Hamburg Festival Winners are elect

Finally, after thrilling hours of counting numerous numbers on rating cards and heated discussion between the jury members, we are very proud to present the award winners of the 22nd Hamburg International Short Film Festival. Thanks to our supporters and sponsors, we were able to raise the prize money and there are even two new prizes this year (Werkleitz-Award, ZDFdokukanal-Award).
Overall, 14 awards worth in total almost 30,000 Euros were assigned for outstanding short film productions from all over the world.

International Competition

Jury Award, 3000 Euro

O. T. , Anna Berger, Germany 2005, Experimental Short Fiction, 11:44 Min, Mini DV.
Jury: Anna Abrahams, Dusan Gligorov, Matt Hulse, Fabrice Marquart, Anneke Kim Sarnau
Substantiation: "o.T" explores the film maker's sense of loss and mourning using a potent combination of melancholy and humour. This is a fresh, surprising, unpredictable and thouroughly authentic film from a young film maker who demonstrates great promise, originality and integrity.

François Ode Award, 1500 Euro

Du Soleil En Hiver, Samuel Collardey, France2005, Documentary, 18:43 Min, 35 mm.

Substantiation: This beautifully photographed documentary reveals, in a gentle, unselfconscious and respectful manner, the growth of a strong and genuine bond between two endearing characters and leaves a lasting, life-affirming impression.

Skoda Audience Award, 1500 Euro

Do not erase, Asitha Ameresekere, England 2005, Short Fiction 28:56 Min, Beta.


Special Mentionings
À Bras le Corps, Katell Quillévéré, France 2005, Short Fiction, 19:00 Min, 35mm.
Electrodoméstica, Kleber Mendonca Filho, Brasilien 2005, Short Fiction, 22:00 Min, 35 mm.
Elukka / Tier, Tatu Pohjavirta, Finland 2005, Animation, 27:52 Min, 35 mm.

Cross-Competition Awards

ZDFdokukanal-Award (180 Euro per min)

Motodrom, Jörg Wagner, Germany 2005, Documentary, 8:55 Min.,35mm.
Jury: Andrea Windisch, Florian Hager
Substantiation: With his documentary "Motodrom", Jörg Wagner has created an impressive homage to a vanishing fairground attraction and its heroes. In the space of only a few minutes, "Motodrom" allows its viewers to experience the entire world of wall-of-death motorcycling through its breathtaking collages of images and sound, its acute black-and-white imagery and its equally breathtaking camerawork. With this film, the author has created a very aesthetic documentary, whose style is just as unique as the spectacle presented by its protagonists.
Special Mentioning:
Frischluft - Matchcut, Stephan Müller, Argentinien 2005, Documentary, 7:30 Min, DVD.

arte-Short Film Award (Jury-Award 6000 Euro)

Zoo, Salla Tykkä, Finland 2006, Short Fiction, 12:25 Min, Beta.
Jury: Rania Sid Otmane, Barbara Häbe
Substantiation: A homage to the masters of suspense: the seemingly harmless stroll Salla Tykkä presents leads us to a yawning abyss. Through the use of astonishing camera angles and near-perfect, precise structuring, the film's every image is crafted like a painting. Silent shots of animals in a zoo interchange with surprising underwater footage, and both evoke an air of unfathomable mystery, mirrored on the protagonist's face.
" Zoo" is an aesthetic, disturbing work of art whose imagery will haunt us for quite some time.

Werkleitz Award 2006

At Night, Richard Penna, England 2006, Experimental Film, 10:31 Min, Beta.
Jury: Augustin Gimel, Peter Zorn, Marcie Jost
Substantiation: AT NIGHT shows slightly distorted images of people lying almost motionless on corridor floors and creates a dense atmosphere through the mix of sensitive, closely observed photography and virtuoso postproduction.
In a haunting way, the music by Geir Jenssen supports the dark atmosphere, which creates a number of possible associations and interpretations for the viewer.

NoBudget Competition

NoBudget Jury Award (2000 Euro)

The House by the Wall, Dana Levy, Israel 2005, Experimental Film, 5:00 Min, Mini DV
Jury: Gerald Holthuis, Rubaica Jaliwala, Thierry Vandenbussche
Substantiation: The filmmaker Dana Levy makes use of digital process to freeze time and manages, in a very poetic manner to make a political statement. We see a short aesthetical journey through abandoned Palestinian territory. The recurring images that normally appear in the daily media are becoming increasingly stereotypical but the slow pace and silence of the film offers the opportunity for a focus on detail and personal reflection.

