The Social Life of Film

The third edition of The Social Life of Film takes place from 20–23 November 2025 in Berlin. Hosted by anorak (Lukas Ludwig, Johanna Markert), carrick bell (Xanadu), and Kristofer Woods in collaboration with Aktionshaus, the congress will centre on alternative structures of support.

The Social Life of Film is an annual congress which brings together independent screening initiatives to further the communal potential of the moving image. While different in their approaches, the initiatives generally share two values: A desire to facilitate moving image practices typically excluded from commercial platforms and state funded institutions; and a belief that the community and conversation surrounding a screening can be as important as the film itself.

With the German cultural capital as a backdrop, this edition of The Social Life of Film turns its attention to interdependency and self-organised forms of solidarity. Over the course of the past two years, during which the German government has demonstrated its willingness to engage in the violent suppression of speech and cultural activity in solidarity with Palestine, the notion of the state as a neutral supporter of culture (anyway already a myth) has to be rejected. But similarly, the model of dependence on philanthropy, or commercial success as alternatives prove their dangers.

We start from the premise that all we have is us, and invite participants to come together to practically explore what that means—with the aim to develop The Social Life of Film itself into a more sustainable source of mutual support.

The Social Life of Film unfolds over four days through workshops and discussions for invited participants, alongside public screenings and conversations. More information on the programme and registration coming soon.

The Social Life of Film was initiated in 2023 by PRISMS and Terrassen and took place in Copenhagen. Its second iteration was hosted by Monokino in Ostend in 2024.