Independent Days I Filmfest 2017 – Award Gala
The Independent Days I Filmfest had its great finale with the big Award Gala on Sunday evening. Festival Manager Oliver Langewitz explained that despite the beautiful weather the festival has had more film submissions and visitors than ever before. His personal highlight was the high quality of the films: Filmmakers told him that their films are screened in New York and elsewhere, but here at the Schauburg, the quality of the projection is especially good.
At the beginning of the award gala, the six finalists for the audience prize and the film prize of the city of Karlsruhe, “The Golden ID2017”, were shown. The audience voted for their favourite film from each of the six preliminary rounds:
- „About Arif“ (Regie: Hasan Kalender, Türkei 2016)
- „Game Night“ (Regie: Jan van Gorkum, Niederlande 2016)
- „Nyerkuk“ (Regie: Mohamed Kordafani, Sudan 2016)
- „Shit“ (Regie: Felix Kapfer, Frederik Schubert, Jialu Hu, Deutschland 2016)
- „House Arrest“ (Regie: Matthias Sahli, Schweiz 2015)
- „Walking Home“ (Regie: Max Richert, Deutschland 2016)
After the film presentations, the votes of the audience were counted.
In the meantime, the award ceremony was initiated by the premiere of the 6th Film & Vision School Contest, a joint project of the Jugendstiftung Sparkasse Karlsruhe and the Filmboard Karlsruhe. This year, students of the Goethe-Gymnasium had shot the nine-minute short film “Wotans Wolves”. The film tells the story of a refugee girl to a German boy who plays in a Nazi band.
Independent Days I Filmfest – The Award Winners 2017
The Independent Days I Filmfest 2017 has awarded the following winners:
Movie Award of the Cultural Foundation of Sparkasse Karlsruhe:
Pitter Patter goes my Heart – director: Christoph Rainer (Austria)
The film prize of the Kulturstiftung of Sparkasse Karlsruhe goes to “Pitter Patter goes my heart” (Austria 2015) by Christoph Rainer. He accepted the prize of € 2,500 from Sparkasse Karlsruhe board member Marc Sesemann. “Can a film in which an anti-varicose vein shake is of central importance, be coherent, beautiful, and highly entertaining? The heart of the jury says: “Yes,” says jury member Alain Curtois, Creative Producer at Action Concept.
Movie Award of the City of Karlsruhe – The GOLDEN ID 2017:
GAME NIGHT – director: Jan van Gorkum (The Netherlands)
The film prize of the City of Karlsruhe, entitled “The Golden ID2017”, endowed with 1,500 Euro, went to “Game Night” (Netherlands 2016) by Jan van Gorkum. Representing the city of Karlsruhe, the councilor Elke Ernemann handed over the award. Director Jan van Gorkum said thank you with a video message, as he could not personally participate in the award gala. The appraisal of the Festival Management: “A play evening with a young couple and the boy’s parents gets out of hand and becomes a true nightmare for the girl. Perfidious and full of dark humour the film surprises with twists, until the fulminant end, which makes the escalation perfect”.
Roncalli-Forum Award:
On the Pulpit – director: Tomasz Wisniewski (Poland)
For the first time this year the Roncalli Forum film prize, endowed with 1,000 euros, was awarded. This goes to “On the pulpit” (Poland 2016) by Tomasz Wiśniewski. The head of the Roncalli Forum, Dr. Albert Kauflein, explained the jury’s decision: “The protagonist of the film gains strength and confidence from his faith and masters his life under the most difficult circumstances. All this the film documents in an excellent way.”
Indie Award for best feature film:
ALPTRAUM – The last great Adventure – director: Manuel Lobmaier (Switzerland)
The indie award for the best feature-length film goes to a documentary: “Nightmare – The Last Adventure” (Schweiz 2016) by Manuel Lobmaier. Dr. Bernhard Kehrwald, the managing director of the award sponsor , IAVF Antriebstechnik GmbH, handed over the award, endowed with 1,000 euros, to the director of the film. “The viewer is taken on an authentic journey and can relentlessly experience how Manu and Robin drift apart. The courage for this documentary as well as the successful authenticity are an exciting constellation and so the two filmmakers completely deserve the award, “emphasizes jury member Serdar Dogan, also a director.
Female Award for best female director:
IM Perfekt – director: Zsuzsanna Koszti (Hungary)
The female award for the best female directorial work goes to “IM perfekt” (Hungary 2016) by Zsuzsanna Koszti. “The film impresses with its coherent and exciting dramaturgy, precise dialogues, masterful pictures and last but not least convincing actors,” jury member Dana Cebulla explains the jury decision. The prize was donated by MediaPlan.
ZEUSS Award
Best Actress: Susi Stach – film: Deadlock (Austria)
Best Actor: LUCAS PRISOR – film: Samira (Germany)
The ZEUS Award for the best actor performance was presented by Carsten Kipper as deputy for the prize-donator, the VOLLACK Group. The prize is a sculpture by the artist Andreas Helmling. Susi Stach was named “Best Actress” for her performance in “DEADLOCK” (Austria 2015), “Best Actor” was Lucas Prisor for his performance in “Samira” (Germany 2016).
Best Short Shortfilm Award:
Metube 2: August sings Carmina Burana – director: Daniel Mosche (Österreich)
For the second time a short film with a maximum duration of five minutes was awarded as part of the Short Shortfilm Award. “Metube 2: August sings Carmina Burana” (Austria 2016) by Daniel Moshel can look forward to more than 500 Euros from the award, the Badische Nachrichten, which was handed over to him by marketing director Joachim Braun. “With Metube2, director Daniel Moshel has produced a short film, which affects the viewer like a visual beacon. An untimely story is assembled with a fascinating camera, surprising visual effects and convincing choreography to create a cinematic spectacle – and all this to the brilliant chorus “Oh Fortuna” from Carmina Burana, “said jury member Andreas Jüttner, Deputy Head of Culture at the BNN. (Independent Days Filmfest)
Interview with Best Actress Susi Schach
After the award celebration, I was very lucky to talk to Susi Schach, the winner of Best Actress. She said “this is my very first acting award. The laudation has touched me so much that I have messed up my own speech.” Unfortunately, she only visited the Independent Days on the Sunday, but she thinks the festival is very friendly – it seemed like the whole town took part.
“I like Karlsruhe very much, it is my first time here. I ate at a beautiful sunny place quite great, behind Europaplatz, near the Berliner Hof, super beautiful place with quite a lot of Restaurants, great food. A great trophy, the Oscar can go home!”
What I think of the Independent Days I Filmfest?
What a festival! It has been a delight to experience the Independent Days I Filmfest for the first time. It was very nice and interesting to talk to all the filmmakers and visitors and watch so many funny, sad, touching and great movies.
The Award Gala on the last evening was a great, glamorous and emotional ending of these vibrant film days. I’m already looking forward to the Independent Days I Filmfest in spring 2018!
Images
Title image: © Johanna Wies
All other images: © DiMa Photography
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