Since 2004, the Berlinale World Cinema Fund (WCF) has successfully supported film production in underserved regions with its increasingly differentiated funding programme (WCF, WCF Europe, WCF Africa, WCF ACP) and embarked on cultural diversity in German cinemas. The cooperation between production companies from these regions or countries and German / European production companies has also been promoted.

“Most of the projects submitted for WCF funding derive from countries and regions that have to deal with colonialism and post-colonialism. But, what does that mean for the film production located there in terms of content and structure? To what extent are new decolonising efforts necessary? We have to question this in a differentiated way as we are very aware of these cultural and historical contexts,” says WCF head Vincenzo Bugno.

“Decolonising Cinema” is the central theme of the WCF Day on March 5, 2021 from 2 to 5.30 p.m. The WCF Day is offered online due to the pandemic and can be accessed free of charge at facebook.com/berlinale and youtube.com/berlinale.

As part of the event, directors of current funding projects and other guests will address this complex topic. In addition, the programme will include the event “Directors Talks” with directors of WCF films from the festival selection.

All events will be held in English.

“Decolonising Cinema”

The present is a mirror of history. The consequences of colonialism are reflected in the daily life of many countries, and the topic is coming through in more and more of the projects submitted to the WCF. The WCF Day wants to shine a light on impressive and original Latin American and African projects and initiatives focussed on or inspired by colonialism and its lasting impact.

To what extent has colonial history shaped certain countries and their film cultures? To what extent are colonialism and post-colonialism reflected in previous films and in current film production? Are filmmakers from the funding regions aware of this dramatic historical legacy?

The experiences, heritage and results of the “Third Cinema” movement in the 1960s and 1970s and the “decolonising and decolonised” efforts of filmmakers from WCF regions and countries during the last decades are also reflected, particularly considering that funding institutions from Europe largely support their films.

“Cinema Spaces and Decolonising Cinema”

Cinema also means cinema space and the WCF passionately believes in the social space of cinema. Cinema space means also generating new realities, new sources of energy, new creative aggregations with the goal of setting up the conditions needed to strengthen independent cinema in the WCF regions. Cinema space means re-creating the tools needed for developing local contemporary art and local cinema for the national - and also international audience.

A conversation with the representatives of the African “Cinema Spaces Network” (CSN) will center on the support of existing and the creation of further cinema spaces in Africa.

See the Programme of WCF Day 2021

WCF-Funded Films in the Festival Selection 2021

The WCF is pleased that four funding projects have been selected for the 71st Berlinale:

Vị (Taste) - Berlinale Section Encounters
Vietnam / Singapore / France / Thailand / Germany / Taiwan
by Lê Bảo
* World premiere / debut film

Souad - Berlinale Section Panorama
Egypt / Tunisia / Germany
by Ayten Amin
* World premiere / debut film

Garderie nocturne (Night Nursery) - Berlinale Section Forum
Burkina Faso / France / Germany
by Moumouni Sanou
* World premiere / debut film

The First 54 Years – An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation
- Berlinale Section Forum
France / Finland / Israel
by Avi Mograbi
* World premiere

*World premiere is used to indicate that these films have not been shown to an audience yet. Since they will be available in online screenings to a professional audience (industry and press) only, they will keep their status World premiere until they will be presented publicly in cinemas or at festivals.