12.08.2021

CURTAIN UP FOR THE 27TH JFBB

Two cities, two festival centres, eleven days: the 27th Jewish Film Festival Berlin and Brandenburg presents itself compactly with 46 films and four series from 12 to 22 August 2021. The JFBB will open on Thursday evening at Potsdam's Hans Otto Theater in the presence of prominent guests from politics, film and society with Emma Seligman's brilliant debut SHIVA BABY.

Not only SHIVA BABY (US/2020) will premiere at the festival opening, but also the "new" JFBB. After 26 successful years in which founder Nicola Galliner made the JFBB the largest Jewish film festival in Germany, Doreen Goethe and Andreas Stein are following in the footsteps of the long-time festival director with their team and a lot of élan.

"We thank Nicola Galliner for the trust she has placed in us and for handing over the baton. And of course we would like to thank the partners at our side, representative here are our main sponsors Medienboard Berlin- Brandenburg, Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin and the state capital Potsdam, without whom our intensive work in the past weeks and months would not bear fruit," explains festival director Andreas Stein. "Now we are looking forward to a 27th JFBB, which offers a programme that could hardly be more diverse, political and attractive. Jewish topics at your fingertips - from classics to world premieres and in the presence of numerous guests to the film."

For tomorrow's opening, journalist and presenter Shelly Kupferberg from Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, who will charmingly guide through the evening, is looking forward to guests such as filmmakers Arndt Schwering - Sohnrey, Yael Reuveny, Karin Kaper, Marc Boettcher or Sharon Ryba- Kahn. The jury members Dani Levy, Yousef Sweid and Amos Ponger will also be present, as well as representatives of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, the Jewish communities in Potsdam and Berlin and numerous other institutions.

Politically prominent guests include the Minister President of the State of Brandenburg and patron of the JFBB, Dr Dietmar Woidke, the head of the Senate Chancellery, Christian Gaebler, who represents the Governing Mayor of Berlin and JFBB patron Michael Müller, the Lord Mayor of Potsdam, Mike Schubert, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and former Minister President of Brandenburg, Matthias Platzeck, and the Berlin State Secretary for Civic Engagement, Sawsan Chebli.

While only invited guests will be able to enjoy the film at the opening in the Hans Otto Theatre due to the limited capacity of the corona, the JFBB will be presenting SHIVA BABY at the same time on the other side of the Havel in the Thalia Programmkino (Potsdam-Babelsberg)! On the same evening, the curtain will rise on the first screening and German premiere of the documentary ENDPHASE [AT/2020] by Austrian Hans Hochstöger, who will personally introduce the film, at the JFBB festival centre Delphi Lux in Berlin at 8 pm. And at 8.45 pm, the JFBB invites you to the open-air German premiere of Vladimir Kott's THE END [RU/2020] at the Kiezkino Charlottenburg for smart and amusing entertainment.