FilmFestival Cottbus 2026 to Spotlight Latvian and Montenegrin Cinema

Fourteen Latvian films and a Montenegrin program of three feature films and five short films will screen at the 36th FilmFestival Cottbus from November 3 to 8, 2026. The festival continues its geographic focus on the Baltic States following Estonia in 2025, centering this year’s regional spotlight on Latvia under the banner Close-Up: Latvia, while dedicating a separate showcase to Montenegro titled View from the Black Mountain: Montenegro Special.

Latvian Cinema Explores History and Crime Across Generations

The Latvian program examines both historical trauma and contemporary crime narratives across a mix of formats. The selection highlights the enduring legacy of Soviet history given the nation’s borders with Russia and Belarus, alongside fresh urgency prompted by regional conflicts. Notable titles include Escape Net, which follows basketball player Dzidra Uztupe under KGB surveillance in Soviet-era Riga, and Ulya, detailing athlete Uljana Semjonova’s rise from an isolated Old Believer community. Additional screenings feature the 1990s police drama Red Code Blue, the village murder thriller The Bog, Gints Zilbalodis’s Oscar-winning dialog-free animated feature Flow, and Laila Pakalniņa’s Cat on My Mind.

Montenegrin Independence and Competition Selections

Marking 20 years since Montenegro gained independence, the View from the Black Mountain program introduces three feature films and five short films representing a newly professionalized national cinema. Among them, To Hold a Mountain depicts a mother and daughter defending their alpine home from a military training ground, while Supermarket follows an unhoused man who secretly takes up residence inside a massive retail store. Furthermore, Montenegro secured a spot in the festival’s Feature Film Competition with Black Trumpet (Crna truba), directed by Bojan Stijović, produced by Montenegro’s Cut-Up d.o.o., and coproduced by Serbia’s Pelicula Production.

Wajda Retrospective and Festival Accreditation Deadlines

Alongside its regional spotlights, the festival will mark what would have been the 100th birthday of Andrzej Wajda through a four-film retrospective titled Don’t Call Me Vintage! featuring Ashes and Diamonds, Innocent Sorcerers, Landscape After the Battle, and The Promised Land. Industry accreditation for the festival is open through November 1, 2026, at a regular fee of €55, rising to €75 for late applications, with the complete festival schedule slated for publication on October 15, 2026.