The goEast film festival was founded in 2001 by the Deutsches Filminstitut - DIF with the goal of acquainting a wider audience with the films and cultural landscape of our neighbours in Eastern Europe.

From the outset, goEast viewed itself as a forum for East-West dialogue, meaning the festival provides guests with ample opportunity to learn more about each other, to discuss and reflect upon topical issues. The fast-moving process of transformation underway in Central and Eastern Europe, along with the question of a common European identity, are important and much-discussed themes. Attracting increasing numbers of visitors from year to year - news travelled fast about the high quality of the festival programme and the special atmosphere to be enjoyed in the exquisite Caligari film theatre and in the Villa Clementine festival centre in Wiesbaden - goEast has now established its niche on the international arts circuit.