The world champions of short film were selected in Hamburg today
The award winners of the 26th Hamburg International Short Film Festival 2010

It is still five days to the start of the world cup in South Africa. However, there are already plenty of reasons for celebrations and grand emotions: At the 26th Hamburg International Short Film Festival, the competition winners received their awards this evening. This year's short film world champion is South Korea: Director Ran-hee Lee wins the jury prize of the International Competition (Hamburg Short Film Award) for his film A Perm. The winners of the jury awards and the audience awards of the German Competition, NoBudget Competition, Three-Minute-Quickie Competiton, of the competition-overlapping awards by ARTE and ZDF_neo as well of those of the “Music in Short Films” award are real champions as well.
Furthermore, this year's winners of the 12th Mo&Friese Children's ShortFilmFestival, selected by two children's juries, prove how well the promotion of young talents works at short films.

The Short Film Festival brought the sun to Hamburg. Under a cloudless sky and at surprisingly warm temperatures, our ParkDeckCinema at the Große Reichenstraße turned out to be a total success. Over 600 visitors came at two evenings, using the unique opportunity to watch short films high above down town Hamburg. In spite of the excellent weather, our cinema’s degree of efficiency was greater than last year. We were happy to welcome many accredited guests from the world of international short film, which were once again proving the Hamburg International ShortFilmFestival's popularity and recognition among professionals. As usual, many roaring parties were held at the festival club, which was held at the Fundbureau this year.

Scroll down for all award winning films and the juries' statements. You can find photos of the winners in the press section of our website at http://festival.shortfilm.com.



International Competition
Jury: Katrin Mersmann, Dr. Catherine Colas, Sabina Pop, Kirsten Ruber, Matthew Walker

Hamburg Short Film Award (Jury Award of the International Competition, 3000 Euros)
A Perm
Ran-hee Lee, South Korea 2009, 18:36 min., Fiction

Jury statement:
Through small gestures and reactions this beautifully crafted film presents a touching story with a large human impact. A relationship between oppressor and oppressed is explored with humour and empathy. The winner of the international prize is A Perm by director Ran-hee Lee.


Special Mentoin:

Joél
Hlynur Pálmason, Iceland 2009, 12:00 min., Fiction
We want to give a special mention to a courageous and challenging film from a young filmmaker. A disturbing coming of age story told with a strong aesthetic.



Audience Award (1500 Euros)
Logorama
François Alaux / Hervé de Crézy / Ludovic Houplain, France 2009, 16:05 min., Animation



NoBudget Competition
Jury: Edina Kontsek, Peter Conrad Beyer, Laurence Boyce

No Budget Jury Award (2000 Euros)
Helmut’s House
Jessica Dickenson, Great Britain/ Australia 2009, 7:00 min., Documentary

Jury statement:
A fascinating, moving, and humorous documentary about a man who, in a fast paced society, is content to live a simple and uncomplicated life. The filmmaker has managed to create a sympathetic portrayal of a man that never ridicules its main character but instead allows the audience to share his unique point of view and learn from his relaxed attitude to life. As Helmut says, as we are sure audiences at the Hamburg International Short Film Festival are well aware: „You can’t drink empty cans of beer.“


Special mention:

M
Félix Dufour-Laperrière, Canada 2009, 7:40 min., Animation
M works as both a reference to the traditional roots of the moving image as well as current ideas of the relationship between picture and sound. At the same time the film offers a progressive strucure with intelligent audiovisual compositions. These are visualised using exact graphic choices and auditive elements in the dynamic process of the dramaturgy, M offers a ’precise easyness’ which allows the spactator an entry into a world of self-referentiality.


