In 2024, Potsdam will celebrate the five-year anniversary of its membership in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Since October 30, 2019, the capital of Brandenburg has been Germany's first UNESCO CREATIVE CITY OF FILM. This title is thanks to Potsdam's rich film history. After the first screenings around 1900, the establishment of the first film studios in 1911 marked the beginning of a film production legacy that continues to this day in Potsdam. Over more than 112 years, numerous nationally and internationally acclaimed films have been produced in the Babelsberg film studios and through countless shoots throughout the city. Film is a strong and sustainable economic and image factor for Potsdam.
In July 2024, the ceremonial launch of the Boulevard des Films took place on Brandenburger Straße. The number of granite plaques honoring films "made in Potsdam" is increasing. With the Boulevard des Films, guided tours of film locations in Potsdam, a free exhibition at the VHS Potsdam, and the new "Film Tram" – a streetcar designed in the style of UNESCO CITY OF FILM POTSDAM, which will be operating throughout the city starting in October 2024 – the visibility of the film theme in Potsdam is growing.
Potsdam is a film city for everyone, which is why the state capital and UNESCO CITY OF FILM Potsdam invite you to a anniversary event at the Filmmuseum Potsdam on October 29, 2024. The event will feature a film city discussion with guests on stage, providing insights into the topic of film in Potsdam (moderated by Dr. Sigrid Sommer, City of Potsdam). The silent film DER TOTENTANZ (1912), the first film production from Potsdam, will be screened with live accompaniment by the Welte cinema organ. Additionally, the recently awarded short film KRUSTE, which received the Student Academy Award, will be shown on the big screen in the presence of team members. Following the screenings, there will be an opportunity for exchange and celebration in the foyer of the Filmmuseum.
In November and December 2024, the state capital and UNESCO CITY OF FILM Potsdam will host free screenings of children's and fairy tale films from the Boulevard des Films at the cinema of the Filmmuseum Potsdam. Classics such as "EMIL UND DIE DETEKTIVE" and "DIE GESCHICHTE VOM KLEINEN MUCK" will be featured, along with "DIE ABENTEUER DES PRINZEN ACHMED." This film, created in 1926 by the animator Lotte Reiniger, who lived in Potsdam at the time, is a masterfully crafted silhouette film and is considered the first surviving feature-length animated film in film history.
With the title of UNESCO CREATIVE CITY OF FILM, Potsdam is increasingly attracting a younger and international audience. In the global competition for productions, creative talents, and film tourists, Potsdam's positioning as a UNESCO CREATIVE CITY OF FILM is a significant advantage. Film is a unique selling point for Potsdam.
