Archive notice: This article was originally published on November 15, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Next Thursday, what is possibly the most exciting weekend of the year begins for 200 young filmmakers from Germany and around the world: When the 9th International Film Festival Hannover opens its doors on November 22, they can not only experience their films before an audience on the large cinema screen and make personal contacts with other filmmakers from all over the world – their films also have the chance to be honored with the ‘German Young Film Award 2007’. This year, however, the most talented young filmmakers can look forward not only to a renowned prize, but also to professional support from experienced producers: For the first time, the ‘German Young Film Award’, offered at up-and-coming since 2005, comes with a producer mentorship. “The idea for the mentorships developed from our aspiration to support young talent sustainably and beyond the festival”, explains Burkhard Inhülsen of up-and-coming. Prize winner and mentor develop a joint project during the coming two years; this creative process is documented by the prize winner in an online diary. In this way, all interested parties are to be able to participate in the mentorships and ideally be inspired by them.
The young filmmakers from Germany are not afraid to tackle ‘difficult’ topics, such as abuse (“Chairs in the Snow” by Peewee Horris from Berlin), the search for one’s own identity (“Between Paths” by eight Turkish, Lebanese and Bosnian Muslim women from Wuppertal) or violence. “It is striking that the films that address ‘violence’ were without exception submitted by filmmakers who are still of school age”, says Festival Director Inhülsen. Three of these films, also outstandingly realized technically, including “Powerless” by Felix von Seefranz from Berlin, are nominated for the ‘German Young Film Award’. Overall, however, the picture was not consistently serious, says Inhülsen: The competition also features several amusing films, such as “Star Wars VII”, submitted by a daycare center from Frankfurt am Main, or “Kids in Black” by Richard Lambrecht from Dresden.
“Even if no general tendency can be identified with regard to the topics of the international filmmakers, it is also noticeable here that many serious films were submitted”, Burkhard Inhülsen summarizes. For example, Egyptian filmmaker Heba Yossry reports in “Another Passion” on the harsh confrontations within the family when she decides to become an actress. The Finnish film “Pieniä iloja (Life Worth Living)” by Jyrki Väsänen, an episodic study of our way of clinging to small things that make life worth living, is also more than tragic despite all its comedy.
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