Film fans flock to Mannheim

Germany's second largest film festival is entering its second week and the crowds are still flocking to take advantage of the range of activities and showings taking place throughout the cities in which it is located.

Mannheim and Heidelberg play host to the event, which has run each October for over 50 years. It is the nation's second oldest film festival, bringing together new faces from the world of cinema, as well as filmmakers with longer-standing experience.

The festival is known for its ability to boost the profile of directors seeking to gain recognition outside their country of origin since it attracts film lovers from all over the world. Of the 35 films showing, festival-goers can expect to see a range of fictional movies, as well as some documentaries and short pieces. Coming from around the world, many of the films will be making their festival debut at Mannheim.

The film festival offers a great chance to get a taste for Germany, along with the 60,000 people who attend the festival each year.