Special Mentioning:
Kalle, Igor Sevcuk, Netherlands 2004, Experimental Documentary, 20 Min., DVD
Microftalmía, Andrea Robles & Adriana Bravo, Mexico, 2005, Experimental Film, 5:30 Min, Mini DV
The Hyrcynium Wood, Ben Rivers, England 2005, Documentary, 3:00 Min, Mini DV.
The Bomb With A Man in His Shoe, Ben Rivers, England 2005, Experimental Documentary, 18:00 Min, 16 mm.

As 2 films gained the same results in the audiance polls, the audience award is shared by the following films:

NoBudget Audiance Award (each 750 Euro)

Man OS 1 / Extraordinateur, Roland Seidel & Achim Stiermann, Austria, 2001-2005, Computer Animation, 13:35 Min., DVD.

Julot, Maya Tiberman, Israel 2005, Experimental Animation, 3.11 Min, Mini DV.

Made in Germany

Greenpeace Energy Audience Award (1500 Euro)

Delivery, Till Nowack, Germany 2005, Animation, 9:00 Min, 35 mm.


Made in Hamburg

Hanse-Short Jury Award, 1500 Euro

Exploding Buds, Petra Schröder, Germany 2005, Short Fiction, 19:52 Min, 35mm.
Jury: Andrea Rothaug, Hans-Jörg Kapp, Birgit Glombitza
Substantiation: Petra Schröder's Exlploding Buds shows its viewers psychedelic dollhouse brought to life with an uninhibited, multicoloured hysteria, which pillages and plunders the fairy tale mythologies of longing, love and adolescence. Kate and Echo, the film's heroines, perform somersaults on the stage of the institutionalised art world, float through papier-mâché forests and, dressed like eccentric nymphs, enact all facets of a friendship between girls. From the cruelties of the need for recognition to virtuoso displays of Weltschmerz, the two doll-like girls satirize all the attitudes of "girlism" and compulsory coolness. With great technical finesse, Petra Schröder blends tropes from the fairy-tale film and the musical with set elements from coming-of-age narratives and adventure films and exhibits a keen sense for the affinity between the spaces of the stage and those of the film. This approach has resulted in a fast-paced, deliciously malicious and beautifully hysterical film with great audiovisual power. Its excellent dialogue, light-handed direction, apt use of music and especially its courageous set design make this lovely romp so enjoyable.

Special Mentioning
Sat.Land, Martin Heckmann, Germany 2006, Experimental Film, 10:40 Min., 35 mm.
Drei Grazien / Three Graces Hanna Nordholt & Fritz Steingrobe, Germany 2006, Animation, 15:10 Min., 35mm.

Hanse-Short Audience Award, 1500 Euro

37 ohne Zwiebeln / 37 without Onions, André Erkau, Germany 2006, Short Fiction, 15:00 Min., 35mm.

Three Minute Quickie

Flotter Dreier Publikumspreis, 1000 Euro

Safety Procedures, Richard Fenwick, England, 2004, Computer Animation, 2:00 Min, Beta.


Mo&Friese Children's Film Festival

Friese-Award (1250 Euro)

Charlotte's Red / Colin McIvor, Northern Ireland, 2004, Short Fiction, 15:00 Min., 35mm.
Jury: Lisa Bruns, Jana Kristina Hell, Leonard Mülstroh, Miriam Ahmed, Philine Paul.
Substantiation: It is great that in the end Charlotte convinces her father that money isn't everything that counts. Maybe he will stop robbing paintings after all? We like the open ending because one is inspired to think about how the story might end

Special Mentioning:
Ønskebrønnen, Robert Næss, Norway, 2005, Short Fiction, 15:21 Min, 35 mm.

Mo-Preis (1250 Euro)

Maré Capoeira, Paola Barretto Leblanc, Brasil 2005, Short Fiction, 15:00 Min., Mini-DV.
Jury: Jlayda Öztürk, Malin Gütschow, Matti Musiel, Marvin Peters
Substantiation: It is nice how the boy Maré tells his own story. The music is also great!
The film encourages to learn capoeira.
Special Mentioning:
Punam, Lucian Muntean, Serbia, 2005, Documentary, 27:00 Min., Beta