While last year the drastic cost-cutting measures of a number of municipalities also reached the film festival sector, it is now also the metropolitan areas, including the city states, whose in part massive savings are jeopardizing the existence of a large number of film festivals. In Berlin, film festivals such as the Berlinale as well as the film festival platform SinemaTranstopia and thus a number of film festivals that strive to give space to underrepresented groups and, above all, to provide insights beyond the one-dimensional and superficial representations are affected due to savings of initially planned 150 million euros. This includes festivals such as the un.thai.tled of the Collective of Thai creatives in Berlin, the ALFILM – Arab Film Festival Berlin, the Kurdish Film Festival Berlin or the Soura Film Festival queer film festival that sheds light on cinematic talents from the SWANA (South West Asia & North Africa) region.
