Competition Screening 2
Saturday, 7. October, 22pm
Gamosvla / Exodus /
Georgia / 2015 / Short Film / 14 min
OT ohne Di / UT -
Time seems at a standstill in the nearly abandoned industrial town Chiatura. People have become weary of the everyday fight for survival. In a small house at the edge of the town live two elderly sisters. Lili works for a cableway and takes the workers to their factory every day. Tatiana has no job and does the housework. In spite of low living conditions, their world was all right before Lili gets the chance to move to her daughter in another town.
Director: Vakhtang Jajanidze, Producer: Film Studio "ARTIZM", lasha Khalvashi,
Script: Vakhtang Jajanidze, DoP: Sandro Wysocki,
Editor: Giga Japaridze, Sound: Paata Godziashvili, Music: Without
Vakhtang Jajanidze (*1987 in Chiatura) graduated from the school #18 in Tbilisi and in 2004 continued studying at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University specialized on International Business and Law. After graduation in 2010 he was enrolled at the Shota Rustaveli University of Theater and Cinema on the faculty of Film and TV Direction, where he studied until 2014. In 2010 together with his friends he restored the students’ film festival “Amirani”. Today Vakho is taking a master degree program on Fiction film direction.
Competition Screening 5
Sunday, 8. October, 20pm
Manžel Ján s Rodinou / Husband Jan with Family / Ehemann Jan mit Familie
Slovakia / 2016 / Short Film / 19 min
OT Slovak / UT English
Jan lives in Slovakia and has been a farmer all his life. First in a big socialist enterprise and now for himself on his little farm. His son does not see any perspective in that and tries to keep his family as a taxi-driver. Jan's wife has fallen victim to the Alzheimer disease, she leads a confused life and needs his assistance. How should he go on? Can he work as a farmer and care for his wife, keep his farm going? What is all this for?
Director: Pavol Čižmár, Producer: VŠMU,
Script: Jakub Medvecký, DoP: Radka Šišuláková,
Editor: Peter Sedláčik, Sound: Michal Paluga, Music: Klara
Pavol Čižmár was born on the 27th February 1992 in Považská Bystrica. He grew up in Bytča, a town in the north of Slovakia, which had great influence on his personal and professional development, as well as waching a lot of movies and TV with his father. While studying at an eight-year high school in Bytča, he started a film club with an aquaintance of his. This led Pavol to discover a deep passion for the film industry. In 2010, after his high school graduation, Pavol was accepted to the directing department of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, which he finished successfully with Master degree.
Competition Screening 5
Sunday, 8. October, 20pm
Papé /
France / 2015 / Short Film / 17 min
OT French / UT English
Working on the boat has for long been too hard for the old fisherman Papé. As a lonely man he throws his net into the sea from the footbridge. He is the last traditional fisherman in the village. His son has been working in town for a long time, he does not want to accept help from other people, and since the death of his wife he has found it hard to wrest any meaning from life. His life is all memory. One more time he rigs his boat and takes it out to the sea.
Director: Nicolas Polixene, Producer: Jonathan Hazan,
Script: Nicolas Polixene, DoP: David Kremer,
Editor: Boubkar Benzabat, Sound: Thomas François, Music: Pierre-Antoine Durand
Fascinated by the 7th art since childhood, Nicolas decided to stop his scientific studies and to devote himself to cinema. At EICAR (International School of Audiovisual Creation and Production) he learnt the basics of script writing, directing actors and movie language. At the end of his studies, he gains experience by working on shoots and taking part in many competitions. At the Cannes Film Festival 2014, he won the Oceans Price of Best Short Film script for the project « Papé », for which the shooting was done in January 2015 in Guadeloupe.
