The 69th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg (Iffmh) promises to be an ambitious celebration of cinema despite its move online due to the ongoing pandemic, with new sections showcasing visionary and innovative works from around the globe as well as classic titles from yesteryear.

Sascha Keilholz, the fest’s new artistic and commercial director, and his team, including new head of program Frédéric Jaeger, had well thought out plans for this year’s edition that would have seen screenings in all theaters and multiplexes across the cities of Mannheim and Heidelberg before rising coronavirus cases in Germany led to a second lockdown in November.

“In this very peculiar year we have all had to change plans, adapt and improvise most of the time,” says Keilholz, who previously headed the Heimspiel Film Festival in Regensburg from 2009 to 2019. “One cannot rely on established structures, processes and reflexes. As a result, planning an event of this magnitude seems quite paradoxical.