»To tell the truth, this will be the last time …«

There are two reactions to an empty room. The first is: »Great, now we can do everything we want to do.« The other: »Shit, now we gotta take care of everything«. Seven years ago, upon facing an empty room, we decided to go for the former and took care of it, spending lots of sweat, blood and tears along the way. The Kolbenhof and Halle 5 (after a short prelude in Halle 7 in 2011) became both the heart and the playground of the festival. For as long as it was possible, all kinds of nooks and crannies at the area become locations for short films, installations, concerts as well as many other things. Every year, the empty rooms prompted creative ideas for the festival. Admittedly, some of these were a bit excessive, quixotic or simply ›not approvable‹ in the eyes of the relevant officials. Still we were able to maintain the concept of the creative playground. The festival would like to thank everybody who reacted to the empty room in the former manner and nourished, cherished and expanded this incredible place over the course of seven years, never once doubting that the effort was worth it. Because it really was.

Now it’s time for us to say good bye to the short film festival at the Kolbenhof. 2017 will ultimately and officially be the last year in which we can build up our ›Short Film Disneyland‹ around our beloved Halle 5. While we are naturally looking back with sadness in our hearts, there were also plenty of things to make us proud: atmospheric Open-Air areas (three), workshops that served as cinemas (three), dark horror cinemas (four), small and hidden as well as magnificently grand video installations, screenings at the NoBudgetHotel (lots and lots), parties until dawn (countless), legendary concerts (such as Die Vögel, Meute, Kapelle Herrenweide, Sophia Kennedy) and unforgettable moments with film makers and guests from Hamburg and the whole world (uncountable).

We’re happily looking forward to a promising last festival week at the Kolbenhof with a beautiful open-air locations (Friday and Saturday), great concerts (Kasino Noir and Maask), the screenings at the Physikalisches Labor, formerly known as NoBudget-Hotel (every day), a return to the motor bike workshop and a final party night on Sunday, before the demolition ball arrives.

On that bombshell, »one more time we gonna celebrate«.