Berlinale, Oberhausen, Oldenburg, DOK Leipzig, goEast Wiesbaden, Genrenale ... Germany flows over with film festivals big and small, some over 60 years old, some founded last year. Many attract international audiences, A-list juries, or niche fans. Here are 5 you might have never heard of until now:
Festival des gescheiterten Films -- Festival of Failed Films
The (proudly unsponsored) Salon des Refusés of films, screening across Germany. Their slogan: We don't show what's worse. We don't show what's better. We show what's different. “Failure as chance: This creative festival gives attention to films that would go under due to their unconventional style. The interested viewer can expect rarely seen ...gems“ by the likes of Film Group Chaos or Wilda WahnWitz, commented Berliner Zeitung in 2016.
Phantastisches Trash Film Festival (TFF)
“Crazy, loud, cool. Small budget meets huge passion.” Define what trash means to you in Kassel, otherwise only known as home of the quinquennial Documenta art extravaganza (which some might argue also offers trash).
Comedy, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, thriller, mystery -- no genre is safe. Last year's highlights included the promisingly real-world title "Les enfants, le café et l’horreur réelle" and the film in the photo.
Speaking of real world, it doesn't get more central than this:
Internationales Fußballfilmfestival "11mm" -- 11mm International Soccer Film Festival
You guessed it: This Berlin festival revolves around the ball and includes readings, player hommages, and guests such as now-Youtube-famous Icelandic national team coach Heimir Hallgrímsson.
My personal favourite has to be the best endowed...
Deutsches Fernsehkrimi Festival -- The German TV Crime Festival
in Wiesbaden.
With high-calibre juries and lively debates with the likes of Domink Graf. Apart from a trophy, the winner receives 1000 litres of the famed local wine. Prost!
The last in this list is the latest addition:
Moving History -- Festival of History Films
September 2017 saw the launch of Germany's latest specialised film festival, the first to tackle historic themes mirrored in contemporary cinema and TV productions (a preoccupation of German film production). Aimed at a broad audience, Potsdam was chosen as a historically important German city and traditionally strong production location with its Babelsberg Studios and respected film academy. The first retrospective focussed on "40 Years German Fall“, i.e. the 1970s left-wing terrorism. Chris Kraus' latest feature YESTERDAY'S FLOWERS took home the festival award as "unconventional and controversial".
by
@JuttaBrendemuhl
