NEISSE NYSA NISA FILM FESTIVAL (NFF)

At the centre of the programme are three competitions presenting current feature films, documentaries and short films from Germany, Poland and Czechia. Independent trinational juries recognise outstanding films and achievements in directing, acting, screenwriting and production design. Further awards are presented by a trinational Young Jury and by festival audiences. Cash awards total €27,500, including a special NEISSE FISH for a film that engages in an exceptional way with cultural or ethnic differences, neighbouring societies, cross-border commonalities, dialogue and mutual understanding.

Beyond the competitions, NFF offers a diverse programme ranging from the annually changing Fokus section and cinema from Central and Eastern Europe to films rooted directly in the tri-border region. Further sections explore artistically ambitious genre cinema, popular films with broad audience appeal, work for children and young people, midnight discoveries and films from different periods and countries presented on 35 mm or 70 mm during the Panorama Weekend at Centrum Panorama in Varnsdorf.

Screenings are accompanied by film talks, discussions, concerts, readings, exhibitions, workshops, professional exchange, socio-political events and parties developed with partners across all three countries. The most recent edition presented more than 100 films in around 160 screenings and events at venues in over a dozen towns and cities, attracting more than 6,000 visitors. Officially invited representatives of selected films receive complimentary festival accreditation, and directors and other key creatives are encouraged to take part in film discussions and the awards ceremony.

The festival's NEISSE FISH trophies capture the idea at the heart of NFF: like fish moving freely through the Neisse River, stories, perspectives and people should be able to cross the borders that separate them. NFF offers filmmakers an interested and engaged audience, enriching encounters and a unique international platform, far removed from the anonymity of the metropolitan festival circuit.

The NFF offers filmmakers an interested and engaged audience, enriching encounters and a unique international platform, far removed from the anonymity of the metropolitan festival circuit. Here, you have the opportunity to connect with international industry experts without any major barriers at an internationally acclaimed festival with a very personal atmosphere.