdenken – und eintreten in den Maschinenraum unserer Gegenwart. Mit: Ji-Hun Kim, Xenia Klinge, u.a. Moderation: Stefan Müller

12:00 h

„Wir sind gemeinsam bereit, wirtschaftliche Risiken zu tragen...“ - Film und Ökonomie im bürokratisierten Staatskino

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 90 min

Friday 21 April 2023, 12:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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PANEL: Wer zahlt, schafft an – das ist eine ebenso alte wie bittere Wahrheit. Im deutschen Film zahlen das Fernsehen und vor allem eine Filmförderung, die auf Standortpolitik, wirtschaftlichen Erfolg und Massenzuspruch geeicht ist – und so sehen die Filme auch aus. Bloß ist das deutsche Kino weder wirtschaftlich, noch kann es Massenerfolge feiern.

12:00 h

Eine neue Kinobewegung – Zwischen Hütten und Palästen

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 120 min

Friday 21 April 2023, 12:00 h, Festivalzentrum

Workshop: Es gibt eine neue Kinobewegung in Deutschland. In seinen urbanen Zentren sind in den vergangenen Jahren vielfältige Konzepte für neue Orte des Bewegtbildes entstanden. In Hamburg etwa wurde im Kontext der dortigen Kinemathek ein „Zentrum Audiovisueller Kulturen“ konzipiert, auf einem Münchner Symposium zur Zukunft der Film- und Kinokultur ein „Filmhaus“ angedacht und in Frankfurt seitens des LICHTER Filmfests ein Konzept für ein Haus der Filmkulturen veröffentlicht.

14:00 h

Filme für den Liegestuhl – Wie wird in Filmen gerade erzählt?

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 90 min

Friday 21 April 2023, 14:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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Panel: In seinem Buch „Populärer Realismus“ bemerkt der Literaturwissenschaftler Moritz Baßler in der Gegenwartsliteratur einen global anschlussfähigen „International Style“. Was wäre das im Kino? Umgekehrt fragt Regisseurin Sophie Linnenbaum in ihrer Masterarbeit kess: „Wer hat Angst vorm Happy End?“ Und Regisseur Dominik Graf schimpfte kürzlich über stumpfen „Content" und verteidigte den Film als „geformte Erzählung und flüssige Form“. Mit: Dominik Graf, Moritz Baßler, Sophie Linnenbaum; Moderation: Peter Schernhuber

16:00 h

The Next Day – 5 Jahre Frankfurter Positionen

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 90 min

Friday 21 April 2023, 16:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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PANEL: „Damit ist alles gesagt“, so Jeanine Meerapfel, Präsidentin der Akademie der Künste zu den Frankfurter Positionen. Als Ergebnis des 1. Kongresses zur Zukunft des Deutschen Films, der 2018 rund 200 Mitwirkende in Frankfurt versammelte, wirkt das auf den „4 Thesen“ von Edgar Reitz fußende Positionspapier bis heute nach. Die Förderung von Film als Kunstform, von Kinokultur, Filmbildung, neuen Stimmen und Talenten drängt angesichts von Pandemie-Nachwirkungen, Energiekrise und Marktwandel mehr denn je. Mit: David Kleingers, Michael Hack, Sophie Ahrens, Janis Kuhnert, Sheri Hagen, Pauline Roenneberg; Moderation: Anna de Paoli

17:30 h

Kein Anfang und kein Ende – Abschlussbilanz des 3. Kongress Zukunft Deutscher Film

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Friday 21 April 2023, 17:30 h, Festivalzentrum

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Der deutsche Film muss besser werden, und dafür müssen seine Rahmenbedingungen sich ändern. Dies war das Ziel der „Frankfurter Positionen“ und es ist das Ziel des diesjährigen Treffens. Was könnte morgen kommen? Um der Sache willen muss immer wieder überprüft werden, was das gemeinsame Anliegen wirklich befördert und eine Veränderungsdynamik entfaltet, der sich die Szene nicht mehr entziehen kann. Zum Abschluss wird der Regisseur und Schauspieler RP Kahl gemeinsam mit der Kongressleitung und Kurator:innen den Versuch unternehmen, die Ergebnisse der drei Tage zusammenzufassen und gemeinsam einen Blick in die Zukunft des deutschen Films sowie auf den nächsten Kongress Zukunft Deutscher Film 2024 zu werfen. Mit: RP Kahl u.a.