Competition Screening 5
Sunday, 8. October, 20pm
Walja /
Germany, - / 2016 / Short Film / 17 min
OT ohne Di / UT -
Walja lives in a delapidating village in the deepest province of Russia. Her son Petka is a drunkard and her grandson Dima a good-for-nothing. Her life is just work - day in, day out. She cares for the family and opens the barriers after the trains that are always passing by. When Grisha, an old friend from her youth, appears in the village, memories are waking up in Walja. She grants herself an excursion from everyday life and a little bit of longing.
Director: Alexandra Brodski, Producer: COLOR OF MAY,
Script: Alexandra Brodski, Elmar Imanov, DoP: Borris Kehl,
Editor: Jan Henrik Pusch, Ross Leppard, Sound: Sashko Potter Micevski, Music: -
Alexandra Brodski was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1989, and in 1992 moved to Germany with her family. In 2008 she began her studies of film direction at the IFS (international filming school) Cologne and made short feature films and documentary films in Germany, Albania and South Korea. After graduating from the school with a B.A., she worked in numerous German productions, among others in "Schoßgebete" (Director: Sönke Wortmann) und "Die abhandene Welt" (D.: Margarethe von Trotta) as a first and second assistant director. Since January 2016, Alexandra, as a DAAD-grant winner, has been on a two-year Master course in film directing at the NFTS (National Film and Television School) in London.
Competition Screening 6
Monday, 9. October, 18pm
Jacques a soif / Thirsty / Durstig
France / 2016 / Short Film / 20 min
OT French / UT English
In a village in France, Jaques, a destitute alcoholic, fights for his social appreciation. The owner of the bar where he spends most of his time has thrown him out.
Director: Jérémie LAURENT, Producer: Caïmans Productions,
Script: Jérémie Laurent, DoP: Noé Bach,
Editor: Marylou Vergez, Sound: Fabien Dao, Clément Badin, Clément Laforce, Music: Benjamin Laurent
Born and raised in Paris, Jérémie studied film and television. He worked as a casting assistant for different features before devoting himself to writing and directing shorts and documentaries. In 2015, he directed two short films: "Thirsty", produced by Caïmans Productions, and "Boniek and Platini", produced by Le G.R.E.C, were selected at Palm Springs international film festival in 2016.
Competition Screening 9
Tuesday, 10. October, 20pm
Lost in Hope /
Germany / 2016 / Short Film / 16 min
OT Hebrew / UT German
"Lost in Hope" tells the story of the Israeli Rachel and the Palestinian Jassir in the form of a poetic and lyrical dialogue. Jassir wants to live in freedom, beyond the hopelessness and the violence in his country. Rachel's dream is to study music. But before that she has to do her service in the army. Even though both of them reject the rigid patterns and the violence in the dominating Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it determines their future, and the fate of one conditions the fate of the other.
Director: Aline Hochscheid, Producer: Dennis Colquhoun,
Script: Aline Hochscheid, Andreas Arnstedt, DoP: Kyrill Ahlvers,
Editor: Zoltan M. Geller, Sound: Zoltan M. Geller, Music: Ralf Goebel
Aline Hochscheid was born in Düsseldorf in 1976. She got her first experiences in acting in the theatre group of the Goethe school. Before finishing this school she won her first experiences in filming. After many years as an actress in films, on TV and at the theatre, Aline Hochscheid is now a student and grant winner in the field of directing at the IFS Cologne, with a BA in 2016.
Competition Screening 9
Tuesday, 10. October, 20pm
Watu Wote / All of us / Wir alle
Germany, Kenia / 2017 / Short Film / 21 min
OT Swahili / UT German
Kenia has been the target of terrorist attacks by the islamist Al-Shabaab militia for years. An atmosphere of distrust and fear between Muslims and Christians has been spreading in the country. A coach full of people from both religious groups is on the road in the dangerous border area between Kenia and Somalia, the atmosphere is tense. When the coach is attacked by terrorists, the travellers are trying to stand by one another. A film about the power of human solidarity
Director: Katja Benrath, Producer: Tobias Rosen (Creative Producer), Hamburg Media School,
Script: Julia Drache, DoP: Felix Striegel,
Editor: Julia Drache, Sound: Edward Ahenda/Michael Manzke, Music: Elisabeth Kaplan, Florian Hirschmann
Influenced by theatre throughout her youth, Katja Benrath pursued that career in her early professional life. She became a theatre tailor and worked for Pina Bausch's dance company. Following, she completed her studies in Singing and Acting in Vienna (Austria) where she also discovered filmmaking. Her first short films ("Babydoll", "No one pukes in Heaven" & "Tilda") have been playing successfully on many international festivals. During her master studies at Hamburg Media School she directed “Where have you been" and “Secrecies".
