All award winners of the 30th Hamburg International ShortFilmFestival and the 16th Mo&Friese Children’s ShortFilmFestival Hamburg
The juries and the audiences have made their decisions. At the award ceremony at the Halle 5 of the festival centre Kolbenhof, the winners of the 30th Hamburg International Short Film Festival will be awarded. The main award, the Hamburg Short Film Award for the International Competition, goes to Joel Wanek’s ›Sun Song‹.
In spite of the wonderful summer weather luring people into the countryside and to the beaches, once again more than 15,000 viewers visited our events, braving the cool darkness of the cinemas in spite of the pleasant temperatures outside. Several screenings were sold out, and of course the open air events and our short film walkabout ›A Wall Is a Screen‹ profited from the balmy summer nights: All in all more than 1,300 visitors came to enjoy short films under the open sky.
The 16th Mo&Friese Children’s Short Film Festival with its 35 events saw a massive increase in the number of visitors, growing from 3,000 kids, adolescents and adults last year to 3,600 this year. We are delighted by this fantastic reception.
For the first time a youth jury selected an award winner for the youth programme FreeStyle. Rather than selecting a single award winner, the jury eventually decided to divide it equally between the two films ›No Man’s Land‹ and ›Exchange and Mart‹.
The festival in numbers: This year’s 6,000 entries mark another increase in the number of submissions. Likewise, the number of guests was the highest we have seen so far with 600 guests from Germany and abroad, including about 200 film makers. All this was made possible by about 120 team members presenting more than 120 events.
At the award ceremony, next year’s subject for the ›Three Minute Quickie‹ was announced as well. It’s: ›Based on a true story‹. We are looking forward to films of three minutes or less about the subject. The deadline is 1 April 2015.
Before we say goodbye to the enchantments of our festival, we are going to show the best of our International, German and NoBudget competition in three condensed programmes on Monday, 9 June, as well as the award winners at 7:15 at the Zeise cinema.
All award winning films and statements by the jury are to be found on the following pages. Photos of the honorees in our website’s press area after 10pm:
http://festival.shortfilm.com/en/partner-presse/service-downloads/press-fotos-and-designs/
International Competition
Jury: Sandro Aguilar, Barbara Engelbach, Joe Gerhardt, Anna-Karin Larsson, Paola Ruggeri
Hamburg Short Film Award (Jury Award of the International Competition, 3000 Euros)
Sun Song
Joel Wanek, USA 2013, 15:00 min, Experimental
Jury statement:
Beginning with a Sun Ra quote that says we should resist the forces that hold us back, ›Sun Song‹ by Joel Wanek invites us to slow down whilst still moving. By distilling the basics of cinema the filmmaker lets us follow the sunlight shaping the world on a moving bus. The motionless passengers flicker in and out of a timeless space, portrayed with a delicate touch and rhythm.
Liberté-Audience Award (1500 Euros), presented by Gauloises, given to a short film from the International or the German Competition
The Way
Max Ksjonda, Ukraine 2013, 21:06 min, Fiction
NoBudget Competition
Jury: Gunter Deller, Anna Gritz, Jorge López Navarrete
No Budget Jury Award (2000 Euros)
Dusty Stacks of Mom: The Poster Project
Jodie Mack, Great Britain 2013, 41:00 min, Experimental
Jury statement:
We decided to choose the position that presents best a filmmaking style that is challenging, current that speaks to the way that artists and filmmakers work today: Jodie Mack for her film ›Dusty Stacks of Mom: The Poster Projekt‹. Jodie convinced us with her innovative and vibrant filmmaking style: that brings together her personal history with a larger moment in recent history. Her obsessive exploration of her mothers poster distribution business uncovers abandoned memories that fluctuate between high and low culture, from postcards of Botticelli’s Venus, to Pink Floyd’s LP covers. The stop motion collage style manages to reimagine the medium of 16 mm film in a current and relevant manner destroying the old to make way for something new. All throughout the film its viewer is guided by an eccentric soundtrack of songs written and recorded for and occasionally sung live alongside the film.
