Cotton Fever

Cotton Fever

Director: Daniel Blake Schwartz
Country: USA

German Premiere
2026 | 89 min. | English
Subtitles: German

Cast_ Kyle Gallner, Sosie Bacon, Chabely Ponce, Ronald Emile, Ari Mora Screenplay_ Daniel Blake Schwartz Camera_ Tom Acton Fitzgerald Producer_ Phil Keefe, Eveline Levin, Daniel Brandt, Cole Eckerle, Dane Eckerle, Daniel Blake Schwartz Rights_ AC3 Media

An impressively clear-eyed kaleidoscope of perspectives from people desperately struggling with drug addiction. Authentic and deeply moving.

Despite the fact that his girlfriend Dina is pregnant, James drops out of starting his rehab, starts using again, and even begins dealing. Dina also relapses, once again drifting away from the life she so longs for. Around them, countless others are trying to live with addiction, overcome it, or simply survive. Some succeed; others don’t. It is always a cycle of highs and lows – and just when one thinks to have finally made it out, addiction strikes again. Nevertheless, there exist moments of profound and tender human connection.

An impressive debut that tells dramatic stories without making any fuzz about it, while always staying close to its characters. Realistic cinema filled with compassion and, alongside ›Union County‹, one of two very different stories about the US drug crisis in our competition.

Director

Daniel Blake Schwartz’s debut is inspired by his own life, stories from friends, and interviews with people affected by addiction. At the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival, it won both Best U.S. Narrative Feature and Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature. Director and screenwriter Schwartz is also personally involved in supporting addiction services.

Screenings