Once again this year, audiences can expect a varied gala for the presentation of the German Business Film Award. Laudators including Deutsche Bank CEO Josef Ackermann and Theo Koll, presenter of the political magazine Frontal 21, will pay tribute to the award-winning films and their creators.
In October, the judges appointed by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology selected the best films for the 41st German Business Film Award from 150 submissions. Jury member Georgia Tornow, managing partner of the Berlin company brainstream and a member of the German Federal Film Fund advisory board since 2007, was enthusiastic about the entries: “We had a truly impressive selection of technically excellent films in every award category. When innovation and wit were added, that made the difference. The winners are sure to delight the gala audience as well.”
Marius Schwarz of Filmstudio Babelsberg was equally impressed and surprised by the emerging talent: “As a newly appointed jury member, I was very impressed by the wide range and quality of execution, particularly among the submitted productions by emerging filmmakers,” he said.
Five films were selected in each of the three categories: “Films About Business,” “Films from Business,” and entries by student and early-career filmmakers. All now enter the final round as contenders for the coveted industry Oscar. Nominees in “Films About Business” include the ZDF production Abschied auf Finnisch – Nokia und der Deal von Bochum and the WDR-commissioned film Ein Klavier geht um die Welt.
In “Films from Business,” entries such as STIHL Infotainment, which examines the working lives of two engineers at the global market leader for chainsaws, compete alongside Porsche AG’s Und ob. Among the emerging filmmakers, successful entries include Kamera21 Filmproduktion’s BücherLiebe and Leder ist? from Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. For the latter production, made for Langro Chemie, the students explored New York in search of the material leather.
The 41st German Business Film Award ceremony will take place on 11 December 2008 at the Forum am Schlosspark in Ludwigsburg. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. for approximately 1,000 invited guests from business, culture and politics.
Nominees for the 2008 German Business Film Award
Category I – Films About Business
Abschied auf Finnisch – Nokia und der Deal von Bochum
ZDF (commissioning and production)
Ralph Goldmann, Düsseldorf; Stefan Hanf, Mainz
Das perfekte Chaos – Mit den Dabbawalas unterwegs in Mumbai
ZDF/Arte (commissioning); Christ Medi GmbH (production)
Antje Christ (creative work)
Ein Klavier geht um die Welt
WDR (commissioning); Busse-Film (production)
Michael Busse; Maria-Rosa Bobbi (creative work)
Konnichiwa! Eine deutsche Ingenieurin mit Auftrag in Japan
Deutsche Welle TV (commissioning)
Mabel Gundlach (production and creative work)
Moderne Diener
ZDF, Auslandsjournal editorial team
Dara Hassanzadeh; Philipp Müller (production)
Emmy Degenhardt (creative work)
Category II – Films from Business
MBTech – Hybrid
MB-technology GmbH (commissioning)
Schokolade Filmproduktion GmbH (production and creative work)
Nur ein Fenster?
Hilzinger GmbH, Fenster und Türen
Jan Reiff (production and creative work)
STIHL Infotainment
Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
Fabrikfilm GmbH; Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (production)
Patrick Schlosser (creative work)
The Wedding
Schmittgall Werbeagentur GmbH (commissioning and creative work)
Schokolade Filmproduktion GmbH (production and creative work)
Und ob
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (commissioning)
Fratelli Spirandelli; Rainero Spirandelli (production)
Klaus E. Küster (creative work)
Category III – Film Presentations by Students or Early-Career Professionals
BücherLiebe
Mayersche Buchhandlung GmbH & Co. KG (commissioning)
Kamera21 Filmproduktion (production)
Felix Rodenjohann (creative work)
Leder ist?
Langro Chemie (commissioning)
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (production)
Benjamin Entrup; Ferdinand Klauser (creative work)
Start 2000 Plus – Was wir bewegen
Schwermetall – Verband der Metall- und Elektroindustrie Baden-Württemberg (commissioning)
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (production)
Paul Sebastian Moreau (creative work)
Ultima Ratio
Stuttgart Media University
Georg Wieland (production)
Marc Schleiss (creative work)
Veritas – Eine kleine Erfolgsgeschichte
Veritas AG (commissioning)
taks film- und medienproduktion (production)
Alexander Ewerhardt (creative work)
Members of the 2008–2012 Awards Jury
Chair: Ministerialdirigent Georg Bröhl, Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology
Veronika Classen – Reinsclassen Agency for Language
Birgitt Ulrike Euting – Federal Film Association in ver.di
Katrin Gaertner – Head of Bertelsmann AG’s Berlin office
Heinz-Joachim Herrmann – Conference of State Film Services
Wolfgang Jo Huschert – Federal Association of Audiovisual Media
Thomas Kramer – ZDF WISO editorial team
Yves Alain Lambert – Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
Vikki Schaefer – Federation of German Consumer Organisations
Marius Schwarz – Filmstudio Babelsberg
Georgia Tornow – brainstream Gesellschaft für Projektberatung, Coaching und Lobbyarbeit mbH
Andreas Vill – FischerAppelt advertising agency / TV productions
Peter Waury – Lecturer in Audiovisual Communication
Dr. Michael Zeiß – SWR Editor-in-Chief, Television