NoBudget Audience Award (1500 Euros)
Arsy-Versy
Miro Remo, Slovakia 2009, 23:23 min., Documentary



German Competition
Jury: Matthias Dell, Andrei Schwartz, Karin Wehn

Jury Award (2000 Euros)
Holding Still
Florian Riegel, Germany 2010, 26:35 min., Documentary

Jury statement:
“My mind wanders”, Janis Sawyers says, and the documentary portraying her in Seaside, Florida composes a subtle essay about the permeability of boundaries and the way cinema works from the trips through the picture worlds of her home and the protagonist's unagitated narrations. After all, Holding Still pushes the demarcation between fiction and documentary. “When you are holding still long enough, everything comes to you”, Janis Sawyers teaches us. This metaphor holds true for Riegel's film as well. It is worthy of the award because it is touching without being pathetic and because it has the coherence of a melody, both distinct and self-evident at once.


Special Mentions:

Mein Mallorca (My Mallorca)
Bernadette Knoller, Germany 2009, 15:00 min., Documentary
A honorary mention goes to Mein Mallorca by Bernadette Knoller. Marita Heiden is love at first sight: Mother of seven and artistic dilettante in the original and hence positive meaning of the word. We appreciate this documentary because the director succeeds in sensitively discovering the free spaces taken by the protagonist within the overcrowded house of an extended family. We find out the assignment of art within life in a refreshingly undisguised way: to close the gaps torn by doubt.

Gömböc
Ulrike Vahl, Germany 2010, 20:55 min., Fiction
Another honorary mention goes to “Gömböc” by Ulrike Vahl: Scenes from the rustic life, telling the story of a fragile community where people are in constant struggle with each other as well as depending on each other with calm and precise shots. The jury commends the sympathetic cool economy of this film, which owns the documentarian strictness of a photo album wile illustrating the protagonist's tragic quest for intimacy. Vahl's mature narration works with few words while the director explores the characters' interrelations with a detective's sense of details. The world is a washing line, opening a view on the unwritten laws of the high-rises and their inhabitants' desire for love.


Natural American Spirit ® Audience Award (1500 Euros)
Ein Tag und eine Ewigkeit (A Day and an Eternity)
Anna Hepp, Germany 2009, 25:00 min., Documentary



Hamburg Competition

Hamburg Audience Award presented by Pilsner Urquell (1500 Euros)
Gleb's Film
Christian Hornung, Germany 2009, 27:25 min., Documentary



Three Minute Quickie Competition: Topic ’Kitchen’

Audience Award (1000 Euros)
Senaste Nytt (Latest News)
Per Carleson, Sweden 1996, 3:00 min., Fiction



arte-Short Film Award
Jury: Sabine Brantus, Barbara Häbe

arte-Short Film Award (6000 Euros). Acquisition of screening rights and broadcast as part of arte’s short film programme.
Masala Mama
Michael Kam, Singapore 2009, 8:15 min., Fiction

Jury statement:
The comedy Masala Mama by Michael Kam appeals by its simple and clear bollywoodesque narration. In the short glimpse of the life of a young boy in Singapore, we discover that life without fantasy would be unbearable. Light, short and subtle: Masala Mama is a superbly seasoned mix.



ZDF_neo-Award
Jury: Angelika Hoffmann, Andrea Windisch

ZDF_neo-Award (Acquisition of screening rights and a broadcast on ZDF_neo for 200 Euros per minute)
Kaffee un Kippen (Coffee ’n Ciggies)
Jana Magdalena Keuchel / Daniel Wacker, Germany 2009, 3:50 min., Choreography

Jury statement:
This film explains itself to anyone who has ever had a boozy night. Everything is made clear with the first scene. This short film is an internal monologue on Jim Jarmusch's “Coffee and Cigarettes” transformed into a music video. It is about coffee and cigarettes and the hangover afterwards, about the unmanageable doziness which is only interrupted by another coffee and another fag. It is about the world and the way it looks “afterwards”. Literally. Kaffee un Kippen, a dance film that is not merely a musical piece but it is the filmic realization of an experience. By valiantly reaching deep into the bag of trash-tricks, Jana Magdalena Keuchel and Daniel Wacker added a new dimension to the two Ks: Kaffee un Kippen.