18:00 h

Das Kino sind wir

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: Livia Theuer

Documentary, 2023

Language: German

Playtime: 80 min

WORLD PREMIERE

In the presence of the director

Friday 21 April 2023, 18:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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"Everyone was animated by the idea of making a political film," recalls (not only) documentary film director Thomas Frickel of the cultural awakening of the 1980s in Kassel. A sworn group of film enthusiasts founds the Filmladen Kassel and thus defines a film-oriented countermedia under the motto "Das Kino sind wir". What came from this, what role did the documenta and Joseph Beuys play, and how did the Kassel Dokfest emerge from this movement? This documentary is a must-see for all film fans and cineastes!

18:00 h

Morgen irgendwo am Meer

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: Patrick Büchting

Feauture film, 2023

Language: German

Playtime: 80 min

HESSIAN PREMIERE

In the presence of the director

Friday 21 April 2023, 18:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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Despite their strained friendship, Konrad manages to convince Romy to go on a shared trip to the ocean during their summer holidays. When Romy’s friend Julian and the stranger Nele join them during their road trip, Konrad begins to fear the trip was a bad idea. Meanwhile, the others ask themselves one thing: Why does Konrad actually want to go to Lisbon?

18:30 h

I Like Movies

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Chandler Levack

Comedy, 2022

Language: English

Playtime: 99 min

Toronto Film Festival 2022: Canada’s Top Ten, Calgary International Film Festival 2022: Emerging Artist Award

GERMAN PREMIERE

Friday 21 April 2023, 18:30 h, Kino des DFF

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17-year-old Lawrence is a hopeless film nerd. People outside the screen don’t really interest him at all. What could ease his way to director stardom better than a job at the local video store? I Like Movies holds its own in comparison to high school comedies like “Superbad” and “Booksmart” and reveals Lawrence’s first crush, his only friendship and his love for film.

19:00 h

Populärer Realismus? – Biederkeit statt blaue Bohnen – wo sind die Filme jenseits von Festival und Kommerz?

Section: Congress Future German Cinema

2023

Playtime: 90 min

Friday 21 April 2023, 19:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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PANEL: Möglicherweise ist das Populäre gar nicht mehr so populär. Jedenfalls setzen viele Filmemacher:innen heute scheinbar lieber auf „Festivalfilme“. Aus dem Kino sind Genrefilme fast ganz verschwunden, im Fernsehen werden sie immer schlechter. Es regieren die Formatierung und der Content und mit beidem die Moral geschmacklicher Biederkeit. Wer redet noch über das Populäre? Wer lehrt es an den Filmhochschulen? Und welche Beispiele gibt es überhaupt im Film der Gegenwart? Mit: Dominik Graf, Milena Aboyan, Nikias Chryssos, Felix von Boehm, Anna de Paoli; Moderation: Rüdiger Suchsland

19:00 h

Party with Sibylle & Yvette

Section: Specials

2023

Friday 21 April 2023, 19:00 h, Festivalzentrum

The most brutal possible mixture of indie-disco, electro-pop, 80s and (when the white wine flows in streams) also a touch of trash and a cheesy song here and there.

19:00 h

Crew Call

Section: Specials

2023

Friday 21 April 2023, 19:00 h, Festivalzentrum

This year, for the sixth time, guests from film, television, music, theater, games and media will meet in Frankfurt for the Crew Call, this time to talk about the projects of tomorrow in the wonderful ambience of the Massif Central.

20:00 h

The Innocent (L'Innocent)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Louis Garrel

Comedy, 2022

Language: French with German subtitles

Playtime: 99 min

César Awards 2023: Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay

Friday 21 April 2023, 20:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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Where can you find love? For Sylvie, prison seems to be the answer. But her son definitely does not agree, and his late friend’s girlfriend will help him get things straight. In Louis Garrel’s romantic comedy, people are constantly pretending to be others, trying to deceive people, luring them into making questionable choices, and juggling with their feelings. Whoever shows signs of naivete will get devoured by the harshness of life. How hard can it be to hide true love?

