Press release 19 April 2023

Over 14,000 visitors at the 8th Filmfest Bremen

The 8th Filmfest Bremen ended last Sunday. After the final evaluation it is clear: the number of visitors has more than doubled compared to the previous years. More than 14,000 people came to the numerous events including the short film competition KLAPPE! which took place in the run-up to the festival.

Programme director Ilona Rieke referred to the high audience participation within the various events: „Strong films lead to strong audience response, for me this goes hand in hand,“ was the conclusion of the programme director of the 8th Filmfest Bremen. „The films captivated our audience and we had as many and as lively film discussions as never before,“ added festival organiser Marc Sifrin. From 12 to 16 April, around 100 films from 28 countries were screened. „With this festival, we were once again able to make Bremen visible as a growing, dynamic film and production location,“ said festival director Matthias Greving, who was also enthusiastic about the qualitatively and quantitatively strong exchange between the audience and filmmakers. Greving also thanked all participants for the successful Bremer Filmpreis Gala and the very personal contributions: „To be able to celebrate the equally versatile and impressive actress and director Maria Schrader together in the sold-out Theater am Goetheplatz was a great honour for the audience and the festival.“

The award ceremony of the 22nd Bremen Film Prize by Sparkasse Bremen took place in front of a full house at a festive gala on 13 April at the Theater am Goetheplatz. Sparkasse board member Klaus Windheuser awarded the prize of 8,000 euros to actress and director Maria Schrader together with the festival trophy „Golden Pug“ for her overall cinematic work.

The Filmfest Bremen awarded an honorary prize posthumously to the unforgettable Vicco von Bülow, alias Loriot. Leopold von Bülow-Quirck, a grandson of the comedy legend, accepted the prize on his behalf. For all those who could not be there: A recording of the gala is available on Youtube at https://youtu.be/O8OGq5JVO8o

The winners of the competitions

In the International Humour/Satire Competition, the first jury prize of 5,000 euros for Best Long Film went to THE RUMBA THERAPY by Franck Dubosc. The jury chose ZEITPUNKT X by Simon Schneider as Best Medium-Length Film, which received prize money of 2,500 euros. For Best Short Film, NORMA by Emily Munster received prize money of 1,500 euros.

The jury prize „Best Narrative Innovation“ in the international competition Innovation was won by IRANI BAG by Maryam Tafakory and, like TECHNO, MAMA by Saulius Baradinskas (jury prize „Best Visual Innovation“), received 1,500 euros donated by the Bremische Landesmedienanstalt. The jury prize „Best Technical Innovation“ was won by THE TIMEKEEPERS OF ETERNITY by Aristotelis Maragkos and thus also received 1,500 euros.

In the new competition German Premieres THE SCENT OF THE WORMWOOD by Aibek Daiyrbekov received the audience award for Best International Film in the amount of 7,500 euros. The second prize of 2,500 euros was awarded by the audience to KINDLING by Connor O’Hara.

Two Audience Prizes, each endowed with 1,500 euros and donated by the Bremen Senator for Culture, went to DIE BERGMANNS by Susanne Hensdiek as Best Bremen Film and to MORGEN IRGENDWO AM MEER by Patrick Büchting as Best Lower Saxony Film.

The special prize for Best German-Language Film, awarded for the first time, went to THE WODDAFUCKA THING by Gianluca Vallero, and the Special Mention went to FRANKY FIVE STAR by Birgit Möller. The associated prize money of 7,500 euros and 2,500 euros was donated by the Aufbau Bank in Bremen.

The Sustainability Prize, 3,000 euros awarded by hanseWasser, went to the Norwegian satire SUPURBIA by Alexander Gudmestad.

In the short film competition organised by WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH, first prize and 1,500 euros went to SOUNDS LIKE BREMEN by Lukas Brennecke, second place and 1,000 euros went to VIERTEL VOR ACHT by Ansgar Wendt and third place and 500 euros went to HOME OFFICE by Fabian Nolte, Moritz Schierenbeck, Jakob Schalow and Florian Strobeck.

At the Pitch & Pie event of the Bremen Film Office, the winner of 500 euros for the best film pitch was Samuel Bereuther.

The 48-hour short film competition „Klappe!“, once again made possible by Sparkasse Bremen, already gave the starting signal for the 8th Filmfest Bremen on 1 April. A total of 40 short film premieres competed for the prize money provided by Sparkasse Bremen. The 1st Audience Award and 1,000 euros went to KAROTTE by Harry Bhalerao, the 2nd Audience Award and 500 euros to MARCEL by Julia Müller and Ilya Lorenz Barrett. The Jury Prize, also 1,000 euros, went to WILLST DU by Chiaroscuro Cinema, the Special Mention of the Jury and thus 500 euros to DIESES LEBEN by Emmy & Co.

After the festival is before the festival:

The 9th Filmfest Bremen will take place from 10 to 14 April 2024.

More info:

filmfestbremen.com

facebook.com/filmfestbremen

instagram.com/filmfestbremen

linkedin.com/company/filmfest-bremen

Main funders: nordmedia, Die Sparkasse Bremen, Kinescope Film

Supporters: Die Senatorin für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Europa, Der Senator für Kultur, hanseWasser, Karin und Uwe Hollweg Stiftung, Waldemar Koch Stiftung, Bremer Aufbau-Bank GmbH, JOKE Event AG

Partners: Bremer Filmkunst Theater, Theater Bremen, Cinema im Ostertor, City 46, Bremische Landesmedienanstalt, Bremer Straßenbahn AG, Filmbüro Bremen, BLG Logistics Group, GfG/Gruppe für Gestaltung, Closeup, Instituto Cervantes Bremen, Institut français, Dorint Hotel & Resorts, Beck´s Museum Weserburg, Wilhelm Wagenfeld Haus, IndieFilmTalk, NOON, Wandscher Gruppe, Hochkantfestival, Blumen Timm, bremen digitalmedia, Dedo Weigert Film

Media partners: Radio Bremen, Weser-Kurier, Bremen erleben!