Festival Director Albert Wiederspiel is proud to have the young talents award “Die Elfe” (literally: “The Pixie”) being presented at Filmfest Hamburg, donated by one of Europe’s leading advertising film production companies, Neue Sentimental Film Hamburg (NSF).

Helga Waterkotte, Managing Director of NSF Hamburg: “The young talents award in the form of an elf symbolizes the dreams of young directors and is simultaneously part of our company logo.”

Endowed with 5,000 euros, the young talents award “Die Elfe” will be presented by a jury of three, consisting of agent Vicki Hinrichs-Rickmers, actor Robert Atzorn and Sabine Lippert, also Managing Director of NSF Hamburg.

And another prize is being presented at Filmfest Hamburg for the first time: The “Art Cinema Award”, established in 1969 by the Confédération Internationale des Cinémas d'Art et d'Essai (C.I.C.A.E.) (International Confederation of Art House Cinemas). Detlef Roßmann, chairman of both the German and the international art cinema unions (AG KINO and C.I.C.A.E.), views the presentation as “a wonderful partnership reinstated” and a cause for joy: “The fact that Filmfest Hamburg is giving us the honour of inviting a jury and presenting an award is an encouraging signal on behalf of the City of Hamburg towards committed and high-brow cinema.”
All films that have a German distributor are nominated. The confederation’s extensive network will support the distribution of the winning film throughout Europe. Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein is contributing 5,000 euros to the award in support of PR measures by the German distributor. The international jury consists of the cinema directors Daniel Lavaud (France), Dietmar Zingl (Austria) and Erdmann Lange (Germany).

Once again the renowned “Douglas-Sirk-Award” will be awarded to an individual for rendering outstanding services to cinema culture and the film industry. The presentation will take place on Saturday, 27th September at 7.45 pm.

The “TV Producer Award” is presented in cooperation with the Department for Cultural Affairs, Sports and Media, who are sponsoring the prize money of 30,000 euros. The award goes to TV producers and is available exclusively for postproduction contracts with companies from Hamburg. The jury members are producer and scriptwriter Nina Bohlmann, actor Burghart Klaußner and scriptwriter Ruth Thoma.

The “Montblanc Scriptwriting Award” in the “Nordlichter” (“Northern Lights”) section is endowed with 50,000 euros and is presented by the long-established company Montblanc und Filmfest Hamburg. This year the jury-council is made up of literary manager Annette Pauw, writer Dirk C. Fleck and the General Manager of Hoffmann & Campe publishing house, Günter Berg.

The “Hamburg Film Critic Award” goes to a film that presents current affairs in a particularly original manner. The members of the 2008 jury are Lars-Olav Beier (Der Spiegel), Bernd Teichmann (Stern), Volker Behrens (Hamburger Abendblatt) and Jens Büchsenmann (NDR 90,3).

Which is the best European box-office hit? The audience itself can decide on the winning film of the “eurovisuell” section by casting ballots. The “Audience Award” is endowed with 5,000 euros and this year it is presented by the gentlemen’s club Gesellschaft Harmonie von 1789.

Altogether nine feature films and one animated film are competing for the “Michel” Award, donated by DVD provider Universal Pictures Germany and endowed with 5,000 euros, double as much as last year. A jury made up of children and adolescents will determine the best children’s and youth film in the international competition. The prize will be awarded in the cinema CinemaxX Dammtor on 2nd October at 4.00 pm, before the final film.

The Michel Kinder- und JugendFilmfest (Children’s and Youth Film Festival) also features an audience award: the “Jetix-Movie-Award”. The prize will be awarded in the cinema CinemaxX Dammtor on 2nd October at 4.00 pm by the children’s channel Jetix.

For the third time now, the free-to-air TV channel DAS VIERTE presents the “micromovie-Award” at Filmfest Hamburg. Of all the film ideas submitted, the ten best were made into films. The TV- and Filmfest audiences decide on which of the 100-second films will receive the prize endowed with 4,444 euros.

Except where stated otherwise, all award winners will be announced during the award-giving ceremony on the evening of 2nd October in the cinema CinemaxX Dammtor.

The 16th Filmfest Hamburg takes place from 25th September – 2nd October 2008 in the cinemas CinemaxX Dammtor, Abaton and 3001.