exground filmfest 24: Around the world in 10 days with 250 films
Highlights of international independent films // Numerous premieres // Focus Israel
Between November 11 and 20, 2011, exground filmfest celebrates its 24th festival edition in Wiesbaden. One of Germany’s most important festivals for independent films presents 250 independently produced short and feature films from all over the world. This year’s country focus lies on Israel.
The festival kicks off with the Israeli feature film THE MATCHMAKER by Avi Nesher, which offers a first impression of Israel’s current film scene with its imaginative and tragicomic staging of a story from the Sixties.
Apart from current Israeli feature films and documentaries – among them the much- discussed film debut by Hagar Ben Asher, THE SLUT - exground filmfest presents the free works of selected Israeli film academies in several short film programs. In the framework of this year’s country focus, there will be a retrospective dedicated to director Eyal Sivan. Among his best-known films are THE SPECIALIST, a documentary on the Eichmann trial, and JAFFA, THE ORANGE‘S CLOCKWORK, a documentary on the Israeli founding myth.
Eyal Sivan, who is famous as a resolute critic of Israel’s politics, will discuss his body of work with the audience in Wiesbaden. In addition, this year’s country focus presents the documentaries WOMEN OF HAMAS, MOSTAR ROUND-TRIP, I SHOT MY LOVE, and THE QUEEN HAS NO CROWN. These partially explosive documentaries will be introduced in person by the directors in Wiesbaden.
exground filmfest’s remaining program is divided into the established sections International, American Independents, News from Asia, News from Germany, as well as the exground youth days. Of special importance is the short film genre: Traditionally, exground presents a short before each feature film, and dedicates special contests and programs to short films.
Since 1993, the audience award for the German Short Film Contest, endowed with a total of 8000 Euros, is regarded as one of the program highlights. In the International ON-VIDEO-Contest, international short film productions on video compete for the expert jury award, endowed with 1500 Euros. The best short film from Wiesbaden is chosen by the audience in the Wiesbaden-Special – Short Film Contest, endowed with a prize money of 500 Euros as well as a non-cash prize “2 days in a recording studio”, worth 2000 Euros.
The section International conveys manifold impressions of current independent film productions from all over the world. Among this category’s highlights are the German premiere of SENSATION, an Irish comedy about a farmer with escort service. Furthermore, exground filmfest presents A STONE’S THROW AWAY, a surreal road movie from Mexico, as well as the Spanish tragicomedy THE LAST CIRCUS, decorated with the director award at the international film festival in Venice, in this program. The section International also includes highly explosive documentaries on the Arabian spring: The directors of NO MORE FEAR from Tunisia and FORBIDDEN from Egypt will be in Wiesbaden to present their films in person.
Highlights in American Independents category are the indie-production THE OFF HOURS about an American diner and the meaning of life, as well as the directorial debut by Spencer Susser, HESHER, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Natalie Portman in the leading parts of this bizarre-funny melodrama. As a German premiere, exground filmfest presents SOMEWHERE TONIGHT – starring John Turturro as protagonist in a deeply moving love story via sex hotline.
The News from Asia program includes two more German premieres: The breath-taking action spectacle GANTZ 2: PERFECT ANSWER, part two of the film adaption of the famous Japanese Manga of the same name and one of the blockbusters of the Japanese film year 2011, as well as the new masterpiece by Japanese cult director Sion Sono, GUILTY OF ROMANCE. In addition, this program presents new films from the Philippines, among them the horror-trash comedy REMINGTON AND THE CURSE OF THE ZOMBADINGS by Jade Castro.
In the News from Germany section, exground filmfest shows the politically explosive documentary KHODORKOVSKY on the formerly richest Russian and by now the country’s best-known inmate, directed by Cyril Tuschi, who will be present as a guest at the festival. Before its official cinema release, exground filmfest presents ROMEOS, Sabine Bernardi‘s sensitive portrait of a transsexual adolescent and his first big love – staged with lots of humour and pace. Also in the program: The cultish documentary KIEZKICK AND PUNKROCK by Tim Gorbauch, the latest film by Jörg Buttgereit, VIDEO NASTY, and the splendid feature film debut by Nicolas Steiner, BATTLE OF THE QUEENS.
The youth film program exground youth days addresses film fans aged twelve to eighteen. Program highlights include the feature film debut by David Wnendt, KRIEGERIN, about a female right-wing adolescent trying to break free from the scene, the decorated Islandic coming-of-age tale JITTERS, as well as the youth drama BROTHER from Venezuela, where soccer offers one of the few opportunities to escape from the brutality of the slums. All three films are being presented as German premieres. The high-class program is topped off by the multiple award-winning USA film JESS + MOSS, its high quality camera work being especially convincing. In the Wiesbaden Youth Film Contest, up-and-coming talents from Wiesbaden will compete for the director award, endowed with 450 Euros.