20:30 h

Sieben Winter in Teheran

Section: Future German Cinema

Direction: Steffi Niederzoll

Documentary, 2023

Language: Farsi with German subtitles

Playtime: 97 min

Berlinale 2023: Compass Perspective Award and Peace Film Award

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Friday 21 April 2023, 20:30 h, Kino des DFF

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The verdict is blood revenge: At the age of nineteen, Reyhaneh Jabbari is sentenced to death. In an act of self-defence, she stabs the perpetrator during an attempted rape. Steffi Niederzolls’ documentary reconstructs the story of the student using letters and diary entries that Reyhaneh wrote in prison. Together with her mother and with impressive determination, Reyhaneh fights for the rights of women in Iran and against legal arbitrariness.

20:30 h

Alis

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Nicolas van Hemelryck, Clare Weiskopf

Dokumentarfilm, 2022

Language: Spanish with English Subtitles

Playtime: 84 min

Berlinale 2022: Crystal Bear for the best film Generation 14plus, Teddy Award Best Documentary

Friday 21 April 2023, 20:30 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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Bógota, Columbia: Ten young women live in a shelter for homeless women. Each of them closes their eyes in front of the camera and pictures an imaginary friend named Alis. Alis - fellow sufferer, friend, one of them. What happened to her? Only an abstract idea at first, Alis comes closer and closer with time. Alis is an impressive portrait of young women who, no matter how bad life has been for them, still have an inspiring resilience in their lives.

22:00 h

Disco Boy

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Giacomo Abbruzzese

Drama, 2023

Language: French, English, Flemish, Igbo, Polish with English subtitles

Playtime: 91 min

Berlinale 2023: Outstanding Artistic Achievement

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Friday 21 April 2023, 22:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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How far are you willing to go to defend your territory? Love can take many forms, and it can lead to aggression if that which you love is under attack. In Disco Boy, a Belarusian fighter travels to go to war for France in Nigeria in exchange for the promise of a French passport; but guerrilla fighters in the African country will go to great lengths to defend their sovereignty. A stylish, entrancing and surprising film with a plot driven by obscure forces that will not be easy to forget.

22:00 h

A Film About Couples (Una Película Sobre Parejas)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Natalia Cabral, Oriol Estrada

Comedy, 2021

Language: Spanish with German subtitles

Playtime: 89 min

Syndicat Français De La Critique De Cinéma: Best Film

In Anwesenheit der Regisseur:innen Natalia Cabral und Oriol Estrada

Friday 21 April 2023, 22:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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A film about a film about couples: Natalia and Oriol have not only been a couple for 13 years, they also make films together. At least when they are not currently discussing who is directing, whether a cactus is worth filming or if parents always have to do everything perfectly. In this mockumentary, the filmmakers curtly act as themselves and show how similar film and love can actually be.

SAT, 22. Apr

12:00 h

Exhibition Lichter Art Award

Section: Lichter Art Award

2022

Language: Turkish, Kurdish, English, Japanese, Spanish, Korean

Playtime: 138 min

Free Entrance

Saturday 22 April 2023, 12:00 h, Festivalzentrum

14:00 h

Jeder schreibt für sich allein

Section: Future German Cinema

Direction: Dominik Graf

Documentary, 2023

Language: German with English subtitles

Playtime: 167 min

Woche der Kritik 2023

HESSIAN PREMIERE

In the presence of the director

Saturday 22 April 2023, 14:00 h, Kino des DFF

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How sure can a person be of themselves? This is the central question of Dominik Graf’s new documentary essay. Based on Anatol Regnier’s eponymous book, this film deals with artists’ destinies and the immediate reality of the Nazi era. What was it like to live in a dictatorship?

14:00 h

VR Storytelling Short Films

Section: VR Storytelling

VR Storytelling, 2022

Language: English

Playtime: 52:30 min

7. VIRTUAL REALITY STORYTELLING AWARD

Saturday 22 April 2023, 14:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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17:00 h

Einzeltäter Teil 3 – Hanau

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: Julian Vogel

Documentary, 2023

Language: German

Playtime: 84 min

WORLD PREMIERE

In the presence of the director

Saturday 22 April 2023, 17:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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On February 19, 2020 a right-wing terrorist murdered nine people in Hanau: Said Nesar Hashemi, Hamza Kenan Kurtović, Ferhat Unvar, Sedat Gürbüz, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Gökhan Gültekin, Vili Viorel Păun, Mercedes Kierpacz und Kaloyan Velkov. To this day, relatives and survivors have been searching for an explanation for the racist attack.

