Our PQF Event Calendar
There’s always something happening with us!
Here you can see all upcoming events at a glance.

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In a private Fishbowl discussion, we bring together key decision-makers from the industry to examine already implemented inclusion and diversity strategies. Together with experts from the field, best practices will be presented, DE&I tools discussed, and the goal will be to create a commitment for the future. Our aim is to learn from successful approaches and find innovative ways to achieve greater equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Our speakers:

• Yvonne Abele (Saxonia Media)
• Christine Hartmann (Studiozentral/ZDF Studios)
• Philipp Käßbohrer (bildundtonfabrik)
• Christoph Pellander (ARD DEGETO)

Our experts:

• Birgit Moldaschl – Film Institute Austria
• Dunkel & Richter – Attorneys
• Esther Gronenborn – Director & PQF Member
• Inga Becker – MOIN Film Promotion
• Joana Kohrs – DE&I Consultant

The event is supported by the Ministry for Family Affairs, the FFA, and Medienboard.

What is “Sponsor Networking”?

First off, it has nothing to do with money. The “Sponsor Networking” is based on a Harvard study, which shows that FLINTA* individuals and marginalized people benefit particularly when an intermediary actively recommends them. This intermediary, called the “Sponsor,” personally introduces you to their network, rather than you having to build a new contact on your own.

On-site process:

You begin the Sponsor Networking event with a mission: you should aim to find at least one person during the evening whom you’d like to specifically recommend or connect to within your network. You’ll find them by engaging in conversations with the other participants, exchanging ideas, and actively considering who you might be able to help. This flips the usual networking dynamic on its head: instead of the pressure of “selling yourself,” the focus is on helping others, which is super empowering and allows you to just be yourself. As a Sponsor, you can open doors—and others will open doors for you. Of course, all participants are on the same mission, making this format special.

Who is the Sponsor Networking for?

This event is aimed at FLINTA* individuals and marginalized groups who already have professional experience in the film industry and are looking to expand their networks and strengthen each other. That’s why we aim to bring together people at similar career levels so everyone can benefit equally. Absolute beginners or established superstars are not our focus—rather, we are targeting professionals in the middle. Our approach is intersectional and inclusive, welcoming people from all areas of the industry. ProQuote Film members were prioritized during registration.

The event is supported by the Ministry for Family Affairs, the FFA, Medienboard, MOIN Film Funding, Degeto, Filmmakers & Brlo.

Women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans*, and a-gender people (collectively referred to as FLINTA) remain strongly underrepresented in the film industry. Inclusion is not only a matter of justice but also a strategic necessity to foster diversity and creativity in film production. What concrete steps can the film industry take to ensure FLINTA have participation and access in all roles? What best practices already exist to combat discrimination in the industry? How can we break the glass ceiling and create an inclusive film culture for FLINTAs?

The panelists are:

• Margrit Staerk (SISTAR Filmpreis) Moderator: Letícia Milano (Büro für vielfältiges Erzählen/QMS)

• Brix Schaumburg (Queer Media Society = QMS)

• Dan Dansen (QMS)

• Joyce V Newrzella (QMS)

• Kerstin Polte (ProQuote Film/ QMS)

Hi BOSSI! is here to bring fresh energy to the film festival party! The first edition celebrates the most boss-like characters on the big screen – from Emilia Perez to Miranda Priestly.

This is not your ordinary after-party, but a space for feminists, queers, and rebels who live their power.

Look forward to:

• Iconic soundtracks: From Y2K pop to fresh hip-hop – with DJ legends like Lenki Balboa and Baerbelle.
• Drag King sensations: Papi Pistola and Buba Sababa take the stage.
• Red carpet glam: Walk in like a boss*!

Dress fabulous. Show us your inner diva!

Agenda:

Keynote: Status Quo, Help is Already Here
Actress Belinde Ruth Stieve (Expertstieve) will present, among other things, the guide and information portal of ProQuote Film, ffd – Family-Friendly Filming, as well as the offerings of Alles für die Filmfamilie.

Panel: Family-Friendly Filming – Therapy & Healing Chances
The film industry is suffering. Now more than ever, we must stop complaining about the symptoms and address the root causes. The diagnosis is clear. Therapeutic approaches exist. So, what’s next? We want to inspire the industry with success stories to take action, moving away from self-exploitation towards creative and family-friendly working practices.

With:

Tobias Koppe, Cinematographer/DoP
Laura Bull, Independent Producer
Moderation: Laura Schuhrk (ProQuote Film/FFD)

»This film is part of a process I started when I arrived in Belgium in 2007: to discover the African community from the inside, the other side of the medal, the other side of the European dream.«

– Rosine Mbakam (Director)

In Matongé, the African neighborhood of Brussels, the Cameroonian Sabine Amiyeme runs her hair salon “Jolie Coiffure.” It offers the latest hair trends, gossip, and practical life advice, serving as a microcosm of the African diaspora. Like most of her clients, Sabine does not have valid papers, and every police raid threatens her existence. Nevertheless, at “Jolie Coiffure,” Sabine creates a space of familiarity and solidarity for the community every day.

Sabine Amiyeme, the protagonist of the documentary film Chez Jolie Coiffure by Rosine Mbakam, has lived and worked in Brussels for 13 years, building a life, network, and business after a long and traumatic migrant journey. However, she has been unable to obtain permanent residency. On October 2, 2024, she was arrested in Liège, and she now faces imminent deportation to Cameroon. During her most recent hearing on January 8, 2025, her appeal against the deportation order was once again denied. Her expulsion is a devastating blow not only to her but also to her employees and community, who have launched a petition in her support.

As filmmakers, we want to support Sabine Amiyeme by screening the film Chez Jolie Coiffure together in Berlin. The proceeds from ticket sales and donations at the solidarity screening will go toward supporting Sabine Amiyeme.

This solidarity initiative is a cooperation between SINEMA TRANSTOPIA, Frauenfilmfest Dortmund Köln, AFRIKAMERA – Current Cinema from Africa (toucouleur e.V.), and ProQuote Film e.V.

As our first screening this year, we present Die bleierne Zeit by Margarethe von Trotta.

Von Trotta draws on the biographies of Gudrun and Christiane Ensslin to create this family tragedy, using it to explore political themes in 20th-century Germany like few others.

Followed by a film discussion.

Synopsis

Marianne and Juliane are sisters. Born during the war and raised in the “leaden years” of the 1950s, they both fight for social change during the 1968 movement.

However, their paths diverge so drastically that they become adversaries:

Marianne joins an underground resistance group.

Juliane works as an editor for a feminist magazine.