COTTBUS: FNE spoke with FilmFestival Cottbus’ Programme Director Bernd Buder and Programmer Joshua Jádi about AI, emerging filmmaking trends, the future of arthouse cinema and the international prospects of Central and Eastern European films as the 36th FilmFestival Cottbus (FFC) came to an end on 8 November 2026.
FNE: This year, the festival made headlines by including an AI-generated film in its main competition. What convinced you to select it?
Bernd Buder:We saw the film A Woman Asleep directed by Vikki Bardot half a year ago and immediately thought it was excellent. It’s not about replacing actors or visual effects, but about using AI as an artistic medium, much like animation. I’d describe it as an experimental film made with AI rather than a typical AI production. What’s particularly interesting is that the filmmakers use the technology to reflect critically on AI, social media and their impact on society.
FNE: Did the decision generate any backlash within the industry?
Bernd Buder:There were certainly some negative reactions. But what’s strange is that most people expressing concerns hadn’t even seen the film. I would understand the criticism if AI were replacing actors or voices. But this is a film that critically examines the technology itself, so I don’t see a reason to dismiss it.
Joshua Jádi:The audience reaction, meanwhile, has been extremely positive. One screening even had an almost football-like atmosphere, with people cheering and asking where they could meet the director. The film clearly surprised them.
FNE: Beyond AI, what trends are you noticing in <a href="https://cinemamix360.com/2026/11/11/over-25000-govt-schools-to-screen-childrens-films-during-film-festival/" title="Over 25,000 govt schools to screen children's films during film festival“>film festivals, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe?
Bernd Buder:There’s growing interest in genre cinema, a trend we’ve seen for several years. Sales agents are also increasingly exploring the fantasy film market. Among younger filmmakers, I notice a shift towards capturing atmosphere rather than telling straightforward stories. Take the Slovak film Lover, Not a Fighterdirected by Martina Buchelová, presented in our GenNext Competition. They explore how young people feel like outsiders, caught between generations, the past and the future.
Joshua Jádi:There’s also a more inventive approach to genre mixing. Filmmakers combine arthouse cinema with horror, comedy or fantasy to explore political and social issues in unexpected ways. Hungarian film Feels Like Homedirected by Gábor Holtai, for example, uses a genre framework to explore life under an authoritarian regime. It’s also funny, which creates an interesting duality. Younger filmmakers have grown up with streaming platforms and know established cinematic conventions almost by heart. Now they’re remixing them, combining genres and influences in new ways.
Bernd Buder:Turkish film Mutter: The Diary of aMother is another example. It brings together arthouse cinema, feminism, horror, fantasy and even slapstick comedy. A woman gives birth to a monster, the men refuse to take responsibility, and there’s an encounter with a macho mayor. It sounds unusual, but it works remarkably well.
FNE: What was the thinking behind introducing the Gen Next competition, and what do you look for when selecting films?
Joshua Jádi:Previously, we had a section devoted to films about teenagers. I started wondering what would happen if we reversed the perspective. Instead of having a 60-year-old director discuss a film about teenagers with a young audience, why not invite a filmmaker in their thirties to discuss a film about 80-year-olds with teenagers?
Bernd Buder:We’re looking for filmmakers at the beginning of their careers, whose work reflects their generational perspective. The subject matter can be almost anything. What matters is that young audiences can recognise how someone from their generation sees and interprets the world. We’ve also expanded the section beyond teenagers to include young adults, roughly up to the age of 25 or 27.
FNE: You’re in a unique position to observe audience reactions. What makes challenging cinema attractive to audiences today? What should producers keep in mind?
Bernd Buder:Our Pick a Story Award offers an interesting insight. Filmmakers submit only a logline, and the audience votes for their favorite. We’ve noticed that people are drawn to stories that surprise them. They want something unexpected, sometimes even strange, something they can still talk about the next morning.
Joshua Jádi:Cinema is still a relatively young art form, yet the industry has already established quite rigid conventions about what films should look like. But audiences want to discover unfamiliar cultures and perspectives, and also experience what cinema can become outside conventional storytelling. That doesn’t mean every film needs to be radically experimental. Even within more traditional forms, audiences respond to filmmakers who take risks and challenge established approaches.
FNE: How do you see the international position of Eastern European cinema? Are filmmakers moving beyond the clichés traditionally associated with the region?
Bernd Buder:The international market presence of Eastern European cinema remains limited. However, countries such as Slovakia and Slovenia produce relatively few films, yet a good proportion of them circulate internationally through festivals. What’s encouraging is that filmmakers are increasingly using irony and humour to challenge familiar representations of the region. We still see clichés about poverty, alcohol and post-communist depression. These are valid subjects, of course, but they can also become stereotypes. The challenge is to address real problems without reinforcing those familiar, often patronising perspectives. I’m optimistic that filmmakers are finding ways to navigate this.
Joshua Jádi:You can also see that daring approaches can reach audiences beyond the traditional arthouse circuit. Take Radu Jude’s Diary of a Chambermaid. He takes a familiar material and reinvents it through an experimental, concept-driven approach and very simple filmmaking techniques. Yet the screening was packed, including people who wouldn’t necessarily identify as arthouse audiences.
It proves that if you offer mainstream audiences something daring and engaging, they will respond. We shouldn’t underestimate them or assume they only want superficial entertainment. If a film is well made and not boring, even a complex one can hold their attention.
FNE: Finally, in the age of streaming, what role does a festival like Cottbus play for audiences and the film industry?
Bernd Buder:Communication. Watching a film together, exchanging opinions and talking to the director create an experience that streaming cannot offer. The best Q&As are sometimes those where the audience starts discussing the film among themselves and the director almost becomes a spectator.
For the industry, Cottbus is also valuable because of its accessibility. Informal conversations can lead to relationships and collaborations that last for years. I’ve personally met established producers here in completely casual circumstances, over lunch rather than in a formal meeting.
Joshua Jádi:That’s one of the festival’s greatest strengths. At larger festivals such as Cannes, emerging filmmakers often have to arrange dozens of meetings in advance, with just a few minutes to pitch their projects. Here, the atmosphere is much more personal. You can simply approach people and start a conversation. That’s how long-term professional relationships are built.
