– The 38th edition of the German festival has wrapped by handing out a total of ten Golden Horsemen and seven special prizes worth €72,000
The winners of Filmfest Dresden (© Michael Kaltenecker)
The 38th edition of Filmfest Dresden, celebrating short films from all over the world, took place from 14-19 April. This year, more than 21,400 attendees, a new record, and over 500 professional visitors were present during the festival. Special programmes were dedicated to films from Québec and Latvia as well as to the topic of working conditions and work spaces, presented in the “Work in Progress” section.
Eight different juries chose their favourites from among the 65 short films screened in the three competition sections. A total of ten Golden Horsemen and seven additional special prizes were given out. The awards presented to the winners of the National, International and Regional Competitions were worth a total of €72,500.
In the International Competition, the Golden Horseman for Animated Film went to the Canadian production Paradaïz by Matea Radic. The prize is sponsored by the State Chancellery of Saxony and is endowed with €7,500. The jury said of its decision: “The winning film is a coming-of-age story about coming to terms with life and teaches us that sometimes, even the smallest change, like covering a bullet hole with a smiley-face sticker, can bring us peace.” Paradaïz also earned a Special Mention in the “Fully Political” – Short Film Award for Democratic Culture strand.
The Golden Horseman for Animated Film in the National Competition went to Paulina Martyna Ziolkowska’s Procrastination Yoga, which enjoyed its world premiere at Filmfest Dresden. The award is endowed with €3,000, and the short clearly convinced the jury: “Stop-motion, cut-outs, costumes and live-action footage. A fascinating array, an unusual rhythm and deep concerns. Through humour, the filmmaker succeeds in having the audience empathise with them.” The third prize for an animated short, the DEFA Promotion Prize Animation, worth €3,000, went to the German effort City in the Fox by John Mikael Lindskov Jacobsen.
The winner of the Golden Horseman for Best Short Film in the International Competition was Water Sports by Whammy Alcarazen, from the Philippines. The award is worth €7,500. Meanwhile, the Golden Horseman for Best Short Film in the National Competition, endowed with €3,000, was given to Bleifrei 95, a co-production between Germany and Austria by Emma Hütte and Tina Muffler. The jury opined: “It is a raw and unfiltered story of desire, love and life itself, centred on a friendship that overcomes all.” One of the biggest accolades, with prize money of €20,000, is the Saxon Film Promotion Prize, sponsored by the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism. It went to a short in the National Competition – namely, to Gwenola Heck for Gaïa. The jury said: “At a time when the rights of marginalised groups are being increasingly restricted and the state offers no real protection, this work radiates the relevance of self-determination to the outside world.”
The main prize in the “Fully Political” – Short Film Award for Democratic Culture section, to the tune of €3,000, was given to Abortion Party by Julia Mellen, from Spain. Moreover, the film received a Special Mention from the youth jury in the International Competition. Speaking of which, the youth jury bestowed a Golden Horseman in the International Competition, endowed with €2,000, upon the Swiss production Hunting by Lea Favre, saying: “The animation feels raw and compelling, the storytelling keeps you guessing and guts you, and the script draws you into the moment.” In the National Competition, the youth jury plumped for Bad Luck by Jan Eilhardt.
The Golden Horseman of the Audience in the International Competition was awarded to the French production S the Wolf by Sameh Alaa, in the National Competition to Blob and the Wolf by Gregor Kästle and Valentin Bolte, and in the regional Central German Competition to Cold Call by Stefanie Schroeder. Finally, Alina Cyranek scooped the Golden Horseman in the Central German Competition, which is endowed with €3,000, for her short Unbemerkt verstorben.
Here is the full list of award winners:
International Competition
Golden Horseman for Animated Film
Paradaïz – Matea Radic (Canada)
Special Mention
Tuna Tartare – Lena Greene (USA)
Golden Horseman for Short Fiction Film
Water Sports – Whammy Alcazaren (Philippines)
Special Mention
Fukuyama – Ciro Puig Bonneti (Cuba/Spain/Haiti)
Golden Horseman of the Audience
S the Wolf – Sameh Alaa (France)
Golden Horseman of the Youth Jury
Hunting – Lea Favre (Switzerland)
Special Mention
Abortion Party – Julia Mellen (Spain)
National Competition
Golden Horseman for Animated Film
Procastination Yoga – Paulina Martyna Ziolkowska (Germany)
Special Mention
Radix – Anne Breymann (Germany)
Golden Horseman for Short Fiction Film
Bleifrei 95 – Emma Hütt, Tina Muffler (Germany/Austria)
Special Mention
What a Kind Regard – Pavel Mozhar (Germany)
Golden Horseman of the Audience
Blob and the Wolf – Greg Kästle, Valentin Bolte (Germany)
Golden Horseman of the Youth Jury
Bad Luck – Jan Eilhardt (Germany)
Special Mention
Blob and the Wolf – Greg Kästle, Valentin Bolte
Saxon State Minister of Culture and Tourism Promotion Prize
Gaïa – Gwenola Heck (Germany)
DEFA Promotion Prize Animation
City in the Fox – Mikael Lindskov Jacobsen (Germany)
ARTE Short Film Prize National & International
Sleep Acid City – Jack Wedge, Will Freudenheim (USA)
Golden Horseman for Sound Design
Primary Education – Aria Sánchez, Marina Meira (Cuba/Spain)
Special Mention
L’Mina – Randa Maroufi (France/Morocco/Italy/Qatar)
Luca Film Award for Gender Equality
The Gift – Lara Izagirre Garizurieta (Spain)
“Fully Political” – Short Film Award for Democratic Culture
Abortion Party – Julia Mellen
Special Mention
Paradaïz – Matea Radic
German Critics’ Award
Boundaries – Seun Yee (South Korea)
Special Mention
Sand Dog – Fabien Dao (France)
Central German Competition
Golden Horseman
Unbemerkt Verstorben – Alina Cyranek (Germany)
Special Mention
The Weight of All Things – Annie Krause (Germany)
Audience Award
Cold Call – Stefanie Schroeder (Germany)
