Like in previous years this year too an international five-piece jury will decide on who gets to win the “German Independence Award – Best German Film”. The members of the jury 2009 are:

Sylvia Caminer
American producer, director and writer Sylvia Caminer collaborated with Rap legend Busta Rhymes in “Love’N’Dancing” and “Order of Redemption”. She won an Emmy for the TV series “Great Hotels” and produced “Blue Moon” and “The Deli” both of which were presented at Filmfest Oldenburg in the past. Both films were realized with director and producer John Gallagher who also worked with her on her cinema directing debut “The Exchange”.

Patrick Cassavetti
Cassavetti has successfully produced feature films and TV-productions for over 30 years, among them the cult classic “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” or the Academy Award winning Jane Austin adaptation “Emma” starring Gwyneth Paltrow. In 1985 he co-produced Terry Gilliam’s legendary “Brazil”. His repertoire further consists of the Oscar nominated “Mona Lisa” starring Bob Hoskins and Patrice Chéreau’s “Intimacy” which won the Golden Bear at Berlin in 2001. Together with Simon Relph and Ann Scott he runs the London based production company Greenpoint Films, working together with Stephen Frears and Sir Richard Eyre. At the moment he is working on a film based on the bestselling “Being Dead” by Jim Crace.

Buddy Giovinazzo
In 1985 the American writer and director burst onto the scene with “Combat Shock” which quickly became an underground cult classic. He taught film at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and at the City University of New York from 1985 to 1995. In 1996 he released “No Way Home” starring Tim Roth. In 1998 he went to Berlin on a fellowship. He has been working on several “Tatorts” and “Polizeirufs 110” since 2003 and is a published writer. His film “Life is Hot in Cracktown” will be shown at this year’s festival, as well as his latest TV production “Platt gemacht” starring Udo Kier.

Chris Gore
The LA based writer, director and presenter is one of the leading men of independent cinema. 1984 he founded the Film Threat magazine which quickly gained reputation as the leading print medium covering the indie-scene. He is a passionate festival-visitor and has been selected to jurys at Slamdance and other festivals. He publishes the “Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide” rating more than 1000 festivals. The self-declared film-buff presents the weekly show DVDuesday on G4TV as part of the “Attack of the Show” format.

Aida LiPera
New York born Aida LiPera works for the international distributor Visit Films focusing on independent cinema. LiPera got her masters degree in European Film Studies from University of Edinburgh and has worked for the Edinburgh Film Festival in programming and screening coordination. She also held a number of different positions in the film industry, such as the IFP Independent Film Week and the Hampton International Film Festival before joining Visit Films.



Internationales Filmfest Oldenburg 16.-20. September 2009 | www.filmfest-oldenburg.de