On 3 November, the Cottbus Film Festival 2026 will open with the feature film “Escape Net” (original title: Tīklā. TTT leģendas dzimšana, Latvia 2025) by Dzintars Dreibergs. It tells the story of the basketball player and coach Dzidra Uztupe, who won several European and Soviet championships with her club TTT Riga in the post-war Soviet era, whilst at the same time being suspected of being unreliable by the KGB – and placed under surveillance – because of her brother, who was living in exile. The film forms part of this year’s festival’s focus on Latvia.
In addition to the feature film and short film competitions, the 2026 festival has established a further competition section, GenNext, for films by young directors. There are also sections such as ‘Spectrum’, focusing on current social issues, and ‘Don’t Call Me Vintage’, marking the 100th anniversary of Andrzej Wajda’s birth. At the ‘Ecumenical Evening’ in St Nicholas’ Church, the Croatian short film “Shallow Ground” (Rahlo) by Jozo Schmuch will be screened and the Ecumenical Jury introduced.