NoBudget Audience Award ›Optimistic Vision‹ (1500 Euros)
Dot Matrix
Richard Tuohy, Australia 2013, 16:53 min, Experimental
German Competition
Jury: Anja Ellenberger, Omer Fast, Sabine Holtgreve
Jury Award (2000 Euros)
Seven Times a Day We Complain About Our Fate and at Night We Get up to Avoid Our Dreams
Germany 2014, 17:30 min, Experimental
Jury statement:
The film with the long title ›Seven Times a Day We Complain About Our Fate and at Night We Get up to Avoid Our Dreams‹ by Susann Maria Hempel is our winner of this year’s German Competition. Based on an interview with an individual who describes being abused, the film interweaves sound and image in a virtuosic and increasingly unsettling way. Using speech, song and animation, the film builds up a little cabinet of horrors in which memory is set loose.
Pilsner Urquell Hamburg Night
Jury: Anja Ellenberger, Omer Fast, Sabine Holtgreve
Jury Award of the Pilsner Urquell Hamburg Night (1500 Euros)
Timber Line
Lina Paulsen, Germany 2014, 19:45 min, Documentary
Jury statement:
The Pilsner Urquell Hamburg Night Prize is awarded to the film ›Timber Line‹ by Lina Paulsen. With modest means, the film tells a story of the Eilenrieder forest. A forest keeper describes an individual who has claimed this natural enclave in the middle of Hanover as his refuge. Eschewing psychological or moral judgments, the film opens up room for associations about urban and natural spaces and the question of individual will within ordered society.
Three Minute Quickie Competition: Topic ›Doping‹
Audience Award (1000 Euros), funded by the Hamburgische Kulturstiftung
Three Experts Turn up the Heat (Drei Experten drehen auf)
Volker Heymann, Germany 2013, 3:53 min, Fiction
ARTE-Short Film Award
Jury: Sabine Brantus-Lauffer, Barbara Häbe
ARTE-Short Film Award (up to 6000 Euros). Acquisition of screening rights and broadcast as part of ARTE’s short film programme.
Cut
Matthias Müller and Christoph Girardet, Germany 2013, 12:53 min, Experimental
Jury statement:
In this work, Matthias Müller and Christoph Girardet perfect their art form of found footage collages. Cut/Wound, ever returning states of pain and emotions. – The eternal human condition.
Youth programme FreiStil
Jury: Valentin Kleitmann, Alice Sawadski, Fritzi Weitzenegger, Marie Krahl, Eva Carlotta Schumacher
›Freischwimmer‹ (Jury award 1000 Euro, from age 14)
The award goes ex aequo to:
Ingenmandsland (Niemandsland)
Michael Graversen, Denmark 2013, 29:30 min, Documentary
Exchange and Mart
Martin Clark, Great Britain 2013, 15:00 min, Fiction
Jury statement:
After long discussions about the twelve films, we eventually agreed on two favourites. Since they are both very different, we decided to split the FreeStyle award. One of the winning films deals with the subject matter of sexual violence in a surprisingly effortless manner. The Scottish film ›Exchange and Mart‹ distinguishes itself by its love for detail and its outstanding actresses, costumes and camera work. The second winner is a documentary that follows young refugees and their hopes for asylum. The film impressed us by showing how several young people of our age deal with hopelessness and isolation. It allows us to look at their lives without invading their privacy. The filmmaker openly approaches his subject, showing his protagonists and their hope for a new home.
16th Mo&Friese Children’s ShortFilmFestival
These prizes are awarded by both children’s juries.
Mo-Award (Jury award, 1250 Euros, from age 9)
Vigia
Marcel Barelli, France/Switzerland 2013, 7:45 min, Animation
At first we would like to say, that we enjoyed each and everyone of the 24 films we have seen. We hope, you filmmakers will do a lot more films in the future.
