Festival director Malika Rabahallah has launched numerous initiatives to attract new audiences to Filmfest Hamburg (25 September-4 October). For her, it’s important to present films that inspire hope and offer ways out of the crisis. Her approach is to make the gathering more vibrant and international, with a strong focus on networking opportunities for the industry, as she explains in this interview.

Cineuropa: This year marks your second edition as festival director. What experiences did you take away from your first edition? What are the main points you’d like to highlight?
Malika Rabahallah: In my first year, I wanted to get to know the team, to understand the workflows and to connect with the Hamburg audience. The festival is built on two pillars, and since the public festival is one of them, we introduced 3 October as a free-admission day. This gives people who might otherwise not be able to experience the cinema the chance to do so. We also established partnerships with many local organisations. This includes a cinema screening with coffee and cake exclusively for senior citizens, which is not even listed in the official programme.

This year, we are focusing on expanding our industry section. It is important that we continue involving cinemas across the city and building more bridges with filmmakers. Thanks to events like European Work in Progress (EWIP) and the International Film Distribution Summit (IFDS), we have significantly more international guests this time around. In addition to the producers attending the Explorer Konferenz, distributors and international sales agents are also here for the Filmfest Hamburg Industry Days, so we attract almost all parts of the industry.

The programme includes 118 features from 55 countries. What themes emerge from the movies?
These 118 films reflect a wide range of people and languages, which is mirrored in the diversity of their themes. Three such themes stand out: resistance, humour and solidarity. Our opening film, Lovely Day by Philippe Falardeau, is about a man grappling with pre-wedding anxiety, told in a very humorous way. I felt it was important to open the festival with a film that inspires hope and love for cinema. A special highlight is the Douglas Sirk Award, which we are presenting to Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Their latest film, Young Mothers [+lee también:
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What highlights and special discoveries will there be at Filmfest Hamburg?
A personal highlight is our Filmmakers in Focus section: Julia Ducournau and Kleber Mendonça Filho are coming to Hamburg. She won the Palme d'Or for Titane [+lee también:
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A new addition is our Deep Dive format. Film is a team effort, and we aim to shine a light on the different crafts behind the scenes. This year, we’ll focus on sound, which plays such a vital role in filmmaking. Academy Award-winning sound designer Sylvain Bellemare will lead a master class at the new Dolby Cinema Kinopolis. There are also some exciting new voices from the USA to discover: Sorry Baby by Eva Victor and East of Wall – The New West by Kate Beecroft are powerful films by women. I am especially proud to present Cotton Queen [+lee también:
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The world is in turmoil, with wars, crises and social upheaval: how political is Filmfest Hamburg?
I believe a film festival is always political because the moment you show the world, you show what isn’t working in it. Right now, there is a lot going on, and filmmakers are responding to it. Issues like identity, the climate crisis and migration are all reflected in our programme. But we also remain optimistic: it’s important to present movies that give us hope and show that it makes sense to keep fighting for community, solidarity and democracy... We need to portray societies where things work and where people treat each other well to counterbalance the political forces that aim to divide us. We won’t always agree with everything, and that’s okay. But in cinema, we can still laugh and cry together.

What kind of impact is the expanded industry section having on Filmfest Hamburg?
It brings new energy and more international visibility to the festival. The focus will be on exchange and networking, giving people the chance to connect, and maybe even launch new projects. Supporting emerging talent is a central focus of our Filmfest Hamburg Industry Days. We’ve expanded our #Atelier programme for young filmmakers in collaboration with the Cannes Critics’ Week: this year’s participants are the nominees for the First Steps Awards, the crème de la crème of new German-speaking voices. They will meet two directors whose debut films premiered in the Critics’ Week and will gain insights from a member of its selection committee into what festivals are really looking for. This creates a unique space where Germany’s most promising newcomers connect with outstanding international debut filmmakers.