Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler is released from the position of Vice-President at his own request. [Festival-Chronik Teil 3]
Highlight of the year is the appearance of Dean Reed for the opening of the retrospective "Film in the people's struggle for freedom - Chile"; A television documentary is shown covering his time and experiences in Chile. In conclusion he joins exiled Chileans and festival guests in singing the political battle song "Venceremos".
A peace demonstration is staged at the Schauspielhaus by documentary makers and actors. Under the motto "Love of life - right to life" Joan Harvey, jury member and representative of the US peace movement, and others debate the arms race and global nuclear threat.
In addition, festival participants including Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler (GDR), Christine Teelen-Venske (FRG) and Joan Harvey (USA) protest against the decision of the FRG to station American Pershing II rockets in the country. [Festival-Chronik part 3] A peaceful candle-lit demonstration by a number of students in front of the Nikolaikirche and Capitol cinema is broken up within minutes, with a number of the students arrested.
Before the beginning of the film "Grenada - Beginn einer Hoffnung" (Cuba) the Cuban filmmakers announce a minute's silence. [Festival-Chronik Teil 3]
Calls for solidarity reach Leipzig from Nicaragua and El Salvador; there is worldwide agreement that the camera is the "best weapon in the struggle for freedom". [Festival-Chronik Teil 3]
Golden Doves
NICARAGUA: REPRORT FROM THE FRONT (NICARAGUA: BERICHT VON DER FRONT, USA, Deborah Shaffer and Tom Sigel)
AUFSTEHEN UND WIDERSETZEN (FRG/Berlin West, Klaus Volkenborn and Johann Feindt)
BLACK AND WHITE (Animated Film, CSSR, Vaclav Bedrich)
POSLEDNJI TV DNEVNIK (DIE LETZTE TAGESSCHAU, Animated Film, Yugoslavia, Nikola Majdak)
Silver Doves
U VOINY NE ZENSKOE LITSO (DER KRIEG HAT KEIN WEIBLICHES GESICHT, USSR, V. Dasuk)
GRENADA: EL DESPEGUE DE UN SUEŃO (GRENADA: BEGINN EINER HOFFNUNG, Cuba, Rigoberto López)
EL CAMINO DE LA LIBERTAD (DER WEG ZUR FREIHEIT, El Salvador, Team)
CARTA DE MORAZÁN (EIN BRIEF AUS MORAZÁN, El Salvador, Team)
THESE THINGS WE LEFT - HIROSHIMA'S WARNING (DIE DINGE, DIE WIR HINTERLASSEN HABEN - HIROSHIMAS WARNUNG, Japan, Masami Ogahara)
NO MORE HIBAKUSHA (Canada, Martin Duckworth)
Special prize of the International Jury
CHILE, WIR RUFEN DEINEN NAMEN NICHT VERGEBENS (Chile, Team)