Jury statement:
But the most inspiring one was a film that goes like this: Buzz, buzz! Prchrurr! Ohooho. ›Vigia‹ a film from France and Switzerland. It tells the story of a grandfather and his grandson, of bees, which once celebrated a party, and of farmers, who poison the nature with pesticides. We think that it’s important that as many kids and adults as possible have the chance to watch this film, because it shows us how humans do not only destroy the bugs, but with them the whole nature. Marcel Barelli sends this message in a very creative, sometimes very funny, sometimes distressing and always beautifully way – wrapped in a beautiful animation with a great soundtrack!
Special Mention:
Weekendfar
Johan Stahl Winthereik, Denmark 2013, 27:00 min, Fiction
Jury statement:
Because it is nearly impossible to give a prize to just one film, we would like to compliment on ›Weekendfar‹. The relationship between Sune and his chaotic Dad touched us, because it’s sad, but very realistic. The adventures of the three characters are so entertaining that we nearly fell out of our chairs and then again where thrilled by the story. So we want to give our great admirations to the director and also the pyrotechnitions and the actors!
Friese Award (Jury award, 1250 Euros, age 4 to8)
Ziazan
Derya D. Durmaz, Armenia 2014, 14:39 min, Fiction
Jury statement:
The Winner of this year’s Friese Award is the Armenian film ›Ziazan‹ by Derya D. Durmaz.
What we liked about this film is that people talk like they do in real life. Ziazan is a brave girl and she is smart. She tries to achieve her goals, even if she gets the chocolate only in a dream. But it's a nice dream and we also like chocolate.
Special Mention
Tzdafa
Maya Tiberman, Israel 2013, 7:20 min, Animation
Jury statement: The decision was tough for us, so we would like to give a commendation to the film ›Tzdafa‹ by Maya Tiberman. We like this film, because it tells its story in a nice way, we were able to follow it without any words. The boy did great things with his magic seashell and the film was technically well made.
HIGH FIVE! Competition
Short film competition for children under 14 years. Films running max. 5 minutes, produced solely fort his competition. Topic 2014: ›Dancing Dreams‹.
A total of 600 Euros is awarded – sponsored by GEOlino, presented by the Mo-Jury and the Friese-Jury.
1st Prize (300 Euros)
Dancing Heroes (Tanz der Helden)
Olivia and Onno Sawitzki, Josefine and Julie Gerdes, Germany 2014, 4:50 min, Fiction
Jury statement:
Our favourite film and therefore our no. one is ›Dancing Heroes‹ by Olivia and Onno Sawitzki and Josefine and Julie Gerdes. The story of the dancing superheroine is full of funny ideas. We especially liked the acting and the dancing. It’s simply fun to watch this film!
2nd Prize (200 Euros)
Pepe and Dörte
Paulikids, Germany 2014, 2:23 min, Animation
Jury statement:
Wow, we where impressed by the animated paperfigurines ›Pepe and Dörte‹, we ourselves would definitely not be able to build and animate characters like that. We liked the creative way the Paulikids used trash and we also liked the humour of the film.
3rd Prize (100 Euros)
2513
Hynek Voracek, Matous Hruby und Bruno Socolic, Czech Republic 2013, 3:14 min, Animation
Jury statement:
The Animation ›2513‹ by Hynek Voracek, Matous Hruby and Bruno Socolic is set in the future. And the future is a worst case scenario of what will happen if we don’t take care of the environment. We all think of the topic as an important one and also liked the way the fimmakers set it into motion as well as the great soundtrack.
For further information on the 30th International ShortFilmFestival Hamburg please contact:
Tim Gallwitz, presse@shortfilm.com, +49-40/39 10 63 27, Friedensallee 7, D-22765 Hamburg; www.shortfilm.com / Please let us know if you do not wish to receive further press releases.
Chatelin Bruno 
