Film- und Medienstiftung NRW to Have a Strong Presence at the IFFF Dortmund+Cologne 2026
Female Filmmakers from NRW Who Have Received Funding Shape the Festival Program
The Film and Media Foundation NRW will be represented in the program of the 43rd International Women’s Film Festival Dortmund+Cologne 2026 with numerous films it has funded. In addition , this year’s edition of the IFFFFwill again receive extensive support from the Film Foundation. From April 22 to 26, 2026, the IFFF in Cologne will feature over 90 films, as well as discussions, workshops, performances, the Long Film Night, and an awards ceremony.
Among the funded productions in this year’s festival program are“Eine Krankheit wie ein Gedicht” by Jelena Ilić, “So ist das Leben und nicht anders” by Lenia Friedrich, “Sirens Call” by Miri Ian Gossing and Lina Sieckmann, “Halima – A Guide to Being Strong” with outstanding cinematography by Sophie Krabbe, “Do You Love Me” by Lana Daher, “No Good Men” by Shahrbanoo Sadat, and “Sechswochenamt” by Jacqueline Jansen.
Special attention is being given this year to Lenia Friedrich, who is being honored as part of SHOOT – KHM & IFFF Dortmund+Cologne for her documentary animated film “That’s Life, and Nothing Else.” The Young Talent Award, worth 1,000 euros, will be presented for the seventh time in 2026. The film was also selected for the 73rd San Sebastián International Film Festival, where it was presented in the “Nest” section in 2025.
Jelena Ilić is featured in the “Spot on, NRW!” series with “Eine Krankheit wie ein Gedicht” (A Disease Like a Poem). Her debut documentary, which celebrated its world premiere at the Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival earlier this year and won the Audience Award for Documentary, tells a personal and artistically unconventional story of illness, family, and the attempt to process biographical ruptures through images and art.
Shahrbanoo Sadat is featured in the “Specials” section with “No Good Men, ” the opening film of this year’s Berlinale . The film is described as an autobiographically grounded work that is both romantic and dramatic, deliberately breaking with clichés about Afghanistan and Afghan cinema. The project received the Baumi Script Development Award in 2019, an initiative of Pandora Film, the Baumgartner family, and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.
Cologne-based filmmakers Miri Ian Gossing and Lina Sieckmann are featured in the Specials sectionwith “Sirens Call.” “ Sirens Call” premiered at the Berlinale in 2025. With their long-standing collaboration and initiatives such as the Schalten undWalten art space and the Blonde CobraFestival , the duo exemplifies an internationally visible film scene from North Rhine-Westphalia.
Also in the program is “Do You Love Me” by Lana Daher in the Panorama section . Using found footage and archival material, the film crafts a multi-layered, non-linear portrait of Lebanon and opens up new perspectives on collective memory and film history.
“Sechswochenamt” by Jacqueline Jansen is screening in the International FeatureFilm Competition. The competition, with a prize fund of 10,000 euros, brings together feature-length debuts and second feature films from the past two years. Jansen’s film explores grief, family, and everyday life in the Lower Rhine region and has already received an award at the 2025 Munich Film Festival.
Another highlight is “Halima – A Guide to Being Strong” in the Female Gaze competition , which focuses on filmmaking by women. The jury awarded Sophie Krabbe an honorable mention and particularly praised her work as a space for encounter, empathy, and responsibility.