Editor

DER AUFREISSER by Steffen Weinert is the winner of exground filmfest's German Short Film Contest

The audiences of traditionally sold out Caligari FilmBühne in Wiesbaden has decided: DER AUFREISSER [THE PICK-UP ARTIST] by Steffen Weinert is the winner of exground filmfest's 15th German Short Film Contest. On the following rank RAUSKOMMEN! [COME OUT!] by Michael Dörfler and Jan Peters' WIE ICH EIN FREIER REISEBEGLEITER WURDE [HOW I BECAME A FREE-LANCE TRAVEL COMPANION]. Wiesbaden's Head of Cultural Department Rita Thies handed over the diploma and the prize money of EUR 3,000 donated by the State Capital Wiesbaden to the director of the winning film – as well as the cheque for EUR 1,000 for the director of the film that came in third, also donated by the State Capital Wiesbaden. The cheque for EUR 2,000 for the director, whose film came in second was handed over by public transportation company ESWE's executive director Stefan Burghardt.
Within the framework of the award ceremony for the German Short Film Contest the winners of further exground filmfest contests were announced. The international jury of experts for the ON VIDEO contest chose the British animation PROCRASTINATION by Johnny Kelly, who is happy to receive EUR 1,500 coming with the award. A special mention goes to UNDER CONSTRUCTION by Zhenchen Liu from France. The prize money of EUR 500 donated by the newspaper Wiesbadener Kurier for the Wiesbaden-Special – Short Film Contest ex aequo go to: ELVIS UND ICH [ELVIS AND ME] by Michael Sommer and TRUCK STOP GRILL by Daniel Seideneder, which equally entertained the audience and thus created a premiere in the festival's history.
The winners of the two contests of exground youth days were announced on Saturday, November 24, 2007 already. The five members of the youth jury made WIE ES BLEIBT [AS IT GOES] by eight directing students of the Munich Academy for Film and Television the winner of the "youth days – International Youth Film Contest". Representative for the team Doron Wisotzky received the diploma and the cheque from the hand of the Head of the Cultural Department Rita Thies. Together with him Johannes Disselhoff, Konstantin Ferstl, Max Fey, Boris Kunz, Philipp Leinemann, Torben Liebrecht and Maia Sander can enjoy the prize money of EUR 2,500 that the State Capital Wiesbaden has donated for this contest. Following the award ceremony the winner of the Wiesbaden Youth Film Contest was announced in Caligari FilmBühne. Among the seven short films by 12–18 year old directing talents BLAUPAUSE [BLUEPRINT] by Maria Bidian and Fiona Heib was most popular with the audience. The new blood in directing not only received a diploma, but for the first time a prize money of EUR 450, donated by the Hessian Landeszentrale für politische Bildung [State Center for Political Education]. On Tuesday, November 20, 2007 already the just 34 second long film KETTENSÄGENMAßAKKER [CHAINSAW MASSACRE] by Linus Secker had won the „Goldene exground-Gurke" [Golden exground-Cucumber] and EUR 50 in prize money: in the packed Kulturpalast the professional jury chose the small masterpiece as the outstanding winner of the exground-Gong-Show with contributions of so far unrecognised film artists.
Following the German Short Film Contest the audience celebrated with exground filmfest team the festival's success in Caligari FilmBühne's foyer. The party started with THE RODRIGO BROTHERS FEAT. THE RODRIGO SISTERS mightily warming up the audience – followed by DJ Dr. Love with hot rhythms creating splendid party mood and crowded dance floors. In total, exground filmfest 20 counted 15,000 spectators – 1,000 more than 2006.
After the festival is before the festival: exground filmfest 21 will take place on November, 14 to November 23, 2008 in Wiesbaden.