The screens we look at hold the projections of our imaginations and our realities. As they are mounted, narratives are forced through filters of content and algorithms, producing dissociated images of the world. This year's film programme challenges the new realities proposed by content, questioning how censorship, propaganda, and sticky narratives limit the political possibilities of screens. Throughout the festival, the programme explores the mutability of aspirations, ideologies, and demands within the logic of content production. Conscious of the conditions for content creation, the filmmakers operate within these parameters: to risk going viral, co-option by a Silicon Valley firm, or turning into conspiracy or propaganda. Still, in their making, the films can uncover who benefits – and who is silenced – in today's media landscape.

Together, the films play with our intimate attachment to content, and they show us how the design of engagement – from participation to zoning out – can shape, distort, and otherwise construct our perception of both personal and global politics. The programme includes a selection of short films and feature film screenings, featuring a world premiere, several German and European premieres, and conversations with international filmmakers.