Danish director Ake Sandgren's Truly Human (Et Rigtigt Menneske) is the opening film at the International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg (November 8-17 2001) which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a number of special events looking back over the past five decades with such filmmakers as Volker Schloendorff, Vera Chytilova, Henning Carlsen, Krzysztof Zanussi and Jeanine Meerapfel..

The feature films selected for the International Competition of first-time filmmakers include:

Asphalt Zahov - Danny Verete (Israel)
Bi Mil - Park Ki-hyung (Korea)
En Kaerlighedshistorie - Ole Christian Madsen (Den)
Haijiao Tianya - Jofei Chen (Taiwan)
Ichiban Ustsukushii Natsu - John Williams (Japan)
Magonia - Ineke Smits (Neth)
Monas Verden - Jonas Elmer (Denmark)
Nar Nettene Blr Lange - Mona J Hoel (Nor)
Nebo Sateliti - Lukas Nola (Croatia)
Oedipus - Jerome Enrico (France)
Patrze, Na Ciebie, Marysiu - Lukasz Barczyk (Poland)
P.O.V. - Tomas Gislason (Den)
Posseteni Ot Gospod - Peter Popzlatev (Bulgaria)
Quello Che Cerchi - Marco Puccioni (Italy)
Shooters - Dan Reed (UK)
Strass - Vincent Lannoo (Belg)
Thelma - Pierre -Alain Meier (Switz)
Virgil Bliss - Joe Maggio (USA)

The documentary competition section features Estela Bravo's Fidel, Stanislaw Mucha's Absolut Warhola, Ulises Rosell's Bonanza, and Marc Hoogsteyns' Kongomani.

In addition, international up-and-coming talents are showcased in the "International Discoveries" sidebar which will be presenting such films as Ibolya Fekete's Chico (Hung), Paula Hernandez's Herencia (Arg), David Caesar's Mullet (Australia), Peter Naess' Elling (Nor) and Erik de Bruyn's Wilde Mossels (Neth).