17:00 h

VR Storytelling Short Films

Section: VR Storytelling

VR Storytelling, 2022

Language: English

Playtime: 52:30 min

7. VIRTUAL REALITY STORYTELLING AWARD

Saturday 22 April 2023, 17:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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18:00 h

Fitness California – Wie man die Extra Meile geht

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: Nadine Zacharias

Documentary, 2022

Language: German

Playtime: 103 min

Sportfilmfestival Palermo: Paladino D’oro

GERMAN PREMIERE

In the presence of the director

Saturday 22 April 2023, 18:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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True to the motto “Move until your very end” one trains in the Freiburg gym “Fitness California”. Among those always to be found are Bernd Fleisig, Mario Sabatini, and Adolf Seger, all of them stars of the Wrestling scene of the 1960s and ‘70s, who, regardless of their age, ripple their muscles.

18:30 h

Lan Yu (Restored)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Stanley Kwan

Hong Kong Classic, 2001/2022

Language: Mandarin with English subtitles

Playtime: 86 min

Golden Horse Awards Taiwan 2001: 5 awards, including Best Director and Best Actor in a Leading Role

Saturday 22 April 2023, 18:30 h, Kino des DFF

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Desperate for money, young student Lan Yu spends a night with businessman Handong. At first, Handong tries to minimise their interaction to a mere exchange of sex and favours, however, it soon becomes clear that they both harbour deeper feelings for each other. Despite their age and class differences, the two men develop a complex relationship with one another. Director Stanley Kwan tells the story of a clandestine love affair that took place in China at the end of the 1980s – the period between the economic crisis and the Tian'anmen Square protests. - This film is hailed as one of the most important queer films in Asian cinema.

19:30 h

The Beasts (As Bestas)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Thriller/Drama, 2022

Language: Spanish, French with English Subtitles

Playtime: 137 min

Goya Award 2023: 9 awards, including best film and best director, César Award 2023: best foreign film

Saturday 22 April 2023, 19:30 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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The title already gives it away: the Galician village Olga and her husband Antoine have moved to is not as idyllic as one might assume. The couple has made their dream of owning a farm reality; a dream which is more and more being threatened. The local farmers, who are sceptical or even openly hostile towards the whimsical neighbours anyways, vehemently demand their support for an investment project. Two ways of life clash – and never has a tomato harvest been this thrilling or buying sheep been this nerve-wracking. Nothing but love for this thriller!

20:00 h

Living Bad (Viver Mal)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: João Canijo

Drama, 2023

Language: Portuguese with English subtitles

Playtime: 125 min

Berlinale 2023

Saturday 22 April 2023, 20:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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Tensions simmer among the guests of an old hotel in Portugal. We follow one couple whose rocky relationship is hurt by obsession with social media. Our eyes drift towards another couple shaken by the towering presence of one of their mothers. We eavesdrop on another couple starting out and threatened by jealousy. João Canijo constructs a tale of lust and disappointment in LIVING BAD, proving that loving is a path full of thorns.

20:00 h

VR Storytelling Short Films

Section: VR Storytelling

VR Storytelling, 2022

Language: English

Playtime: 52:30 min

7. VIRTUAL REALITY STORYTELLING AWARD

Saturday 22 April 2023, 20:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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20:30 h

In diesem Jahr – der Film

Section: Specials

Direction: Martina Hänsel, Björn Tanneberger

Documentary, 2023

Language: German

Playtime: 120 min

Entrance free

Saturday 22 April 2023, 20:30 h, Festivalzentrum

What do Eintracht and LICHTER have in common? Correct: both are located in the heart of Europe and are international! On the Saturday of the festival, we will be showing the Eintracht film "In diesem Jahr". So once again we bring the European Cup to our Main metropolis.

20:30 h

No Bears (Khers Nist)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Jafar Panahi

Drama, 2022

Language: Farsi, Azeri, Turkish with English subtitles

Playtime: 107 min

Venice Film Festival 2022: Special Jury Prize

Saturday 22 April 2023, 20:30 h, Kino des DFF

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After being denied permission to leave Iran, director Panahi takes up residence in a village near the Turkish border to remotely oversee the shooting of his new film. Despite being initially welcomed by the village community, he soon finds himself garnering anger after becoming a supposed witness to a forbidden love affair. - In 2010, Panahi was sentenced to six years in prison and was banned from working for 20 years due to the making of his film.

