65. International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
November 4 to 19, 2016
Festival Profile
The International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg has a long tradition of introducing film artists of the future and their aesthetic language to the world. The festival offers an inspiring environment for talented new filmmakers and showcases heretofore unknown talents each year who are all driven by their increased awareness, a strong personal vision and a powerful ambition.
From more than 1,000 submissions the festival picks a selection of roundabout 40 to 50 films by new directors - to be presented as real premieres. Throughout the year, the film scouts and the selection committee search the world to find these few extraordinary talents they consider to be the most interesting and aesthetically extraordinary. Any film presented in Mannheim-Heidelberg receives focussed attention of about 1,000 international industry professionals, the media, and roundabout 60,000 festival visitors alike.
Grand Newcomer Award Mannheim-Heidelberg
Requirements
Only newcomer directors may participate at the International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg, i.e. directors who are unknown to an international audience outside their home country.
In order for a film to be eligible for presentation at the Festival's International Competition Section, it must not have been screened at
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Cannes (International Competition, Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, Un Certain Regard, Semaine de la Critique)
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Venice (International Competition)
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Locarno (International Competition)
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Berlin
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any other festival in Germany
Awards
Films in the International Competition are nominated for the following awards:
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Grand Newcomer Award Mannheim-Heidelberg (for the best film in competition, awarded by the International Jury)
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Special Newcomer Award Mannheim-Heidleberg (for an extraordinary performance as director, actor, writer, etc, awarded by the International Jury)
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Special Achievment Award Mannheim-Heidelberg (for the best unconventionally narrated feature film, awarded by the International Jury)
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Special Mentions of the International Jury (for a remarkable film with outstanding acting, music, photography etc, awarded by the International Jury)
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International Film Critic's Award (awarded by the FIPRESCI-Jury)
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The Ecumenic Film Prize (awarded by the Ecumenical Jury)
A Jury of Cinema Owners will recommend films for theatrical distribution. An Audience Award is issued for any film in the two main sections, regardless of genre and length.
With a worldwide reputation as a forum for the discovery of new directorial talent in arthouse cinema, the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg established a new competition for creative, intelligent serial dramas by highly talented newcomers since 2015.
For the competition “New Creators Award Mannheim-Heidelberg”, between seven and ten serial dramas of all lengths and narrative styles will be nominated. The selection will reflect a worldwide spectrum of intelligently told, creative-experimental stories. The curator and coordinator of the new competition is the renowned media journalist, consultant and lecturer Torsten Zarges.
The prize will be awarded to the best “creators” of the nominated series – often in the dual role of author and producer, similar to role that writer-directors often traditionally hold in the world of arthouse cinema. An independent expert jury will decide on the prizewinner. The prize will be endowed with a substantial financial purse.
