FESTIVAL EXTRA INFOS
Audience prizes
Three audience prizes will be awarded at this year’s festival:
- The prize for best feature film is sponsored by the monthly magazine “choices” in cooperation with FilmInitiativ. 13 feature films from 10 countries are in competition.
- Broadcaster WDR will also award an audience prize to the best documentary. 12 documentaries from 11 countries are competing for that prize.
- Nikolaus-Gülich-Fonds & KIOSK – Arts Exchange e. V. will sponsor the prize for best shortfilm.
FilmInitiativ would like to request that all audience members give their ratings by tearing off the selected category (from “very good” [“sehr gut”] to “very bad” [“sehr schlecht”]) on the voting slips provided, and the average rating of each of the competition films will be worked out from these votes.
The prizes will be presented on the last day of the festival at YUCA CLUB by Rüdiger Schmidt-Sodingen (choices), Jutta Krug (documentary department, WDR Fernsehen) and Elfriede Schmitt (KIOSK – Arts Exchange e. V.), Sunday, 25.9., approx. 20:00.
DIVERSITY Film Award
This year, for the first time, a DIVERSITY Film Prize will be awarded at the festival. The initiation of this prize (awarded with 1,000 euros) was made possible by the State Funding Diversity Fund NRW of the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. There are 11 feature films and short films from 9 countries in competition. The winner will be chosen by an expert jury. Award ceremony on Sunday, 25.9., approx. 20.00.
Stands in the festival foyer
If the COVID-19 situation permits, the Filmforum foyer will again be transformed into a mini bazaar during the festival. Organisations from African communities, festival partners and initiatives will provide information about their work. There will also be stands selling films on DVD and literature.
African specialities at Filmforum
African specialities at Filmforum
People from African communities will again provide several food and beverage options at all events at Filmforum im Museum Ludwig. The bar at Filmforum will also be serving a range of drinks.
Simultaneous interpretation
Simultaneous interpretation will be offered at all film discussions at Filmforum (from English or French into German). We would like to ask all audience members to collect their receiver with headphones well in advance of the event (an ID card must be left as a deposit).
Refugees welcome
Refugees will again receive free entry to all film events at this year’s festival. We kindly welcome initiatives to register group visits in advance so we can reserve seats. Please send requests to mail@filminitiativ.de (or enquire at the ticket office at Filmforum).
Screenings for school children
If you wish to participate in the school group screenings featuring African guests, we kindly ask you to contact us in advance at: FilmInitiativ Köln e.V., tel.: +49 221 46 96 243, mail@filminitiativ.de
Meetingpoint & Press
The Café Hallmackenreuther (Brüsseler Platz) will again act as our meeting point for the festival guests. Media representatives are able to do interviews here as well. Appointments can be registered via FilmInitiativ. Contact: Sebastian Fischer +49 17 22 15 10 84.
Workshop discussions
The workshop run by the museum’s educational service on the ground floor of Filmforum will again be made available this year for visitors to meet the directors. Film discussions that may otherwise have been cut short in the cinema due to later screenings can be continued here in smaller groups. Upon request, the room can also be booked for press interviews with festival guests.
Taxi Bamako – bike rickshaws for festival-goers
Visitors will again be able to travel to and from the festival in style with the highly popular “Taxi Bamako” service. Taxi Bamako is a bicycle rickshaw that is adorned with all the right accessories for an African film festival, and the right music. The rickshaw has a maximum capacity of two passengers (max. total weight: 150 kg). A trip through Cologne city centre (e.g. from Filmforum im Museum Ludwig to the filmmakers’ hotel on Flandrische Straße, just off Rudolfplatz) costs seven euros for one person, or twelve euros for two. Taxi Bamako can also be booked hourly at a flat rate of 20 euros (one person) or 25 euros (two people). The service is only available when it is not raining. We recommend that you book your rickshaw trip a day in advance. In case you happen to forget your festival booklet in the cinema, you will find a replacement in the rickshaw. For Taxi Bamako bookings, please send a text message to Bernhard Tscherny at +49 162 35 86 88 0