exground filmfest | 21 | wiesbaden | 14-23 nov 2008

 
   
 
   
 
         
 

filmfest

     
 
Some might say: What, November already, another year passed? We say: welcome to exground filmfest 21.

A lot has happened these last twelve months: we are happy that the State Capital Wiesbaden appreciates our work and has honored this with a raise of the sponsoring money. Many thanks for the support which as of now is institutional.

We took with us last year’s concern to make cinema and culture available to everybody. Therefore, drawers of ALG-II will have free admission to our festival events. On November 22, admission is free for ALL visitors when a brand new event premieres in Wiesbaden: A WALL IS A SCREEN from Hamburg. After nightfall we go on a city cruise – with beamer, player and speakers on the cart – and Wiesbaden’s ostentatious facades become projection screens. There has never been an event of this kind in the Rhine-Main area before.

The films for this year’s program were chosen by the "exgrounders" in domestic halls. A real avalanche of more than 2,000 films had been submitted, in addition there was the yield from festival visits to Rotterdam, Berlin, Munich, Tokyo, Venice, San Sebastian, and other world-wide locations. Support came from friends of exground from all over the planet. Thanks to the scouts!

exground filmfest 21’s program is as ragtag as its makers – over 200 productions from numerous countries can be seen. It needs to be mentioned that the Latin American film becomes increasingly established internationally. So, this year’s festival presents six productions from Latin America. The number of documentaries also increases consistently, so that this section is among 2008’s most substantial programs.

For the first time, exground filmfest also takes place in Frankfurt am Main. In the course of this year’s country focus on Spain, the recently opened Instituto Cervantes Frankfurt will present a selection of the Spanish contributions parallel to the festival.

But not all is sunshine and roses. exground filmfest is still a festival organized on an honorary basis. This means that budget and time are tight and the festival depends on support. So for now – and the future – we hope for sold-out cinemas as well as generous sponsors and supporters, doing their share so that exground filmfest can also take place in 2009.

Let us not forget all those who for many years have been supporting us hands-on with their time, engagement, money, and lust for cinema. Special thanks go to Martin Gessner and upstart!media: just like so often before in all the exground years, we owe the festival trailer to him. The signboard of the festival – take a close look!

So all that is left to say is this: we are looking forward to ten exciting, amusing, inspiring, and not too cold November days and nights – at exground filmfest 21 in Wiesbaden.


 




 
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