22:00 h

Kokomo City

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: D. Smith

Documentary, 2023

Language: English with English subtitles

Playtime: 75 min

Berlinale 2023: Panorama Audience Award, Sundance 2023

Saturday 22 April 2023, 22:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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Self-love overcomes all odds: four Black trans* sex workers invite director D.Smith into their world through openhearted accounts of their life. The focus lies on the daily discrimination that the four of them face in a racist, patriarchal, and transphobic society that also shapes their experiences with the local Black community. Filmed in black and white and sporting a powerful soundtrack and music-video aesthetic, Kokomo City is an eye-opening experience.

22:15 h

International Shorts - Love

Section: International Shorts

2022 - 2023

Language: German, Greek, Swedish, Urkainian with English subtitles

Playtime: 60 min

Saturday 22 April 2023, 22:15 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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“LOVE is a losing game” is a good song and may contain some truth. In our LICHTER INTERNATIONAL SHORTS LOVE/LIEBE we will present short films that deal with the reality and fantasy of love in romantic, familial and social relationships which can have both happy and painful consequences for the people involved. Curated by Saul Judd

SUN, 23. Apr

12:00 h

Mars One (Marte Um)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Gabriel Martins

Family Comedy, 2022

Language: Portuguese with English subtitles

Playtime: 115 min

Sunday 23 April 2023, 12:00 h, Kino des DFF

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A family film through and through! But not one filled with overused clichés: We are in Brazil right after the election of Bolsonaro, and the mood in the country is tense. The film catapults us head-first into the political as well as the very personal chaos of the Martins family. The road ahead is a tumultuous one, and each person must find ways to overcome it, either alone or as a family. All we have to say is: Alcoholics Anonymous, great love, money shortage, dream soccer careers, disastrous pranks, first apartments, rage-inducing card games, insomnia, stargazing, cat-sitting, and trips to Mars!

12:00 h

Exhibition Lichter Art Award

Section: Lichter Art Award

2022

Language: Turkish, Kurdish, English, Japanese, Spanish, Korean

Playtime: 138 min

Free Entrance

Sunday 23 April 2023, 12:00 h, Festivalzentrum

13:00 h

Zwickel auf Bizyckel

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: Reinhard Kahn, Michel Leiner, Jeanine Meerapfel, Ingeborg Nödinger, Rolf Scheimeister, Pavel Schnabel, Klaus Werner, Marion Zemann

Spielfilm/Experimentalfilm, 1969 -1997

Language: German

Playtime: 85 min

Hessischer Filmpreis 1997

Präsentiert von: Film-und Kinobüro Hessen e. V.

Sunday 23 April 2023, 13:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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14:00 h

VR Storytelling Short Films

Section: VR Storytelling

VR Storytelling, 2022

Language: English

Playtime: 52:30 min

7. VIRTUAL REALITY STORYTELLING AWARD

Sunday 23 April 2023, 14:00 h, Festivalzentrum

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16:00 h

Einzeltäter Teil 3 – Hanau

Section: Regional Feature Film Program

Direction: Julian Vogel

Documentary, 2023

Language: German

Playtime: 84 min

In the presence of the director

Sunday 23 April 2023, 16:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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16:30 h

VR Storytelling Short Films

Section: VR Storytelling

VR Storytelling, 2022

Language: English

Playtime: 52:30 min

7. VIRTUAL REALITY STORYTELLING AWARD

Sunday 23 April 2023, 16:30 h, Festivalzentrum

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18:00 h

Opponent (Motståndaren)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Milad Alami

Drama, 2023

Language: Farsi, Swedish with English subtitles

Playtime: 119 min

Berlinale 2023

HESSIAN PREMIERE

Sunday 23 April 2023, 18:00 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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From bustling heat into dark snow: Fearing persecution, Iman and his family have to leave their Iranian home and flee to Sweden. Even after their arrival, they still cannot find peace having to move from one refugee shelter to the next. To inch closer to the longed-for residence permit, Iman resumes his career as a wrestler – but the biggest struggle he faces is with himself.

