About us
Join BFC! Free seminars, members only events, free filmmaking gear rentals, 10% discounts on all workshops/seminars and a voice to shape us going forward! We'd love to have you!
https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/membership.php
Are you passionate about film making? Are you a professional looking for new opportunities and challenges? Are you a film lover curious how to get started? If you have experience behind or in front of the camera, or just starting up with dreams and aspirations - bring your talent and let's work together to make independent films. We are a group of passionate film creators focused on development, creativity and production of film in Berlin. We also offer help, film equipment, advice and all that goes into a film project.
The purpose of our community is to :
1. develop ideas for films, either narrative or documentary
2. build partnerships so that films can get shot and
3. building the team/crew and shoot the short film(s)
4. educate
4. If you already have an ongoing project and you need help/crew, this can be the group for you.
We want to stress is that we are not here to select or have opinions about what type of films you want to develop, it can be of any type or genre. The more diverse the better! But we do want to get started and shoot as soon as possible so that we get to start working together and learn more together.
Not all of us will work on all projects, you choose freely what project you want to get involved with and in what capacity. The community will support and assist all projects and facilitate planning and meetings and also create our own ideas together with you. And for those of you who don't have a massive experience already - this will be an excellent opportunity to get down and dirty and learn by doing :)
Upcoming events
7
- €299.00
Film Lighting Workshop: Hands-on Lighting
Space Meduza, Skalitzer Strasse 80, Berlin, al, DE***
Note: In order to attend you must register and pay at
https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/lighting
***
Level: Beginner.
The workshop is conducted in English and costs 299€.
Membership
Berlin Film Community members pay €269 - save €30 on this course.
Membership costs €30/year and includes 10% off all workshops plus member-only events.When you purchase this workshop, your first year membership is included in the price. To find out more info about the Berlin Film Community visit our website.
https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/***
Lighting transforms a flat, styleless image into one with depth, mood, and emotion. In this workshop, you'll learn the fundamentals of how light works and when to choose one approach over another — through doing, not just watching.
Working together as a class, we'll light several scenes in the same location using HMI, tungsten, and LED lights along with a range of light modifiers. You'll also have dedicated time to experiment, and I'll work with you directly to light a scene of your choosing.
With a class size capped at 12, you'll get real personal attention and enough time to develop confidence without feeling rushed. The course is designed to meet you where you are — whether you've never touched a light or have some experience already.
By the end, you'll have hands-on familiarity with lighting instruments, modifiers, interview setups, and adaptable techniques you can apply across a range of situations.This workshop will have a very limited class size of 12 people to ensure that everyone gets personal attention as well as to allow for a decent amount of time so that all participants can feel comfortable and not rushed. I have tailored this course to make it flexible enough to accommodate people with absolutely zero experience as well as for people who have done some lighting.
Lighting A Set
I will show you how I would light several different scenes, ranging from a pleasant conversation to a much more sinister thriller look, as well as a nighttime moody interior scene. I will show you how I would light for the wide shot and then the modifications I would do when going for a closeup.Lighting a Face
The most common subject that gets lit in films is, as you would expect, the human face. We will light several different looks and you will see how small changes in light angles or height can have massive impacts on how we perceive a character. I will also cover how to set up lighting for an interview set-up and the different looks that can give a face more depth. Below are some examples from the interview set-up from the last workshop.Lighting With Different Budget Levels
You will learn the tools used when working with a limited budget. You’ll be amazed at he lighting you can achieve using common items found in Ikea. We will of course also go over how to work with bigger lighting instruments and more power.Safety On Set
As rigging lights and handling them can be dangerous, I will go over how to handle hot lights, and how to keep from overloading circuits. Please bring a pair of workman’s gloves to be able to handle hot lights.As a group you will be handling the lighting equipment with me there to supervise and instruct. While you can’t learn everything you need to know about lighting in two days, by the end of the workshop you will have enough of an understanding to ask the right questions, learn through observation, and find like minded people with whom you can practice lighting.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the workshop, reach out to me at alex@berlinfilmcommunity.com.
