Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival 2018

The Lift-Off Film Festival returns to Berlin this February to celebrate the best that the independent film community in Germany and the rest of the world has to offer. The Lift-Off Global Network is committed to promoting global indie film, connecting filmmakers from all around the world, and nurturing the creative talent of our ever-growing community.

The first of their annual eleven-city-wide global cycle of festivals, Berlin Lift-Off will be held at the Union Filmtheater, a vibrant hub of German indie cinema and culture.

Audiences will be treated to an incredibly broad range of films from equally diverse filmmakers, each presenting stories and perspectives unique to their own experiences. From carefully constructed features, perspective-shifting documentaries, and award-winning short films, there really is something for everyone.

As well as enjoying the films, the audience plays an integral role in Lift-Off festivals. Their responses to each film are collected via feedback cards, which are then sent to the filmmakers. These tangible and genuine audience reactions to their films are invaluable in developing the filmmakers’ creative process.

The festival culminates with a Local Filmmakers Showcase and Networking Party on Friday 9th February, where attendees and filmmakers can rub shoulders and maybe even find the perfect collaborators for their next project!

The Line-Up

These eclectic stories explore many facets of human identity. Whether heartwarming, thought provoking, action-packed or introspective, these films all have one thing in common: the brilliance of the creatives whose hard work we are celebrating. Here are some of the highlights:

German feature Die Tochter - The Dark Blue Girl (dir. Mascha Schilinski) will screen on Friday 9th at 6:45pm. This dramatic heartwrencher tells the story of ex-couple Jimmy and Hannah, who compete for the love of their daughter Luca when the family is forced together after they finally find a buyer for their holiday home.

Mausoleum (dir. Lauri Randla) is a dark satire of the pathologist Aleksei Abrikosov who embalmed Lenin’s body and in theory managed to overcome death… This hilarious and thought-provoking film will screen as part of the Shorts Programme 1 on Wednesday 7th at 8:45 pm.

The star of our Lift-Off Season Awards 2017, 8-time nominated and winner of Best Director and Best Actor, The Peculiar Abilities of Mr Mahler (dir. Paul Philipp) will screen as part of the Local Filmmakers Showcase on Friday 9th at 8:45pm. “East Germany, 1987: The special investigator Mahler is said to have paranormal abilities. The police assigns him to solve the case of the 6-year-old Henry Kiefer, who is missing for weeks now, before this issue leads to political tensions with the West. But then he brings something to light that makes this family tragedy especially political…”

The festival includes two Shorts Programmes and three Features, culminating with a Local Filmmakers Showcase and Networking Party on February 9th.

To see the full line-up and watch the trailers, visit:

http://www.lift-off-festivals.com/berlin-lift-off-film-festival-2018/