18:00 h

War Pony

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Riley Keough, Gina Gammel

Drama, 2022

Language: English

Playtime: 115 min

Cannes 2022 - Camera d’Or (Best Debut), Zürich Film Festival 2022: Special Mention Golden Eye (Feature Film)

Sunday 23 April 2023, 18:00 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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When do we feel we belong somewhere? What place do we call home? For two young Native American men living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the United States, these questions circle their hearts as they try to find their place in the middle of a tug-of-war between modernity and tradition, community and individuality, belonging and breaking away. Finding love in harshness may be difficult but they will soon find it essential for finding their path.

18:00 h

Motherhood (La Maternal)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Pilar Palomero

Coming of Age, 2022

Language: Spanish with English subtitles

Playtime: 100 min

San Sebastián International Film Festival 2022: Best Leading Performance, Gaudí Awards 2023: Best New Performer, Goya Awards 2023: Nomination Best Film

Sunday 23 April 2023, 18:00 h, Kino des DFF

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Carla is a rebel. She doesn’t let anyone tell her anything, least of all her single mother - until she gets pregnant at fourteen. She comes into the care of the “La Maternal” centre, where, together with the other girls, she learns about what motherhood is like. A vivid portrait of becoming an adult with outstanding young actress Carla Quílez.

19:00 h

Award ceremony

Section: Specials

2023

Playtime: 60 min

Sunday 23 April 2023, 19:00 h, Festivalzentrum

Tusch, Bembel and Champagne: The festival comes to its crowning conclusion with the awards ceremony. We are happy to have you join us in celebrating the best films! In the personal and cozy atmosphere of the PINGUINBAR we will award the much sought-after LICHTER-Bembel

20:00 h

SPECIAL „Toi jamais“ – Short Films About Love

Section: International Shorts

Playtime: 90 min

Experimental film reel

Sunday 23 April 2023, 20:00 h, Kino des DFF

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TOI JAMAIS - a program of short films curated by Gunter Deller, Karola Gramann, Heide Schlüpmann Love cannot be grasped - despite all attempts: reporting, telling, singing about love. Showing it as in film. A short film program gathers slipping endings, fleeting fascinosa, moments and lets them pass before our eyes. Among others, there will be shown films by Gunter Deller, Peggy Awesh, Bruce Baillie, Angelika Levi, Vlatko Gilić. (possible changes.) In cooperation with Kinothek Asta Nielsen.

20:15 h

20.000 Species of Bees (20.000 Especies de Abejas)

Section: International Feature Film Program

Direction: Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren

Family Drama , 2023

Language: Spanish, Baskisch with German subtitles

Playtime: 129 min

Berlinale 2023: Prize of the AG Kino-Gilde, Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance (Sofía Otero)

Closing film

Sunday 23 April 2023, 20:15 h, Eldorado Filmtheater

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8 year old Coco is currently on a path of self-discovery, which is not made easy for her: Her family in their Basque hometown still calls her by her birth name Aitor, which she does not identify with anymore. The film skillfully recounts peer pressure and familial tensions that touch us deeply. The 9 year old Sofia Otero won the award for Best Leading Performance at the Berlinale as the youngest winner in its history.

20:15 h

International Short Film Program

Section: International Shorts

2022/2023

Language: Arabic, German, France, Portugies with English subtitles

Playtime: 80 min

Sunday 23 April 2023, 20:15 h, Mal Seh'n Kino

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International Short Film Program A great accomplishment of cinema is to let us take a second, different look at things and stories. It quite literally immerses things in a different light. The four films in the international short film program show this in very different ways. They explore spaces, history, feelings and time beyond the fleeting first glance. Included are again films of our partner festival from Contis and award winners of the festivals from Berlin and Rotterdam.

Festival Program 2023

Section

Country

Language

dubbed

THU, 6. Apr

MON, 17. Apr

TUE, 18. Apr

WED, 19. Apr

THU, 20. Apr

FRI, 21. Apr

SAT, 22. Apr

SUN, 23. Apr

Festival Program 2023

Section

Country

Language

dubbed

THU, 6. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

MON, 17. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

TUE, 18. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

WED, 19. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

THU, 20. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

FRI, 21. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

SAT, 22. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

SUN, 23. AprLichter FilmfestLichter Filmfest

THU, 6. Apr

MON, 17. Apr

TUE, 18. Apr

WED, 19. Apr

THU, 20. Apr

FRI, 21. Apr

SAT, 22. Apr

SUN, 23. Apr