goEast sees itself as a builder of bridges on many levels. Hand-picked programmes connect the various topics: from current cinematic positions to historical rarities, from experimental to art-house and mainstream, all made in Central and Eastern Europe. The festival sees its work always within the context of refined debates on film aesthetics, socio-political and film-theoretical topics. goEast has the function of a dialogue forum between East and West, but also as a protagonist and disseminator for creative interaction, all of which can be seen in panels and workshops, lectures and film discussions and in the cooperation with other cultural and societal institutions. Particularly the up-and-coming generation within the industry shall profit from goEast. Numerous possibilities for networking, exchange and training are offered within the scope of the EAST-WEST TALENT LAB and other programms for young talents.
Festival History
The goEast film festival, launched in 2001 after a two-and-a-half year preparatory phase, was founded by Claudia Dillmann, the Director of the German Film Institute – DIF. She wrote in her foreword to the first festival catalogue “The time has come to open ourselves to the thoughts, images, myths and stories of our Eastern neighbours. To their culture. To their films”. Likewise involved in developing the original festival concept was Swetlana Sikora, who has remained the festival’s Artist Director until 2010.
From the outset, the state capital Wiesbaden and the Hessian state government showed considerable interest in goEast, and underscored this engagement with substantial support. And it was in Wiesbaden, a city maintaining rich historical ties with Eastern Europe, that the festival found a home in the Caligari FilmBühne, one of Germany’s finest cinemas. Hilmar Hoffmann accepted the patronage of the festival, which very quickly established its profile within the festival landscape.
In autumn 2017 Heleen Gerritsen took over the post of Festival Director. After Claudia Dillmann, Christine Kopf, Nadja Rademacher and Gaby Babic she is the fifth front woman of goEast.
Since 2016 the patron of the festival is Bernd Neumann.
Get in touch
Want more information about the festival or would you like to buy tickets? Visit the official website.