Competition Screening 10
Wednesday, 11. October, 18pm
El Edén / Eden
Colombia, España / 2016 / Short Film / 19 min
OT Spanish / UT English
Two boys break into the weed-grown garden of an abandoned villa. It seems to be a garden of Eden, it is hot, the fruit are ripe, the water beckons from a pool. The boys are casually enjoying themselves, posturing attitudes of masculinity, power, violence. Nothing worries them. They obviously know this place. When a man tries to drive them out, it becomes clear that the history of this place is a history of violence - and the boys are a part of it.
Director: Andrés Ramírez Pulido, Producer: Diana Fernanda Agudelo,
Script: Andrés Ramírez Pulido, DoP: Jaime Barrios,
Editor: Etienne Boussac, Sound: Carlos García, Music: -
Andrés Ramírez Pulido (*1989 in Bogotá, Colombia) studied film and creative writing at the National University of Colombia. In 2007, he directed "Ella", short film winner of the Video Festival Joven Guadalajara in Mexico. In 2012, Andrés founded the independent production company Valiente Gracia. He has also worked as assistant director in advertisement and feature films. Momentarily he is preparing the films "Eliú" and "Damiana", short film winner of the grant from the Colombia Film Development Fund, and developing his first feature film.
Competition Screening 10
Wednesday, 11. October, 18pm
Was ich dir noch sagen wollte / Things left unsaid /
Germany / 2017 / Short Film / 29 min
OT German / UT English
In a barren Brandenburg landscape, this film tells the story of Vince, who has lost his best friend in a motorbike accident. Overwhelmed by the sudden death of his friend, he channels his grief into dumb madness and thoughts of escape.
Director: Hans Henschel, Producer: Florian Fettweis,
Script: Hans Henschel, DoP: Johannes Greisle,
Editor: Simon Möller, Sound: Roman Pogorzelski, Music: Robert Pilgram
Hans Henschel was born in Havelberg in 1985. He has been living in Berlin since he was 21 and has been making short films since that time. From 2008 to 2012 he studied direction at the Film Arc in Berlin Kreuzberg. Since October 2013 he has been studying direction at the Film University KONRAD WOLF in Babelsberg
Competition Screening 10
Wednesday, 11. October, 18pm
Treibgut / Flotsam /
Germany, Österreich, Tirol / 2017 / Short Film / 26 min
OT German / UT English
Michael's life has so far been determined by the village brass band and making gigs with his friends in the rehearsal room. But Michael must grow up and, above all, take decisions. Nothing is harder, because he himself does not know what he wants. A state that seems to paralyse him in his confrontation with the world. Torn between incompatible expectations, he threatens to get lost searching for a life design in the haystack.
Director: Lukas Ladner, Producer: Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF, Produktionsleitung: Philipp Rappsilber,
Script: Lukas Ladner, DoP: Carlos Isabel Garcia,
Editor: Kai Eiermann, Sound: Phillipp Witsch, Ludwig Müller, Jens Müller, Music: Fabian Lanzmaier, Phillipp Witsch
Lukas Ladner (*1991 in Innsbruck) works in the fields of film scripts, film direction and video art. Since 2013 he has been studying film and TV direction at the Film University KONRAD WOLF in Babelsberg. He was represented with his films at CinemaNext. Beside traditional feature films his favourite interest is in experimental forms of expression an in the merging of the two disciplines.
