One thing about Filmfest Hamburg I like is seeing “old friends” and meeting new people from all around Germany and beyond. Press/industry attendees spontaneously converse about the films, which ones to see/miss and tips, other festivals, et al. The autumnal golden weather, Abaton and the White Tent—sorely missed this year—have been especially conducive to such conversations. (MH)

I ventured out to Bergedorf during the Filmfest to see MY NEIGHBOR ADOLF. This was unexpected, as I booked the Hansa Filmstudio without realizing where it was. I am glad that I went, though! While I was waiting in line for popcorn a very nice young fellow struck up a conversation with the ticket salesman about the challenges movie theatres now face in Germany post-COVID-19 lockdowns. Since he was speaking English and asking a lot of questions, and since the ticket salesman was a little shy in the language, I wound up talking with them too. And it turns out, it was Leon Prudovsky, the director of the film. A Filmfest staffer soon came towards us very stressed and asked Prudovsky to finally enter the theatre, as everyone was waiting for him to come say hi before the film began! That was a fun moment! (DS)

 At first it was disorienting that the Abaton cinema was not the center of the film festival this year. I thought I would miss chatting with Ignazio (spinning his tales about his wealthy American relative who had tried to marry him off to his strapping daughter). The officials’ tent nearby was always a focal point to meet up, but do remember sitting uncomfortably through some presentations there, the wind and rain flapping the walls. The Metropolis was a pleasant alternative to the Abaton even though my iPhone was rendered useless in its depths. Healthwise it has a plus point: my steps app recorded 14 flights of stairs on September 30th. (PF)

My favorite part of film festivals are all of the random positive interactions that can happen, like attending THE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT to see the visual effects and finding myself randomly sitting next to the CEO of the new LED screen visual effect company in Hamburg and one of the graphic artists for the film. Another great moment was leading up to a screening of VIKING; the woman introducing the film had everyone in the audience in stitches laughing, including the director. It was such a great way to start a screening during the last day of the festival. (RF)

The film festival is a trip around the world, except that one sleeps in one’s own bed, and there is no need to pack a suitcase. This year I was in Germany, France, Angola, Kurdistan, the USA, Malaysia, Italy, India, Korea, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Romania. I went to Los Angeles with Jean, to Delhi with Nadeem and Saud, and to South America with Polsky. I went on a cruise with Alice and another cruise with Carl. (BT)

"What I enjoy most about the Filmfest is being able to see movies from all over the world –movies that might not otherwise ever reach a screen in Hamburg's cinemas. This year I saw smaller movies made in places from Morocco to South Korea, alongside major releases from the USA and the UK. It's always hit or miss whether a movie will be any good, but the experience of seeing different cultures and ideas on screen is always a win for me." (DPS)