Down Under Berlin - Australian Film Festival

The Down Under Berlin film festival has been a vital hub for enthusiasts of Australian and New Zealand cinema and culture for five years now. Ranging from independent productions to blockbusters, from experimental student films to inspiring documentaries - diversity is the most important part of our program. See for yourself: Our 5th anniversary edition will be held 16-20 September 2015 at Moviemento Kino in Berlin. The festival’s Down Under focus is still an exception in Europe and absolutely unique in Germany. Last but not least: We treat our audiences like good mates: We let them decide who takes away the title for best film.

Just like our program, our audiences are pretty diverse. Down Under Berlin is a meeting point for a wild array of people, including:

• Cinephiles and people who love Australian and New Zealand films for their poetic visual storytelling
• Individuals feeling wanderlust or simply wanting a short break from the daily grind
• But also people who appreciate Australia and New Zealand for more than just their beach culture and laid back lifestyle and who are curious to find out more about this remarkable melting pot of the Southern Hemisphere
• Folks who appreciate our relaxed festival atmosphere and side events
• film enthusiasts who interested in authentic and bold filmmaking and who are keen to meet the next generation of filmmakers from Down Under

In short, our festival caters to YOU and everybody who is interested in film and culture from Australia and New Zealand and excited by the idea of exploring little gems and fresh ideas.

Our festival started as a simple idea among friends. Over time our aspirations have grown, and so have the production costs. To put together an exciting and relevant program that's truly reflective of Down Under cinema we need to acquire bigger funds. This year we want to give Berlin a better Down Under Berlin than ever before.

Your support is needed! With your help we can continue to contribute to Berlin's movie culture by bringing poetic, visually stunning images, a distinct quirkiness, dark humor and authentic storytelling, which in their combination are unique to Australian and New Zealand cinema, to a screen near you. Down Under Berlin is so important since only few films from Down Under actually get a European release.

With your support we can realise the following ideas:

• Show films we couldn't afford otherwise (includes screening fees and transport)
• Become more visible throughout the city through poster advertisements and other marketing activities
• Compensate our live artists with an appropriate salary and cover GEMA fees for our concerts during the festival
• A festival party for you with filmmakers, musicians and the festival team as a big thankyou
• Give you the chance to meet filmmakers and have them introduce their work by covering parts of their traveling expenses

To put it in a nutshell: We want to use the budget to create an amazing 5th festival edition for all of us.