Wiesbaden, November 20, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
INTERVIEW wins German Short Film contest // JITTERS wins Youth Film contest // THE STRANGE ONES wins ON-VIDEO contest
exground filmfest 24 celebrates successful festival closing
On Sunday, November 20, exground filmfest 24 celebrated its festive festival closing in the Caligari FilmBühne. Over ten days the festival had presented highlights from the international independent film scene in Wiesbaden. Numerous international guests had travelled to the state capital of Hessen to present their films in person to the audiences who turned up in huge numbers. exground filmfest is happy to announce another record number of visitors: More than 14 000 participated in this year’s festival events.
German Short Film contest in sold out Caligari FilmBühne
The German Short Film contest is exground filmfest‘s most established contest. In two screenings the audience decided on this year’s winner films and chose INTERVIEW by Sebastian Mark aas the winner film on Sunday, November 20, in the sold out Caligari FilmBühne. The first prize of the German Short Film Contest is endowed with 3000 Euros and sponsored by the Cultural Offices of the state capital Wiesbaden. THE CENTRIFUGE BRAIN PROJECT by Till Nowak came in second, endowed with 2000 Euros sponsored by the Wiesbaden Kinofestival e.V. this year. VIKI FICKI by Natalie Spinell landed on place three, endowed with 1000 Euros and also presented by head of Cultural department of the state capital Wiesbaden, Rose-Lore Scholz. For the first time, the Pille Filmgeräteverleih GmbH sponsored an additional non-cash prize worth 2000 Euros, for video and film technology. A jury of five representatives from the company decorated THE CENTRIFUGE BRAIN PROJECT by Till Nowak.
In the course of the festive award ceremony – following the 2nd screening of the German Short Film contest on Sunday, November 20, - the winners of exground filmfest 24’s other contests were decorated as well in the Caligari FilmBühne.
exground youth days – 8th international youth film contest
The youth jury of the 8th international youth film contest within the exground youth days gave the award for best feature film to the Icelandic entry JITTERS by Baldvin Zophoníasson. The jurors explained their decision as follows: „A 16 year old boy is confronted with his homosexuality and needs to learn to be himself in a world full of obstacles. Impressive images do not only transport his fate but his friend’s and parents’ as well. The story is never exaggerated which lends a true credibility to the film“. The prize money for the winner film is 2500 Euros, sponsored by the state capital Wiesbaden.
An honorary mention went to the US contest entry JESS + MOSS by Clay Jeter. The youth jury’s explanatory statement: „We especially liked the camera work, the images of the Confederate States and the realization of the director’s ideas. The director himself says: The film breathes. We say: It is breathtaking.“
The youth jury also decorated the best supporting film of the youth days: I AM A GIRL! by director Susan Koenen, who addresses the rarely discussed subject of transsexuality with the example of her 13 year old protagonist Joppe. This award is undoped.
Already on Saturday, November 12, the audience had decided on the winner of the Wiesbaden Youth Film contest. The short feature film COUNTDOWN by Leon Kaczmarczyk won the vote and the director received the prize money of 450 Euros, sponsored by the Hessian State Office for Political Education. (...)
Press release Nov 20, 2011 as PDF for download
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Wiesbaden, November 16, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
exground filmfest 24 celebrates hump day
First winner films decorated // German Short Film Contest started // Cinematic highlights on the second weekend
exground filmfest 24 celebrates its hump day and begins the 2nd festival half with great feedback and strong visitor numbers: Until November 20, 2011, the festival presents the highlights from the international independent film scene and an appealing framework program.
After the first festival half, we already can announce the first winner films: The main award of the Wiesbaden Youth Film Contest goes to the short film COUNTDOWN by Leon Kaczmarczyk. The „Golden Cucumber“, Award of the traditional exground-Gong-Show, goes to Linus Secker for his film DER INTERRATIONALE FRÜHSCHOPPEN. The winner of the Wiesbaden-Special – Short Film Contest will be announced on Sunday, November 20, in the course of the closing event.
Another audience draw is the renowned and well-established German Short Film Contest which nearly sold out the Caligari FilmBühne for its first screening on Tuesday, November 15. Its 10th anniversary can be celebrated by the International ON-VIDEO-Contest, during which 20 films from 16 countries compete for the jury award endowed with 1500 Euros (Part I: Thursday, November 17, 5.30pm, Caligari FilmBühne; Part II: Friday, November 18, 5.30pm, Caligari FilmBühne; 2nd screening Part I: Friday, November 18, 8.00pm, Kulturpalast; 2nd screening Part II: Saturday, November 19, 8.00pm, Kulturpalast).
In addition, exground filmfest offers several German premieres today: The Mexican feature film debut by Iria Gómez Concheiro THE CINEMA HOLD UP, the cheerful production AU PAIR, KANSAS from the USA, as well as GUILTY OF ROMANCE, part 3 of the „Hatred“-trilogy by Japanese enfant terrible Sion Sono, director of LOVE EXPOSURE and COLD FISH. The festival also presents SENSATION, an Irish-Dutch comedy about … (read more)
Press release Nov 16, 2011 as PDF for download
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Wiesbaden, November 13, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
exground filmfest 24: The festival has begun!
