14th Oldenburg International Filmfestival 12th to 16th September 2007

Oldenburg International Filmfestival rediscovers a chameleon of contemporary film history in Stacy Keach.

He worked with John Huston and Walter Hill, earned worldwide fame as the private detective "Mike Hammer" and he still is one of the most sought after stage actors in the United States. This year's festival tribute honours a diverse and charming actor who defied genres and thus built a lasting legacy: Stacy Keach.

As the first European Filmfestival Oldenburg will pay tribute to Keach's oeuvre as an actor. As an actor he contributed to a number of classic films, worked with the defining directors of the past decades and instilled a restless energy into his characters that would influence scores of aspiring actors. Keach never limited himself to one type of role. The trademark of this idiosyncratic individualist is the existential struggle with the most diverse characters.


His breakthrough performance came in John Huston's boxer drama "Fat City" (1972). Cast alongside Jeff Bridges he portrayed a boxer, who tries to find some meaning in his live despite numerous setbacks in sports, love and in his career. The enormous strength he conjures to defend his dreams and ideals is contrasted by his futile struggling to set things straight. With "The Killer Inside Me" (1976) by Burt Kennedy Keach broke new terrain with his acting. He played the small town sheriff whose seemingly innocence crumbles under the intense pressures of suppressed hatred. The ordinary face of the killer has become a steady feature in many films since this performance.

He went on to produce the late western "The Long Riders" (1980) in which he starred alongside the Carradine- and the Quaid-brothers together with his younger brother James. "The Long Riders", which was also co-written by Keach, borrows its style from Peckinpah's films and artfully plays with different narrations. He could last be seen in Tony Kayes critically acclaimed "American History X" (1999) playing the neonazi leader Cameron Alexander. The fatherly friend is also a ruthless leader who dominates the youngsters with strict adherence to ideology.

Keach studied at Berkeley, Yale and the Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in London. Until today he is an active and productive stage actor.
He is regarded as a stage icon in the United States. He worked for the Arena stage in Washington and on a number of Broadway shows. 1970 he received a nomination for the Tony Award. In 1999 he received a Golden Globe for his role in "Hemmingway" and was nominated for an Emmy. His latest stage work includes the critically acclaimed production of "King Lear" in Chicago. It was called "production of the year" by the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Stacy Keach is also heading the festival's international jury for the German Independence Award -- Best German Film whose other four members are:

David M. Goodman
Goodman is a producer and screenwriter. He produced Bruce Campbell's "The Man with the Screaming Brain" which saw its German premiere at the
2006 Oldenburg Filmfestival. He is a much sought-after script writer, working for shows such as the Jerry Bruckheimer production "Without a Trace".


Brad Stevens
US-critic Brad Stevens is the successful author of many film books. In
2003 McFarland published his "Monte Hellmann: His Life and Films". He works freelance for "Sight and Sound" and the French daily "Libération".
He is a well known Abel Ferrara expert, having published "Abel Ferrara:
The Moral Vision" in 2004.

Jen Gatien
US-born Jen Gatien has produced many films among them "Shampoo Horns"
and "1 Giant Leap". Her latest production "Hounddog" was hotly discussed at the Sundance Film Festival. Because of its controversial subject matter the film received no funding grants and the production struggled to complete. But despite scandal and lacking funds the film still managed to win the Grand Jury Price of the Sundance festival.

Paul Thiltges
Producer Paul Thiltges has shown a remarkable breadth of styles with his previous projects. He worked on documentaries ("Tour de Force"), feature films ("Die Reise das Land") and animation films ("Flitze Feuerzahn").
His production of "Kiriku und die Zauberin" directed by Michel Ocelot has received international acclaim and won the Special Jury Prize at Montréal. Thiltges also works in distribution and is single-handedly responsible for most of the Luxembourgian film business.

The 14th Oldenburg International Filmfestival takes place from September 12th to September 16th. Mr. Keach will be present in Oldenburg throughout the whole festival time. We would be delighted if you considered the Tribute to Stacy Keach for inclusion into your publication. For further information and material please do not hesitate to contact us.