Award Winner 2016

The winners of the 32nd Hamburg International ShortFilmFestival (IKFF) and of the 18th Mo&Friese Children’s ShortFilmFestival
 


International Competition
Jury: John Canciani, Anouk De Clercq, Jeanne Faust, Sarah Perks, Makino Takashi
 
Hamburg Short Film Award (Jury Award of the International Competition)
Ears, Nose and Throat

Kevin Jerome Everson, USA 2016, 10:00 min
 
Jury statement:
Kevin Jerome Everson’s Film ›Ears, Nose and Throat‹ is a beautifully structured and unique take on the present African American reality. Everson presents a relevant issue by portraing a woman speaking in a matter of fact way about a brutal murder, juxtaposed with a routine hospital procedure. Refreshingly original, a sensitive approach and a unanimous winner for the jury.
 
 
Audience Award, given to a short film from the International or the German Competition
Eine Villa mit Pinien (The Pine Tree Villa)

Jan Koester, Germany 2016, 12:58 min
 
 
NoBudget Competition
Jury: Siegried Alexander Fruhauf, Christoph Girardet, Jane Topping
 
No Budget Jury Award
The Masked Monkeys

Anja Dornieden, Juan David González Monroy, Germany 2015, 30:00 min
 
Jury statement:
By using black and white 16 mm, the film starts as a knowing imitation of ethnographic films with which we are familiar, and this idea of imitation is mirrored in the »work« that the monkey is trained to perform; an imitation of the powerful man. The narration is cleverly written and paced, confusing the roles of master and performer, calling attention to the impoverished position of not only the animal but the human trainer. The use of analogue film and authoritarian voice over resulted, for this jury, in a subline experience. The film is open to interpretation, leaving the audience with existential questions regarding the spiritual and material world and our own attitudes towards the so-called familiar and the so-called unknown.
 
 
NoBudget Audience Award ›Optimistic Vision‹
Isabella

Duncan Cowles, Russ Hogg, Great Britain 2015, 9:19 min
 
 
German Competition
Jury: Luise Donschen, Mischa Leinkauf, Peter Zorn
 
Jury Award
Schicht (Shift)

Alex Gerbaulet, Germany 2015, 28:30 min
 
Jury statement:
Shift, shaft, gorge. Based on the biography of his own family of mine workers, Alex Gerbaulet paints an impressive picture of Western German post war history in his film ›Shift‹. Layer for layer, she undresses the functionalized societal standardization until the bare smug narrowed-mindedness of German front gardens becomes visible. While the father is building the model home, the mother is increasingly slipping into mental illness and the daughter choses a path of rebellion and withdrawal.
The sound track is provided by the pop singer Alexandra with »illusions of flowering reality«. The film finds a distinct rhythm for every protagonist in a virtuous montage of private and public archive material, family albums and diaries from two generations. The precision, which is also reflected in Gerbaulet’s lyrical off-text, makes ›Shift‹ a cinematic masterpiece.
 
 
Special Mention:
(…) craving for narrative

Max Grau, Germany 2015, 25:28 min
 
Jury statement:
Luise: The film is about the seductive power of nostalgia.
Peter: I rather interpret it as a pop cultural analysis combined with a very personal examination.
Mischa: Most of all, this film is fun.
Luise: I found Travolta’s ass rather enjoyable.
Mischa: I didn’t notice the ass. I was too busy watching the film maker think.
Peter: The loop is groovy, but it feels like coitus interruptus.
Mischa: It’s always about the one thing for you guys…
Luise: All I’m doing is fighting back against postmodernism and its cultivation of the doubt of lust.
Mischa: Yeah, that’s right. It’s all about the entertainment value.
Peter: A very nice piece of nerdy fan culture.
Luise: The film is based on the pleasure of watching, deconstructing it into a very comprehensible analysis and it leaves us with a decal of Kitsch and a vibrating body.
Mischa: That’s one way of putting it, of course.
 
 
 
 
Hamburg Competition
Jury: Luise Donschen, Mischa Leinkauf, Peter Zorn
 
Jury Award
Stadt der Elefanten (The City of Elephants)

Marko Mijatovic, Germany/Bosnia and Herzegovina 2015, 29:32 min
 
Jury statement:
A town of return, a place to die. Marko Mijatovic portrays the little mountain village Vares in Bosnia by following several people through the snow. Calmly, he addresses the attempts to go back to a time when the town was still alive, before the war and the outflow of people. The stories of the ghosts of war, superstition and the hope for a future as a tourist town form a kaleidoscopic narrative. The jury hopes that the film maker will be able to further condense these promising approaches in his future work.
 
 
Three Minute Quickie Competition: Topic ›Switch off‹
 
Audience Award, funded by the Hamburgische Kulturstiftung
Bingo!

Patrick Schoenmaker, Netherlands 2015, 2:40 min
 
 
ARTE Short Film Award
Jury: Barbara Häbe, Catherine Colas
 
ARTE Short Film Award - Acquisition of screening rights and broadcast as part of ARTE’s short film programme.
Eine Villa mit Pinien (The Pine Tree Villa)

Jan Koester, Germany 2016, 12:58 min
 
Jury statement:
ARTE and the ZDF are happy to give this year’s ARTE short film award to an artistically impressive animated film. With its naturalistic aesthetics and its expressive colourful images, the animated film manages to deeply sink into the minds of its viewers. In a fantastic fairy tale world in which people wear animal heads, the malicious master of a splendid mansion plays a devilishly hypnotic music. A play on the abuse of power and the crossing of boundaries which is both surprising and fascinating. We congratulate the director and author Jan Koester on his film ›The Pine Tree Villa‹.