Record number of participants A WALL IS A SCREEN // COUNTDOWN wins Wiesbaden Youth Film Contest // Intervideo present the winners of their talent award
This weekend, the 24th edition of exground filmfest was kicked off. Until November 20, 2011, the festival presents the highlights from the international independent film scene in Wiesbaden.
exground filmfest 24 officially opened on Friday, November 11, in the well-attended Caligari FilmBühne with the Israeli feature film EIN SOMMER IN HAIFA (THE MATCHMAKER). Before that, Wiesbaden’s head of the Cultural Offices Rose-Lore Scholz and state secretary Ingmar Jung from the Hessian Ministry for Science and Arts pointed out exground filmfest’s unique position among festivals in the state of Hessen and thanked the team for their long-lasting honorary engagement.
An attendance record was broken by A WALL IS A SCREEN, following the opening celebrations. Appr. 500 visitors took part in the cinematic city stroll, during which Wiesbaden’s downtown house walls became screens for short films from all genres. The destination was the Kulturpalast where the opening party with DJ Dr. Love went on until the early hours of morning. (read more)
Press release Nov 13, 2011 as PDF for download
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Wiesbaden, November 1, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
exground filmfest 24: The world is our guest in Wiesbaden
International filmmakers in conversation // Discussions about the work of Eyal Sivan // 250 fims in the program
Between November 11 and 20, 2011, exground filmfest welcomes a multitude of international
guests to its 24th festival edition in Wiesbaden and is looking forward to animated discussions
about the 250 films in the program.
In the course of this year’s country focus, numerous Israeli guests have been invited to Wiesbaden
to present their current films. successful and repeatedly decorated documentary filmmaker David
Fisher presents his latest production MOSTAR ROUND-TRIP, Tomer Heymann introduces his
emotional family study THE QUEEN HAS NO CROWN as well as – in cooperation with his German
partner Andreas Merk – the multiple decorated „home movie“ I SHOT MY LOVE. Levy Noam will
talk with the audience about his impressive documentary CONCRETE, in which former soldiers of
the Israeli army tell about their war assignment in the Gaza Strip. Highly anticipated are Hagar Ben
Asher, director of the controversially discussed debut film DIE ZÜGELLOSE [THE SLUT], and Suha
Arraf, director of the explosive documentary WOMEN OF HAMAS. The filmmaker from the region,
known as scriptwriter for Eran Rikli‘s feature films LEMON TREE and DIE SYRISCHE BRAUT, will
tell the audience about her exciting impressions from the closely guarded „inner circle“ of influentual
Hamas women.
In addition, exground filmfest presents three Israeli short film programs with numerous guests.
Israeli film students … (read more)
Press release Nov 1, 2011 as PDF for download
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Wiesbaden, October 12, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
exground filmfest 24: A perfect frame
A WALL IS A SCREEN // Reading Oliver Polak // Parties and Lounges
Between November 11 and 20, 2011, exground filmfest not only presents highlights from the international film scene, but also a manifold framework program.
A first highlight the cinematic city stroll A WALL IS A SCREEN on the evening of Friday, November 11. The house walls of downtown Wiesbaden turn into silver screens for short films from all genres. Zero point is 9pm in front of the Caligari FilmBühne. Destination of the cinematic stroll is the Kulturpalast, where at 10pm the opening party with DJ Dr. Love will kick off.
(…)
Press release Oct 6, 2011 as PDF for download
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Wiesbaden, October 6, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
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.
exground filmfest 24 presents 250 films from a total of 46 countries, including 12 world premieres, 16 international premieres, 7 European premieres, as well as 39 German premieres. As always, the festival center is the Caligari FilmBühne in the heart of Wiesbaden. Additional screening locations of exground filmfest 24 are the Murnau Filmtheater and the Kulturpalast.
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. (…)
Press release Oct 6, 2011 as PDF for download
Timetable as PDF for download
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Wiesbaden , September 5, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
exground filmfest 24 brings highlights from international independent films to Wiesbaden
Record number of film submissions // Focus on Israel // Retrospective Eyal Sivan
Film fans from near and far should make a note in their calendars: Between November 11 and 20, 2011, Wiesbaden‘s exground filmfest – one of the most important independent-festivals in Germany – presents around 300 highlights from the current choice of independently produced short- and feature films. These were selected from more than 2 500 film submissions from 151 countries from Andorra to Cyprus. The international impact of the festival is reflected by the number of submissions from all over the world, which is 25% higher than last year. In 2010, the festival received 2 000 film submissions from 89 countries. Currently, the viewing committee is busy sifting through films, a few program highlights are already fixed though:
This year’s country focus lies on Israel. Apart from current feature films and documentaries, exground filmfest presents several short film programs, introducing up-and-coming young talented directors from Israeli film academies. A tribute program is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Sam Spiegel Film & Television School in Jerusalem. In the course of this country focus, exground filmfest shows a retrospective of Israeli filmmaker Eyal Sivan, who is also known as a tough critic of Israel’s politics. Among his best-known films are THE SPECIALIST, a documentary about the Eichmann trial, and JAFFA, THE ORANGE’S CLOCKWORK. Eyal Sivan will talk about his work and the backgrounds in a film talk.
A highlight of the American Independents program is the German premiere of the US-Dutch co-production SOMEWHERE TONIGHT by Michael Jiacomo, starring John Turturro in the leading role as a man who is crazy for telephone sex. (...)
Press release Sept 5, 2011 as PDF for download
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