'Crulic,' 'Baryshnikov' to play at Cottbus

MOSCOW -- The world's leading showcase of Eastern European film, Germany's Filmfestival Cottbus, has unveiled the lineup for its 21st edition. The festival, which runs Nov. 1-6 in the old Prussian town of Cottbus that until German reunification in October 1990 was in the Communist eastern part of the country, has an exclusive lineup of premieres for both its main competition programs. Ten features, including one international and nine German premieres, will compete for a cash prize worth Euro 20,000 ($27,500); there are also eight short features with one world, three international and four Germany premieres. The feature competition includes unusual Romanian-Polish coprod, "Crulic -- The Path to Beyond" by Anca Damian. Using animation techniques, the director tells the gruesome and tragic true story of a young Romanian imprisoned in Poland. Other features in the main competition are: "My Dad Baryshnikov" (dir: Dmitry Povo Povolotsky, Russia); "Identity Card" (dir: Ondrej Trojan, Czech-Slovakia); "My Name Is Ki" (dir: Leszek Dawid, Poland); "Sunny Days" (dir: Nariman Turebayev, Kazakhstan); "Salt White" (dir: Keti Machavariani, Georgia); "Gromozeka" (dir: Vladimir Kott, Russia); "Twilight Portrait" (dir: Angelina Nikonova, Russia); "Lynch" (dir: Krzysztof Lukaszewicz, Poland), and "The Enemy" (dir: Dejan Zecevic, Serbia, Montenegro). Founded in 1991 by East German cineastes concerned at the onslaught of Western, U.S.-influenced culture after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Cottbus has grown to become a major East-West industry meeting point. A vibrant two-day industry event, Connecting Cottbus, provides a venue for project pitching and deal-making between producers from across Europe's old divides. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com