GoEast, styled goEast, is an international film festival which has been held annually in the Hessian state capital of Wiesbaden, Germany, since its inception in 2001. The festival is primarily for films with an Eastern European background, and is held by the Deutsches Filminstitut (German Film Institute) for one week every April.
The goEast film festival, launched in 2001, was founded by Claudia Dillmann, the Director of the German Film Institute – DIF. Likewise involved in developing the original festival concept was Swetlana Sikora, who has remained the festival's Artist Director until 2010. "The time has come to open ourselves to the thoughts, images, myths and stories of our Eastern neighbours. To their culture. To their films.", wrote Claudia Dillmann in her foreword to the first festival catalogue.[citation needed]
From the beginning, the state capital Wiesbaden and the state government of Hesse has given substantial support to the festival, as it made its home in the Caligari cinemas. Hilmar Hoffmann became patron of the festival.[citation needed]
In late summer 2010 Gaby Babic took over the post of Festival Director, and for the first time a combined role as Artistic Director as well. After Claudia Dillmann, Christine Kopf and Nadja Rademacher she is the fourth front woman of goEast.[citation needed]
The 2021 festival took place in April, mainly online, as well as in the cities of Frankfurt, Darmstadt and Giessen.[1]
Directors and stars who have been guests at the festival includes Krzysztof Zanussi, Jiří Menzel, István Szabó, Hanna Schygulla, Béla Tarr, Jerzy Stuhr, Kira Muratova, Otar Iosseliani, Maria Schrader, Joachim Król, Sergei Loznitsa, Bohdan Sláma, Cristi Puiu and many more.[citation needed]
Ten feature films and six documentaries are nominated for the goEast Competition. Eligibility is restricted to productions completed within the past two years in the applicable countries; in addition, since 2008 documentaries made in Germany or Israel may be nominated if they possess clear thematic relevance to Central and Eastern Europe.[citation needed]
The annual goeast symposiUm invites (film) scholars, historians and specialists to examine socially relevant topics within the context of historical artistic developments. This section is built around interdisciplinary debate encompassing a range of aesthetic and theoretical perspectives, and is accompanied by a separately curated series of films. All lectures, discussions and screenings are open to the general public.[citation needed]
The goeast Students' Competition presents work by young filmmakers from East and West. The BHF-BANK Foundation finances three audience prizes worth 1,000 EUR respectively as well as an adjudicated supporting prize (1,500 EUR) for the best short film from an Eastern European film school. Since 2007, goEast has hosted the presentation of the Co-Production award of the Robert Bosch Stiftung, which offers support to three projects involving the cooperation of young filmmakers from Eastern and Southeastern Europe as well as from Germany. Awarded in cooperation with ARTE, a grant of up to 70,000 EUR goes to one outstanding project proposal in each of the three categories Documentary, Animation, and Short Film. With a week-long programme geared towards exchange of experience and provision of support for joint proposals, the annual Project Market fosters networking among young filmmakers from Eastern Europe and Germany. The workshops and discussions held during the goeast Young Professionals programme allow upcoming filmmakers to profit from the experience of renowned commissioning editors, producers and directors.[citation needed]
Dedicated to Otar Iosseliani, Kira Muratova or Sergei Parajanov one year, to Jan Svěrák, Benedek Fliegauf or Fatmir Koci the next – this alternating festival slot pays tribute to the achievements of established masters or highlights the inspiring careers of contemporary filmmakers or actors.[citation needed]
Beyond Belonging is open to productions from countries outside Central and Eastern Europe but bearing a clear relation to the region.
This section presents hand-picked highlights of Central and Eastern European mainstream cinema.
Special events include film archives, school film days, concerts and closing parties.
An international jury chooses the recipients of the Škoda Prize (10,000 EUR) – the “Golden Lily” – for Best Film, the "Remembrance and Future" documentary prize (10,000 EUR), the prize for Best Director (7,500 EUR) from the City of Wiesbaden, and the prize (2,000 EUR) from the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. A jury dispatched by FIPRESCI awards the International Film Critics' Prize.[citation needed]