International Film Festival Mannheim - Heidelberg

November 9 - 18 (Germany)



In
The Ultimate Film Festival Guide author Adam Langer describes
Mannheim "as willing to take risks on unknown or little-known
films." Known for screening newcomer directors, the festival
will once again celebrate the spirit of discovery, screening 78
films from 48 countries including 53 brand new feature films, 6
World Premieres, 5 International Premieres, and 9 European Premieres
-- totaling more than 800 screenings.

The
festival kicks off with a screening of Desire by Colleen
Murphy in an international premiere, with German
actress Katja Riemann, director Colleen Murphy, and producer Elizabeth
Yake in attendance. Another star of German cinema, Hannelore Elsner,
in Cannes with
No Place To Go has also confirmed her presence for a
discussion during the festival. Other highlights on the program
include a screening of Pleure
pas Germaine from Belgian director Alain de Halleux, which
was a hit at the Flanders
Film Festival where it won two prizes; and House by British
director Julian Kemp, about a run-down Bingo hall in Wales.

Apart
from screening an ambitious program of quality films from newcomer
directors, the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg also
aims to support films with an artistic claim. Thus, this year's
"Mannheim Meetings" have been expanded to include the areas East
Europe, North & West Europe, Canada & USA, Latin America and - for
the first time this year - Africa.

A
constantly increasing number of buyers have discovered the potential
of this festival: Newcomer directors can be discovered at an early
stage of their career before they are introduced to the big markets
where prices for their films rise. The specialization of Mannheim-Heidelberg
is its market advantage. The "New Film Market" enables buyers to
view the films of the Official Program in especially reserved viewing
booths - irrespective of their screening dates. So far, buyers from
Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, France, the Netherlands,
Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Great Britain, Brazil and Turkey have
registered for participation at the "New Film Market" 2000. The
German Association of Independent Distributors (agverleih) with
its 17 members will have a special meeting at the International
Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg - the festival where the association
was founded last year.

Under
the headline "The Art of Cinema" two directors will be honored at
this year's International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg Swiss
"cinema magician" Daniel Schmid and his compatriot Clemens Klopfenstein
will both be attending. A delegation of representatives from the
Korean Film Academy will present the past, present and future of
their country's filmmaking in Mannheim-Heidelberg. Furthermore the
directors - often with their producer - of the films in the main
programs have confirmed their attendance to the festival and its
public press conferences. In addition, the International Filmfestival
Mannheim-Heidelberg expects around 1,000 accredited guests, including
50 film directors, 170 film producers, 350 journalists, 70 buyers
and 360 guests from film commissions, film festival-delegates.