GFQ 2-2007 - german films

FFF Bayern’s Dr. Klaus Schaefer, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
will hold a reception to create a meeting point for the short film scene
in Cannes. On May 19th at 6pm, industry professionals and film -
makers are invited to a Short Film Lounge on the boat El Bravo.
Additionally, with the support of German Films, international buyers
and festivals once again have the opportunity to access German short
films in the Short Film Corner. This year’s selection includes some of
the most recent German short film productions: the short fictions
Duel in Griesbach (Duell in Griesbach) by Olaf Held and Moonman
(Mondmann) by Fritz Boehm, as well as the short documentary
Chainsaw Woodcarver (Der Holzmenschbauer) by Katrin Jaeger. To provide
an additional service for industry professionals, the short films
presented in the Short Film Corner are available on the fourth volume
of the German Short Films DVD edition.
FFF BAYERN AND THE OSCAR:
A DECADE’S STORY …
After having won all important German Film Awards as well as three
European Film Awards, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s drama The
Lives of Others finally achieved the ultimate success in the film busi -
ness: In February, the FFF-funded production by Wiedemann & Berg,
BR, ARTE and creado film won the OSCAR as “Best Foreign Language
Film”. The OSCAR-nomination for a supported film has become a
pleasant routine for FFF Bayern: This year’s success was the 15th
nomination since the Bavarian film fund’s foundation in 1996. In 1997,
Caroline Link first entered OSCAR territory with her debut feature
Beyond Silence.
In 2001 Florian Gallenberger’s Quiero Ser won an OSCAR for Best Short
Film, and Steffen Schaeffler’s The Periwig Maker received a nomination
for Best Animated Short. Two years later, two FFF-supported films
won Academy Awards: Nowhere in Africa by Caroline Link and The
Pianist by Roman Polanski, which won three OSCARS and had four
further nominations. In 2005, Luigi Falorni and Byambasuren Davaa
were short-listed for their documentary The Story of the Weeping
Camel, accompanied by Oliver Hirschbiegel for The Downfall as Best
Foreign Language Film. Marc Rothemund followed the year after:
Sophie Scholl – The Last Days was nominated in 2006.
GERMAN SHORT FILMS IN ABU DHABI
From 7 – 13 March 2007, the Cultural Foundation of Abu Dhabi/
United Arab Emirates organized the 6th edition of the Emirates Film
Competition. Last year, the competition for filmmakers from Arab
countries was complemented by a non-competitive section for international
short films.
This year’s topic, Road Cinema, dealt not only with the classic perception
of “the road”, but also with its philosophical, social and professional
dimension, i.e. changes in life and the crossing of real or imagined
borders. 18 German short films were screened at the festival,
including Stay Like This (Einfach so bleiben) by Sven Taddicken, Subway
Score by Alexander Isert, and The Raft (Das Floss) by Jan Thuering.
FILMSTIFTUNG NRW’S INTERNATIONAL
FILM CONGRESS: “LIMITLESS” IN COLOGNE
Where does it work well, and where are there still problems with
international co-productions? This is just one of the topics to be discussed
during the Filmstiftung NRW’s International Film Congress
from 16 – 19 June 2007. Under the motto “Limitless”, the North
Rhine Westphalia-based film funder invites the international film industry
to the Cologne Exhibition for the Medienforum NRW to examine
the possibilities of transnational cooperation and the current situation
of European films in the individual neighboring countries. In addition
to the top-class panels, which will also present the new German
Federal Film Fund, the event will serve as the German premiereground
and preview forum for NRW-funded films and offer a co-production
meeting, organized this year in cooperation with ACE.
More information about the International Film Congress is available
on the Filmstiftung’s website www.filmstiftung.de or contact
filmkongress@filmstiftung.de.
german films quarterly news
2 · 2007 29
Scene from “Stay Like This”
(photo © Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg)