The 55th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg has ended this weekend awarding the Main Award of Mannheim-Heidelberg and several further prizes.
„With persistence and consistency the Newcomer festival has conquered the second position after the Filmfestival Berlin“, said Dr. Michael Kötz, festival director and artistic director since 15 years, at the closing press conference in Mannheim. This position is not surprising from an international perspective as for many years the festival has been listed as one of the 40 most important film festivals worldwide. Many comments from industry professionals and the media reveal that the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg is the second most important German film festival after the Berlinale. In particular the festival’s unique and consistent profile as a premieres’ festival of newcomer films has strengthend this position.

1000 professionals attended the festival which was officially opened by the world premiere of Michael Schorr’s „Schroeder’s Wondeful World“. Despite its high professional standard, the 55th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg confirmed its status as a real audience festival with 60.000 visitors.
Aleksandr Sokurov was awarded the Master of Cinema Award at a festive gala.

The MANNHEIM MEETINGS took place for the 10th time during the festival. The event is considered to be one of the four most important coproduction markets worldwide. 63 projects from 39 countries were negotiated in 1000 business meetings. There are already first results:
The production company Filmkombinat will cooperate with Leopold Lummerstorfer on his project „Solange der Vorrat reicht / While Stocks Last“. The Turkish-Italian directors Guillaume Giovanotti and Cagla Zencirci, living in France, have already secured 20 percent of their budget through ther Hungarian film production company Inforg Studio. The partners will shoot the road movie „Tu mera dil, tu meri jaan / You are my heart, you are my soul“in Pakistan.

At a festive ceremony the following prizes of the 55th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg were awarded:

The Award Winners of the 55th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg

International Jury:
Labina Mitevska (Macedonia), Thierry Vandersanden (Belgium), Margit Vremmert (Estonia), Lou Ye (China)

Main Award of Mannheim-Heidelberg
goes to Geoffrey Enthoven from Belgium for the film
Vidange perdue / Frühling im Winter / The Only One

„For an unusual movie, deeply human and also funny, with an extraordinary performance of a marvelous grumpy old man.“
Production: Fobic Films, Tel. and Fax: +32 9 329 0052, info@fobicfilms.com, www.fobicfilms.com
World Sales: Cine-International, Leopoldstr. 18, 80802 Munich, Germany, Tel.: +49 89 39 10 - 25/26/27, Fax: +49 89 33 10 89, e-mail@cine-international.com

Rainer Werner Fassbinder Prize of Mannheim-Heidelberg
goes to Erik Richter Strand from Norway for the film
Sønner / Söhne / Sons
”For an honest, strong and emotional directing approach to such a delicate topic.“
Production: Tordenfilm AS, Marstrandgt.9, 0566 Oslo, Norway, Tel: +47 22 38 90 00, Fax: +47 22 38 90 01, info@tordenfilm.no, www.tordenfilm.no
World Sales: Bavaria Film International, Bavariafilmplatz 8, 82031 Geiselgasteig, Germany, Tel: +49 89 64 99 26 86, Fax: +49 89 64 99 37 20, bavaria.international@bavaria-film.de

Special Award of the Jury
goes to Lionel Baier from Switzerland for the film
Comme des voleurs / Wie die Diebe / Stealth
„For the fantasy, the authenticity of dialogues, for the false lightness of the screenplay… and for the passionate discussion we had in
the jury about this movie.”
Production: Saga Production, Manborget 6, 1003 Lausanne, Switzerland, Tel: +41 21 311 95 70, Fax: +41 21 311 95 72, info@sagaproduction.ch

Special Award of the Jury
goes to Árni Ólafur Ásgeirsson from Iceland for the film
Blodbönd / Dicker als Wasser / Thicker than Water
„For a director who is taking us on a special, sensitive and hard journey between his main characters."
Production: Pegasus Pictures, Soltun 24, 105 Reykjavik, Iceland, Tel: +35 4 511 45 90, Fax: +35 4 511 45 95, snorri@pegasus-pictures.com

Special Mention
goes to Florent Herry from Turkey for the camera of the film
Bes vakit / Zeiten und Winde / Times and Winds
„For a beautiful camera work, which leads us in discovering the beauty in the details of life."
Production: Atlantikfilm, Üst Zerren Sokak No:2 Levent, Istanbul 34330, Turkey, Tel: +90 212 278 36 11, Fax: +90 212 278 19 71, gulinustun@atlantikfilm.com

Special Mention
goes to Jesper Aholt from Denmark, the main actor of the Film
Kunsten at graede i kor / Die Kunst zu weinen / The Art of Crying
„For creating an amazing acting achievement for his role of Henry, in which he succeeds in accomplishing a portrait of a complex, strong
and amusing character."
Production: Final Cut Productions ApS, Forbindelsevej 7, 2100 Kopenhagen, Dänemark, finalcut@final-cut.dk
World Sales: AB Svensk Filmindustri, Rasundavägen 150, 16986 Stockholm, Schweden, international@sf.se, www.sfinternational.se

Special Mention
goes to James Longley from USA for the film
Iraq in Fragments / Irak in Fragmenten
„For an unconventional American point of view about Iraq, a film which we don't want to call a documentary."
Production: Typecast Pictures, 10035 35th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125, USA, Tel: +1 20 632 208 82, ryan@typecastfilms.com, www. typecastfilms.com

Award Best Short Film
goes to Marc Schaus from Belgium for the film
Quelque chose en O / Something in O
„For an amazing and promising short movie that we will not forget, even if we forget the first name of our children."
Production: Tribu Film, 24 rue Saint Martin, 5000 Namur, Belgium, Tel: +32 472 82 16 64, pierre.foulou@tribufilms.be

Audience Award of Mannheim-Heidelberg
goes to Peter Schønau Fog from Denmark for the film
Kunsten at græde i kor / Die Kunst zu weinen / The Art of Crying
Production: Final Cut Productions ApS, Forbindelsevej 7, 2100 Kopenhagen, Denmark, finalcut¬final-cut.dk
World Sales: AB Svensk Filmindustri, Rasundavägen 150, 16986 Stockholm, Sweden, international@sf.se, www.sfinternational.se

FIPRESCI-Jury
Joel Poblete (Chile), Pawel Tomasz Felis (Poland), Eero Tammi (Finland), Fatih Özgüven(Turkey)
International Film Critics Prize
goes to Franck Guérin from France for the film
Un jour d'été / An einem Sommertag / A Summer Day
„For a sensitive, personal and understanding portayal of complex human emotions, a film expressing itself succsessfully in a quiet and
musical way.”
Production: Ostinato Production, 171 Avenue d'Argenteuil, 92600 Asnieres Sur Seine, France, Tel. +33 148 01 00 10, Fax: +33 148 01 0011, ostinato@ostinatoproductien.com, Arte France,
8 rue Marceau, 92130 Issy les Moulineaux, www.artefrance.fr

Ecumenical Jury
Florian Kröppel (Graz), Françoise Lods (Paris), Lothar Strüber (Freiburg), Jacqueline Veuve (Les Monts-de-Corsier), Marisa Villareale (Saarbrücken)
The Ecumenic Film Prize
goes to Drazen Zarkovic and Pavo Marinkovic from Croatia for the film
Treseta/Die Kartenspieler – Geschichte einer Insel/ Tressette – A story of an Island
„With artistic images, a strong cast and subtle humour, the director tells the cinematic parable of a community of islanders and theircommitted fight against extinction. The card game Tressette, which gives the film its title, serves as a symbol of hope.”
Production: HRT Dramski Program, Prisavlje 3, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia, Tel: + 385 1 63 43 085, Fax: + 385 1 63 43 086, vesna.mort@hrt.hr

Jury of Cinema Owners
Melanie Hoffmann (Ludwigsburg), Ute Mader (Leverkusen), Svantje Wascher (Berlin)
Recommendations of the Jury of Cinema Owners
for
Kunsten at græde i kor / Die Kunst zu weinen / The Art of Crying
Denmark, Peter Schønau Fog
“The film is a tightly directed and sensitive tragicomedy. Told from little Allan’s simple-minded perspective, the film moves the spectators
without leaving a bitter aftertaste behind.”
Production: Final Cut Productions ApS, Forbindelsevej 7, 2100 Kopenhagen, Dänemark, finalcut¬final-cut.dk
World Sales: AB Svensk Filmindustri, Rasundavägen 150, 16986 Stockholm, Schweden, international@sf.se, www.sfinternational.se
Vidange Perdue / Frühling im Winter / The Only One
Belgium, Geoffrey Enthoven
“The film is a black-comedy which hits out at the generation conflict in an entertaining way. He reflects the life of Julien Knops, sympathetically
portrayed by the 83 year old Nand Buyl. This film stimulates the spectator to think.”
Production: Fobic Films, Tel. and Fax: +32 9 329 0052, info@fobicfilms.com, www.fobicfilms.com
World Sales: Cine-International, Leopoldstr. 18, 80802 München, Germany, Tel.: +49 89 39 10 - 25/26/27, Fax: +49 89 33 10 89, e-mail@cine-international.com
Sista Dagen / Großer Bruder, kleiner Bruder / The Last Day
Sweden, Magnus Hedberg
“At first there appears to be harmony between both couples in the limited space of the summerhouse. But this harmony is shattered by
an external influence. This intimate play bewitches the spectator until the very end.”
Production: Rock’n’Roll Film, Helmfeltsgatan 1, 211 48 Malmö, Sweden, Tel: +46 708 24 87 43, jens@rocknrollfilm.com, www.rocknrollfilm.com
Short Films in Competition
“The choice of short films interested us greatly. In this year’s competition there were some excellent short films to be discovered such
as ‘Berniukas ir Júra – The Boy and the Sea’ by Tomas Donela, ‘XX’ by Christián Jiménez or ‘Kotivideo – Homevideo’ by
Mikko Kuparinen.”