Jul 12, 2023
Berlinale Spotlight: Berlinale Shorts at FIRST International Film Festival in Xining, China

With its specially curated programmes, the Berlinale has been present around the world for many years. The Berlinale Spotlight extends the festival period and makes the activities of the Berlinale visible throughout the year.

The upcoming Berlinale Spotlight: Berlinale Shorts will present for the second time a selection of short films at FIRST International Film Festival, taking place from July 23 - 31 in Xining, Qinghai Province, China.

Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck, head of Berlinale Shorts, will personally present the short films to audiences, and will also serve on the jury for the festival’s “Award of Pioneering”. “I’m pleased about the active cultural exchange that takes place here thanks to the Berlinale Shorts film programmes, and I’m excited about the films to discover at FIRST International Film Festival,” she says.

Founded in 2006, the festival is an internationally recognised platform for up-and-coming film professionals, and facilitates exchange between film as an art form and an industry. It focuses on the discovery and support of young filmmakers in China.

The upcoming Berlinale Spotlight: Berlinale Shorts, curated by Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck, will present eight short films that premiered at one of the last two editions of the Berlinale.

Programme 1:

Les chenilles by Michelle Keserwany, Noel Keserwany, France, 30’
- Golden Bear for Best Short Film 2023 -
Jill, Uncredited by Anthony Ing, United Kingdom / Canada, 18’
A Kind of Testament by Stephen Vuillemin, France, 16’
Ours (Bear) by Morgane Frund, Switzerland, 19’

Programme 2:

La herida luminosa (Daydreaming So Vividly About Our Spanish Holidays) by Christian Avilés, Spain, 24’
Eeva by Morten Tšinakov, Lucija Mrzljak, Estonia / Croatia, 16’
Chhngai Dach Alai (Further and Further Away) by Polen Ly, Cambodia, 24’
Back by Yazan Rabee, Netherlands, 7’

Press Office
July 12, 2023