25th Women’s Worlds Film Festival Impressions

The 25th Women’s Worlds Film Festival has come to a successful close, and we look back with pride on a moving and inspiring anniversary edition. The festival week was marked by intense discourse, intercultural exchange, and powerful cinematic messages. With 3,250 visitors and many sold-out screenings, we were able to send a strong signal for women’s rights and the visibility of women and girls worldwide.

In addition to a diverse film program with 13 Berlin and 6 German premieres, the warm-up with GIRLS & GODS and Femen activist Inna Shevchenko, as well as the panel events on social impact filming and cinema against forgetting – Afghanistan in focus – provided sustainable impetus and in-depth discussions. A particularly moving moment was the standing ovation at the panel for Manizha Bakhtari, Afghanistan’s last ambassador to Vienna.

Other cinematic highlights included the Berlin premieres of BILLIE, KICKOFF, and GIRLS DON’T CRY, as well as the German premiere of IMPURE. The Sunday matinee in honor of Christa Stolle, with a surprise performance by Côr Lumina and the retrospective film THE DAY I BECAME WOMAN, made for a particularly emotional morning. The anniversary exhibition also captivated several hundred visitors, and the women’s tours through Prenzlauer Berg met with great interest.

We were particularly delighted to welcome 23 guests who enriched the festival with their expertise and personal insights in 19 film discussions. Their contributions provided the audience with valuable background information, deepened their understanding of the film themes, and stimulated lively discussions.