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Mariola Marczak, member of the Ecumenical Jury, analyses the prominent issues and aesthetic patterns of the festival programme.

A hallmark of this year’s Locarno Festival, aside from the tropical weather, was the high proportion of films in the competition featuring female protagonists. The Festival’s charismatic artistic director, Carlo Chatrian, acknowledged in a private conversation with our Ecumenical Jury that this was more the result of serendipity than design, but it nonetheless reflected trends in international cinema. During the 12 days of this cinematic feast, gripping portraits of women appeared on the screen, from coming-of-age to end-of-life stories.

Hans Hodel, INTERFILM's jury coordinator since 1989 and President from 2004 to 2013, was honoured with a celebration in Switzerland for his many years of extensive involvement in INTERFILM.

The 53rd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) was special in many ways: it revealed yet again its significance and importance for film culture, and its relevance in the world today.

Member of the Ecumenical Jury in Cannes 2018 Robert K. Johnston analyzes the church film award winners of the festival, and identifies the focus on the marginalized as central issue of many festival films.

The film "Maman Colonelle", directed by Dieudo Hamadi, has received the SIGNIS-WACC Human Rights Award 2017. A feature-length documentary, it highlights the courage of one person to fight against sexual abuse in a war-torn country which is the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At the 35th BUFF Malmö, the Church of Sweden Jury has awarded its prizes.

Germany's divided past and present refugee problems are film topics Jeffrey Mahan reflects in his report about this year's Berlin International Film Festival.

The documentary "Vyrittäjä" (Entrepreneur) by Finnish director Virpi Suuitari wins the Church Media Foundation Film Prize at the Tampere Film Festival 2018.