Winter Journey opened Filmfest München
The 24th Filmfest München (15 -22 July) opened with the gala screening of WINTER JOURNEY on July 14. Director Hans Steinbichler and stars Josef Bierbichler, Sibel Kekilli and Hanna Schygulla will be present. Germany's largest summer film festival is presenting roughly 250 films from 40 countries. With the exception of the retrospectives (Makhmalbaf Film House & Mike Figgis) and the films by this year's Cine Merit Award winner Barry Levinson, they are all German premieres. Many are European and international premieres, a handful are world premieres.
Ten prizes will be awarded at the Filmfest:
SUNDAY, JULY 16 – 2006 WHITE ELEPHANT
For the fourth time, the Medienclub München is awarding prizes to audiovisual productions that foster the positive development of children. Award ceremony: 11 am, Carl-Orff-Saal, Gasteig
Contact: Christian Hege, 089 - 368 498 44
SUNDAY, JULY 16 – 2006 VFF TV MOVIE AWARD
For the 11th time, the VFF TV Movie Award (€ 25,000) will be presented by the Verwertungsgesellschaft der Film- und Fernsehproduzenten (German Royalty Collecting Company of Film & TV Producers) to the producer of the best German TV movie. Award Ceremony: 8 pm, Carl-Orff Saal, Gasteig
Contact: Anna Nassl, 089 - 286 28 382
MONDAY, JULY 17 – CINEMERIT AWARD – BARRY LEVINSON
For the 10th time, Filmfest München will be honoring an outstanding personality in the international film community for extraordinary contributions to motion pictures as an art form. This year's award goes to American director Barry Levinson.
Speaker: Munich's Lord Mayor Christian Ude.
Award ceremony: 9 pm, Carl-Orff-Saal, Gasteig
Contact: FILMFEST MÜNCHEN, 089 – 38190444
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 – YOUNG GERMAN CINEMA AWARD
The Young German Cinema Award is presented by the HypoVereinsbank, Bavaria Film and the Bayerische Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting). The categories are: Best Director (€ 20 000), Best Screenplay (€ 10 000), Best Actress (€ 5000) and Best Actor (€ 5000). Award ceremony: 8 pm, HVB Forum, Kardinal-Faulhaber-Strasse 1
Contact: Harmut Pfeiffer, 089 – 37844959
THURSDAY, JULY 20 – 2006 BERNHARD WICKI FILM PRIZE - THE BRIDGE For the fifth time, this prize will be awarded to a film that builds bridges and promotes peace. This year's prize goes to director Florian Henkel Donnersmarck and actor Ulrich Mühe for THE LIVES OF OTHERS. Speakers will be Germany's former Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and Academy Award winner Constantin Costa-Gavras. Award ceremony: 7:30 pm, Carl-Orff-Saal, Gasteig
Contact: Marianne Falck, 089-693 95 891
FRIDAY, JULY 21 – GOLDEN LETTER
The company SUBS awards this prize to the best documentary film from the entire Filmfest program that best deals with intercultural communication. The prize is a free subtitling in the European language of the winner's choice. Award ceremony: 5 pm, Filmfest Lounge, Gasteig
Contact: Kirsten Herfel, 040-39907060
FRIDAY, JULY 21 – SHOCKING SHORTS AWARD
German TV channel 13TH STREET will be awarding this short film prize for the 7th time. Each year an up and coming director receives an exclusive backstage pass for Universal Studios in Los Angeles. Award ceremony: 9:13 pm
Contact: Veronika Weiß, 089 - 318 99 493
SATURDAY, JULY 22 – 2006 ONE FUTURE PRIZE
The prize, presented for the 22nd time, goes to the film that, ethically as well as aesthetically, best shows that our world has one common future. Award ceremony: 1 pm, Blackbox, Gasteig
Contact: Eckhart Bruchner, 089 - 850 22 21
SATURDAY, JULY 22 – KINDERFILMFEST AUDIENCE PRIZE
Filmfest München's youngest moviegoers vote for their favorite film. Award ceremony: 4 pm, Foyer in front of the Vortragssaal der Bibliothek, Gasteig Contact: FILMFEST MÜNCHEN, 089 - 38190444
SATURDAY, JULY 22 – BAYERN 3 – AUDIENCE PRIZE PRESENTED BY THE ABENDZEITUNG
For the third time, Filmfest moviegoers can vote for their favorite films. Award ceremony: 7:30 pm, Foyer in front of the Vortragssaal der Bibliothek, Gasteig Contact: Markus Aicher: 089 - 59 00 27 63
FILMFEST MÜNCHEN is expecting over 100 guests from around the world, among others: Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Mike Figgis, Barry Levinson, Terry Gilliam, Jonathan Demme, James Gandolfini, Stewart Copeland, Manoel de Oliveira, Deepa Mehta, Hannelore Elsner, Martina Gedeck, Volker Schlöndorff, Ulrich Mühe, Uwe Bohm, Angela Winkler, and and and...
Informal discussions with festival guests, "Close Encounters", will be held every day in front of the Kleiner Konzertsaal (small concert hall) at Gasteig. These discussions are open to the general public and are a rare opportunity meet and talk with the filmmakers in person. The same location will also be used to present the makers and actors of the Gala films (every evening at 7 pm in Rio Palast) at 5:30 pm on the same day.
The closing night film is LONELY HEARTS. Director Todd Robinson and star James Gandolfini will present at this European premiere – Saturday, July 22 at 8 pm in Mathäser.
