++ Arts & Culture ++
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Film Festival Cologne
- V-Bank Art Collection
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Hauser & Wirth
- Berlin Global
- Federal Cultural Foundation
- Forum of Cultures
- Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien
- Berlin Opera Foundation
- Dresden Music Festival
++ Industry & Associations ++
Film Festival Cologne
BOROS × Film Festival Cologne / 2018
Art Direction Rebranding
Established in 1991, the Film Festival Cologne (formerly Cologne Conference) is considered one of the leading showcases of the latest extraordinary productions in film and television. Its annual program is comprised of visually outstanding productions, dramatic and documentary films, shorts, panel discussions, and lectures.
The challenge was one of continuity vs. renewal: an identity rooted in its founding organisation’s visual legacy, yet needing to feel relevant and flexible for decades ahead — not a redesign from scratch, but a careful evolution that preserved cultural authority while finding a distinctly new visual language. To emphasize its interdisciplinary schedule and the spirit of community the Cologne Conference was renamed to Film Festival Cologne.
An existing element — the red circle — was transformed into something loaded with meaning: a recording dot, universally recognised as the symbol of capturing moving image. This turned a decorative shape into a conceptual anchor, connecting film and television within a single, self-evident mark. The color system was revisited with the same logic — every element retained for a reason, updated to carry the identity forward.
To ensure better readability, the circle-heavy identitywas recalibrated to a typography based logo, supported by the red record-dot as an irritating and memorable element that is flexibly changing its position throughout the festival years to come.
Developing the Film Festivals identity became about finding the balance between existing aesthetics of its founding organization and a new and distinct visual language that feels current and flexible enough for decades to come. The final design turns the plain red circle into a recording sign that is universally characteristic for both moving images in film and television.
Grilli Types Cinetype —with its characteristi display qualities— gives a unique cinematic appeal to the identities look. Having no curves, GT Cinetype is exceptionally sharp and crisp throughout all static and moving media. GT Cinetype was chosen not purely for aesthetics but for its media-agnostic sharpness: no curves, exceptional crispness across both print and screen — a typeface that performs as well on a poster as in motion.
To future-proof the identity across years, the dot was designed to move — shifting position within the logotype each festival edition. A system with built-in variation, so the identity stays recognisable without becoming static.