’Music in Shorts’ -Award of the GEMA foundation presented by RockCity Hamburg e.V.
Jury: Diana Bach, Ale Dumbsky, Irmin Schmidt

The “Music in shorts” Award is a composer’s award. Therefore, the jury viewed films from all competitions which include scores by composers who are members of a collecting society.

Best Sounddesign National (Jury award, 1000 Euro) This year’s national award goes to the two following films:
Love & Theft
Sounddesign: Heiko Maile, Director: Andreas Hykade, Germany 2010, 6:49 min., Animation
Paris – Taken From the Surface
Sounddesign: Franz Ka, Director: Stephana Schmidt, France / Germany 2008,
12:30 min., Experimental

Jury statement:
We wished German short film makers would deal with music in a more inventive way. We decided to split the price since we did not find one winner more superior to the rest, but two candidates who work with equally coherent musical forms: one conventional, professional while interacting between animation and music- the other consistently minimalistic, in using one sound/tone only in order to create the atmosfere.


Best Sounddesign International (Jury award, 1000 Euro)
Le Chant de l’Abre (The Sound of the Tree)
Sounddesign: Dylan Corlay, Director: Elsa Werth, France 2009, 6:39 min., Experimental

Jury statement:
We consider film music successful when music and image form an unity without commenting on each other but rather enriching the other. The music of today´s winner is autonomous. It is wonderful and extrodinarily arranged following a structure of its own.
This is why the award for best filmmusic goes to Dylan Corlay in Le Chant de l´Arbre.



Mo&Friese Children’s ShortFilmFestival
These prizes are presented by both children’s juries.

Mo-Award sponsored by GEOLino (Jury award, 1250 Euro, from age 9)
Angry Man (Sinna Mann)
Anita Killi, Norway 2009, 20:00 min., Animation

Jury statement:
“We argued for a long time, but finally decided that Angry Man by Anita Killi wins this years Mo-Award. The film especially convinced us with its deep and well written story. The dark colours and the great animation work create a special mood that deeply touched us viewers. We also liked the “name” of the leading character, which is just “boy”. It’s not just about a special boy, it deals with a multitude. The film was exciting, touching and it told a great story.”

Special Mention:

The Postcard
Stefan Le Lay, France 2009, 7:30 min., Fiction
“The film Postcard by Stefan Le Lay receives a special mention. We really liked the movies funny story and the idea to make a film out of postcard images. The great images enriched the cool story.”


Friese Award sponsored by Springer Bio-Backwerk (Jury award, 1250 Euro, age 4 - 8)
Free Chips Forever!
Claire Dix, Ireland 2009,11:06 min., Fiction

Jury statement:
“We liked this film the best because the story is well written; it’s thrilling and close to real life. We laughed a lot (especially when the son puts chips into his sleeping fathers nose) und this movie really makes you hungry!”



„High five!“ Competition
(A total of 600 Euros – sponsored by GEOlino, presented by the Mo-Jury and Friese-Jury)

1st Prize (300 Euros)
Heartache
Lennart Döhle, Germany 2010, 5:00 min., Animation
“What we really liked about this film is the story, it’s well written and deals with real life. We also liked how the faces of the Lego figures are animated and that the whole set is build of Lego bricks.”

2nd Prize (200 Euros)
Lara’s new knit pullover
Lisa Ecker, Germany 2010, 4:26 min., Fiction
“This film convinced us with it’s good acting. It is well edited and we liked the collection of goofs at the end, this way you can tell how much effort was put into this film.“

3rd Prize (100 Euros)
Milk tooth and silver hair
Jeremy Philipp, Germany 2010, 2:28 min., Fiction
“The third place goes to the film “Milk tooth and silver hair“, because we liked the way the story is told, for example the flashback in which the grandfather is shown as a child. The sound- and camerawork is also well done.”