 
4th Youth programme FreiStil
 
Jury: Laura Marie Becker, Lilli Beyer, Jan Fuduric, Gitta Grot, Fiekke Grunwaldt
 
›Freischwimmer‹ (Jury award, from age 14)
Hopptornet (Ten Meter Tower)

Maximilien Van Aertryck, Axel Danielson, Sweden 2016, 16:37 min
 
Jury statement:
The award for the best film from the Freistil-program goes to a film that has surprised us all. A documentary that makes people laugh the way we did is something very special and we have really enjoyed these 15 minutes. Thanks to its’ great concept and cut it will be our winner today. The film is in no way boring and surprised us with new ideas several times. The dialogues are very diverse and honest and even though we make fun of the people up there, we can’t help but sympathize. Because, seriously, would you have jumped? This years’ ›Freischwimmer‹ goes to ›Hopptornet‹ – 10 meter diving platform by Maximilien Van Aertryck and Axel Danielson from Sweden.
 
 
Special Mention:
 
O noapte in Tokoriki

Roxana Stroe, Romania 2016, 18:00 min, Fiction
 
Jury statement:
Furthermore we want to make a special mention for a film that has really touched us. It is an entertaining film which shows an up to date and serious topic in a special, humorous and relatable way. We have enjoyed every minute of this funny party. One thing this film has managed to do is that he stays unpredictable for a long time and plays with the viewers’ guesses. It tricks you. Its’ plots needs only very little dialogue but lots of music. For its’ specialty and very interesting camera perspective this film is truly worth a special mention. Without further ado our special mention goes to ›O noapte in Tokoriki‹ (›A night in Tokoriki‹) by Roxana Stroe from Romania.

18th Mo&Friese Children’s ShortFilmFestival
These prizes are awarded by both children’s juries.
Friese Jury: Samuel Bartosch, Matteo Engel, Jana Kreyer, Levi Paschmann, Phillis Weiland
Mo Jury: Emanuel Botechy, Malte Kreyer, Hana Ogbuihi, Hannah Prestin, Paula Rodriguez, Romy Stadler
 
Friese-Award (Jury Award age 4 to 8)
Ein Märchen von einer unmöglichen Stelle im Universum
(A Fairy Tale with a Completely Imagined Ending)

Markus Wulf, Germany 2014, 20:00 min, Fiction
 
Jury statement: This years Friese-Award goes to the film ›A Fairy Tale with a Completely Imagined Ending‹ from Markus Wulf (and we hope that he will continue to make great films like this one). We thought the film was extremely funny and  it was clear very early that it has to win! You can tell that it was very elaborate and time consuming to produce this fanciful film, and that the team has put a lot of effort into the costumes and the animation. The actors (the adults as well as the children) where convincing as well. We also liked, that the film shows that being a princess is not always great. It’s crass, when Helene refuses to put her crone back on, since most other girls dream about a crone like that.
 
 
Mo-Award (Jury Award, age 9 to 13)
Ninnoc

Niki Padidar, Netherlands 2015, 19:21 min, Documentary
 
Jury statement: We have seen 22 films and there where a lot of really goods ones. So thanks to all the filmmakers. But there was one film where we thought instantly: This is it! This ist he best one. This years Mo award goes to ›Ninnoc‹ by Niki Padidar. A touching documentary portait of a 12 year old dutch girl that tells us a story about being different. »Ninnoc, that could be me, at least a bit. The filmmaker did a magnificent job . She has found ravishingly beautiful images for an incredible interesting topic. And she succeeded in representing different Emotion in a  touching yet credible way.« We are looking forward to more films by Niki Padidar and to a little less »Normal« in this world.
 
 
Special Mention:
 
Muuri

Jussi Rastas, Jenni Kivistö, Finland 2016, 6:21 min, Documentary
 
Jury statement: Yes, we love documentaries! And that is why we want to give a special mention to ›Muri‹ by Jussi Rastas und Jenni Kivistö.  It is so outrages to see how the protagonist is being treated in a different way than everybody else, just because the colour of his skin. We are certain, that this film has he power to move people and can help to change the minds of racist. The two filmmakers have found impressive images for this cause.
 
 
Special Mention:
 
A qui la Faute

Anne-Claire Jaulin, France 2015, 18:47 min, Fiction
 
Jury statement: We also like fiction! If it is told in a good way and touches us with its message or excites and suprises us. That is why we also wanted to give a special to ›A qui la Faute‹ by Anne-Claire Jaulin. The cat fight in a girl scout camp is showing how girls sometimes just make each other lifes harder. The scene in the forest grabbed us all. The film is tough but it shows how fast some people go to defend their position as group leader. And we also think it important to make films hat show how much easier things would be if everyone could just love whomever he or she wants to love.
 
 
HIGH FIVE! Competition
Short film competition for children under 14 years. Films running max. 5 minutes, produced solely for this competition. Topic 2016: ›Giants‹.
A total of 600 Euros is awarded – sponsored by GEOlino, presented by the Mo-Jury and the Friese-Jury.
 
1st Prize
Der entscheidende Moment (The Defining Moment)

Niko Albers, Germany 2016, 3:00 min, Fiction
 
2nd Prize
5 for Life

SFO-Förde-Schule-Gravenstein Denmark 2016, 4:42 min, Fiction
 
3rd Prize
Giganten der Tiefe (Giants of the Deep)

Medienwerkstatt AG, Grundschule Tennenbronn, Germany 2016, 3:00 min, Animation