Schedule:
Day 1:
Sat. Sept. 26th – 09:00 – 16:00The basics of how light works
Differences between hard and soft light
High key versus low key lighting
Lighting exteriors versus interiors, day versus night
Breaking scenes down to understand lighting choices
Different tools used in lighting and when and how to use them
Supervised lighting of two scenes with instruction as we light them
Q&ADay 2:
Sun. Sept. 27th – 09:00 – 16:00Breaking down more complicated scenes
Interview lighting set-ups
Analyzing and replicating scenes
Supervised free lighting
Q&AThe workshop is conducted in English.
No previous experience is required.
Please bring a pair of work gloves to handle hot lights.About the Workshop Leader
Alex DePew has spent 17 years in the film industry as a Cinematographer and Gaffer, working on projects ranging from no-budget shorts, music videos, art projects, to ad campaigns for brands like Volkswagen, Loro Piana, and Adidas. He got his start in New York City, his hometown, and has shot all over the world. After moving to Berlin he found his passion for teaching and has taught hundreds of students over the past 9 years. Alex guides you through lighting craft with clarity and enthusiasm, making complex concepts accessible to all.Alongside Klaus Salminen and Linda Paganelli, he co-leads the Berlin Film Community, now a registered e.V. and home to a community of roughly 17,000 filmmakers and film-lovers. Got questions about the workshop? Reach out at alex@berlinfilmcommunity.com.
2 attendees - €1,300.00
LIMEN — Art Residency, Sardinia
Location not specified yetTwo of BFC's association co-founders have launched LIMEN, a two-week art residency taking place October 4–17, 2026, at Casa M — a restored manor house in the medieval village of Siddi, Sardinia.
LIMEN offers filmmakers, artists, researchers, and writers real, uninterrupted time to develop a body of work, set against a landscape shaped by extraction, resistance, and deep relationships to land.
Alongside independent studio time, Linda leads group sessions rooted in regenerative practices, opening up memory — personal and collective — as material for the work itself, read through a political and queer lens.SPOTS: 8–9 participants
FEE: sliding-scale €1,100–1,600 (transport in Sardinia, full board, and studio space included)
Learn more here: https://limen.casa/index.html
Three spots are reserved for Berlin Film Community members (membership here: https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/membership.php)
Apply: https://limen.casa/apply.html
Applications close September 20, 2026.
Contact: linda@berlinfilmcommunity.com or info@limen.casa1 attendee - €25.00
Seminar: Memory, Resistance and Sensory Storytelling
·OnlineOnlineLevel Beginner - No previous experience required
Must be at least 15 years oldLanguage English
Cost €25.00
(BFC members pay €22 join BFC while enrolling)
Student Pensioners €17
Unemployed €12
Membership page https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/membership.phpLocationOnline
Contact linda@berlinfilmcommunity.com
Sign up here https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/course.php?slug=memory-resistance-and-sensory-storytelling-seminar
Trigger Warning: This seminar includes examples relating to WWII concentration camps in Croatia and Serbia, the Kosovo conflict, and genocide in Bosnia during the 1990s.
In this 2-hour seminar, we will explore how fieldwork and ethnographic research can be transformed into compelling visual stories. We will uncover hidden memories, contested histories, and acts of resistance that challenge mainstream narratives.
Through the power of filmmaking, this session will help you feel—not just understand—the complex layers of history, trauma, and transformation. Whether you are a filmmaker, artist, activist, anthropologist, historian, academic, or simply curious, this seminar invites you to discover the transformative potential of storytelling rooted in real-life collective memories.WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
- The essence of sensorial storytelling
- The diverse ways memories are used and represented
- How non-linear narration can deepen understanding
- Transforming field research into evocative visuals
- Examples from three concrete projects
- Navigating multiple truths and contested histories
- Avoiding extractivism toward a socially engaged work
- Developing a More-Than-Human perspective in filmmaking
Sign up here https://berlinfilmcommunity.com/course.php?slug=memory-resistance-and-sensory-storytelling-seminar
YOUR MENTOR
Linda Paganelli is an artist, anthropologist, and filmmaker who blends decolonial and queer*feminist perspectives with immersive visual storytelling. With over 13 years of experience collaborating with universities, museums, and cultural institutions, Linda draws on her extensive field research conducted in Afghanistan, Palestine/Israel, and the South West Balkans. She guides you through intimate, ethical, and inclusive filmmaking practices that honor memory, resistance, and more-than-human worlds.1 attendee
Past events
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