For the first time, the 33 Filmfest Dresden took place in summer from 13 to 18 July 2021 - again with a corona-related postponement from April. A total of 368 films from the competitions and special programmes were shown in the familiar Dresden venues in compliance with hygiene regulations. Of the total of about 12,400 festival visitors, about 2,000 people used the digital transmissions of selected events of the special programmes (etc. - events.trainings.connections), which were offered again. Festival directors Sylke Gottlebe and Anne Gaschütz and their team welcomed around 390 professional visitors and filmmakers to Dresden.

The entries from the International and National Competition as well as the Regional Competition (Regional Film Night) competed for a total of nine "Golden Horsemen" and seven special prizes. With two new awards, the prize money was increased this year to a total of 70,500 euros. For the first time, the Saxon State Agency for Civic Education awarded the "fully political" prize worth 3,000 euros. The second new award was the Dresden Short Film Award of the Association of German Film Critics (un-endowed).

The most successful events at the 33 Filmfest Dresden included various programmes screened open air at the Film Nights at the Banks of the Elbe, such as the Short Film Night, as well as the 10^th Regional Film Night. Likewise, high audience numbers were recorded at the "Focus Québec" (15th anniversary), "Discourse Europe: Focus United Kingdom" and the Retrospective: Female Directors from the GDR. As in the previous years, the ever-popular "Seriously! WTF?" programme in the Thalia cinema was a complete sell-out yet again. High guest numbers were also recorded at the "Non-Conform"exhibition opening in Galerie Raskolnikow, at the "Regional Focus: Here and There" screenings in the Clubkino im Lingnerschloss cinema as well as in the Kids- and Youth Programmes.

• Period: 13 - 18 July 2021
  
• Number of visitors: around 12,500, including over 390 professionals and over 2,000 visitors via live streams
• 368 films from 64 countries
• Competitions: 6 International and 5 National Programmes, 1 Regional Programme
• Prize money: € 70,500
• 211 events
• 17 venues

Find all the winners of 2021 here.