Archive notice: This article was originally published on February 2, 2010. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
For the 13th time, representatives of the Bavarian film industry met to compete in the ice-cold sport of curling. Alongside FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, the hosts of this coveted sporting event were ARRI, Bavaria Film, BLM, Concorde Filmverleih and LfA Förderbank Bayern.
At the Ottobrunn ice stadium, 18 teams playfully and with great commitment did everything they could to win the laurels. Following the opening whistle from FFF Managing Director Klaus Schaefer, those who became active included presidents, board members and studio heads such as Steffen Kuchenreuther (SPIO), Franz Kraus (ARRI), Michael Schneider, Hansjörg Kuch and Gerd Rometsch (LfA), Achim Rohnke (Bavaria Film), and Uli Aselmann (Produzenten-Allianz). Producers Christian Becker (Wickie und die starken Männer), Uli Putz (Maria, ihm schmeckt’s nicht), Ewa Karlström and Andreas Ulmke-Smeaton (Die wilden Kerle), and Dietmar Güntsche (Der große Kater), who had just been honoured with the Bavarian Film Award, acquitted themselves bravely. As always, directors “called the shots” and led their teams (sometimes) to victory: Peter Fratzscher, Matthias Kiefersauer, Thomas Kronthaler, Joachim Masannek, Vivian Naefe, Sebastian Niemann, Gernot Roll, Marc Rothemund and Bernd Schadewald.
As always, the actors were strong players. Taking part for the first time: Alexander Held and Götz Otto, alongside the “once-a-year professionals” Saskia Vester, Arthur Brauss, Christian Lerch, Michael Roll and Johannes Herrschmann. Author Friedrich Ani led a team, as did cinema operator Fritz Pressmar (Filmtheater Sendlinger Tor), cinematographer Tom Fährmann, composer Gerd Wilden, agent Marlis Heppeler, rental head Oliver Schmidle and dubbing specialist Michael Haacke.
“Die weißen Bären” took first place, including Marc Böckenförde (Bavaria), Tom Fährmann (cinematographer, “Die Päpstin”) and editor Hansjörg Weißbrich (Krabat). “Die Froschkönige”, by contrast, had to settle for last place. Those mourning included FFF funding officer Nikolaus Prediger, actor Detlef Bothe and producer Herbert Rimbach.