Competition Screening 15
Friday, 13. October, 18pm
Adaptacja / Adaptation / Anpassung
Poland, none / 2017 / Short Film / 24 min
OT Polish / UT English
Marcin and Michal are brothers from a mass-produced residential area of a small town. When Marcin dies in an accident, the family drowns in grief. The parents and acquaintances want to hear answers from Michal, but nobody wants to understand him. The atmosphere at home gets darker with every word uttered, and in the end everything is reduced to the question: who is guilty of Marcin's death.
Director: Bartosz Kruhlik, Producer: Lodz Film School,
Script: Bartosz Kruhlik, DoP: Michal Dymek,
Editor: Maciej Kozlowski, Sound: Katarzyna Figat, Music: Andrzej Strzemzalski
Bartosz Kruhlik (*1985 in Lubsko, Poland) studied film directing at The National Film School in Lodz. His films have been shown over 500 times at film festivals all over the world and got nearly 150 awards. The main selections are: San Sebastian IFF, Karlovy Vary IFF, Montreal WFF, Sarajevo FF, IDFA. In 2013 he received the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Prize for outstanding artistic achievement. He is the author of the numerous social ads.
Competition Screening 15
Friday, 13. October, 18pm
RIDERS /
Denmark / 2015 / Short Film / 29 min
OT Danish / UT English
After eight years in prison, Lars, the boss of a criminal bikers' club, wants to get out of this environment and have a new start with his family in Sweden. Expiating his deadly violence has changed him. But his old life does not want to release him. His former buddy immediately wants to get him into business again, and the welcome given him by the old crew makes him feel like being back at home. It takes all his strength to stick to his decision and to leave his former sphere of life, which attracts him as much as it repels him.
Director: JESPER VIDKJÆR RASMUSSEN, Producer: DITTE MILSTED & JACOB JAREK,
Script: RUNE LÜNELL & JESPER VIDKJÆR RASMUSSEN, DoP: STURLA BRANDTH GRØVLEN,
Editor: RASMUS GITZ-JOHANNESEN, Sound: THOMAS HUUS CHRISTENSEN & BO ASDAL ANDERSEN, Music: ANDERS CHRISTOPHERSEN & MANON PARENT
Jesper Vidkjær Rasmussen (*1979 in Aarhus) has a background as an actor and is trained from Michael Chekhov Studio in USA and Denmark. Since 2005 he has been working primarily as a director on different shorts, documentaries and music videos. Recently he has directed and written the film RIDERS, a prize winning short film that has been shown around the world on a many festivals. Jesper is currently developing his first feature.
Competition Screening 15
Friday, 13. October, 18pm
GABI /
Germany / 2017 / Short Film / 30 min
OT German / UT English
"I don't say anything, and do it all with my eyes." Gabi's life has been filling with a tenacious emptiness. Her husband cheats on her but she does not even worry about it any more. Her sister is highly pregnant and stressed out. It is only in her job as a floor-stone tiler that she knows somebody who takes notice of her, who looks at her and talks to her. It is her apprentice Marco. In a kind of role-playing game between them there are fits of rage and of tenderness, which are beginning to corrode Gabi's hard shell.
Director: Michael Fetter Nathansky, Producer: Anna-Sophie Philippi & Virginia Martin (Producerinnen); Filmuniversität Babelsberg (Produzentin),
Script: Michael Fetter Nathansky, DoP: Clara Rosenthal,
Editor: Kai Eiermann, Sound: Robert Niemeyer, Music: -
Michael Fetter Nathansky (*1993 in Köln) spent his youth in Germany and Spain. In October 2013 he began to study film direction at the Babelsberg Film University KONRAD WOLF. Since that time he has made several films dealing with the borderlines between fiction and documentaries. One example is "Kurtsky - the dayfly", in cooperation with the RBB, which was shown at the 2014 Dok.Leipzig festival.