Unabhaengiges FilmFest Osnabrueck

The Unabhaengige FilmFest Osnabrueck is one of the eldest and most traditional film festivals in Lower Saxony (Germany). Every year it takes place on five days in October in Osnabrueck. It is hosted by the non-profit association Osnabruecker FilmForum e.V. under the direction of Birgit Mueller and Holger Tepe.

In 2008 the Unabhaengige FilmFest Osnabrueck will take place between the 8th and 12th of October.

Since its very beginning in 1986 the Independent Film Festival Osnabrueck (Germany)has felt obliged to support committed and innovative filmmaking. Societies and media are changing all the time and so does the FilmFest, taking all of those changes into account. But the core of its activities stays basically the same, as has been rephrased in our 2004 statement: “The basic idea of the FilmFest is to forward tolerance within the society and between nations.

Such tolerance can only be developed by knowing, understanding and dealing with one’s own as well as “foreign” points of views and ways of life. In order to promote this process the FilmFest is continually employing the film media with its manifold possibilities in style and expression. In times of increasing globalization it aims at providing points of reference and calling on the individual to recognize the extent of his/her own responsibility and act accordingly.

Competition for the Peace Film Award

In this section the FilmFest presents committed and groundbreaking feature films and documentaries that stand up for tolerance and humanity. Issues that as far as the organizers are concerned are being neglected and tend to disappear behind general statements and lip service. This is where the FilmFest comes in, inviting the audience to take part in a discussion about peace and all its implications, reaching from international conflicts to inner-social differences and domestic problems. We aim at filling the notion of peace with tangible contents and at going further than the superficial observation of current, social developments as practiced by the media, in order to inform the audience, to make them more susceptible to these issues and to make them question their own set of behavior. During the selection process and the compilation of the program we don’t only judge by formal standards, but also put great emphasis on the thematic compatibility of the films and their potential to enrich each other.

The films are in competition for the Osnabrueck Peace Film Award that will be awarded by a jury of experts that consists of three representatives of the film industry.

Award recipients since 2002:

*2002: "In Or Between", Deutschland 2002, Realisation: [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuppertaler_Medienprojekt Wuppertaler Medienprojekt]
*2003: "Rachida", Algerien/Frankreich 2003, Regie: Yamina Bachir Chouikh
*2005: "Auf der Schwelle des großen Vergessens", Niederlande 2004, Regie:Thom Verheul
*2006: "Rwanda", les collines parlent, Belgien 2005, Regie: [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Bellefroid Bernard Bellefroid]
*2007: "Kurz davor ist es passiert", Österreich 2006, Regie: Anja Salomonowitz

Competition for the Children’s Rights Award

The programe presents four films that deal in an outstanding and committed fashion with the situation and rights of children all over the world. The subject matters of these films are the social, economical and cultural living conditions of children in the developing countries as well as in the industrialized countries which are being conveyed in an informative and gripping way. They cover the realization of the basic rights to education, health care and shelter as well as protection against exploitation and violence and the children’s claim to information, freedom of speech and the representation of their interests. The subjects of the section Children’s Rights Issues closely follow the UN Convention for Children’s Rights that has been signed by 191 states.

In this section the Children’s Rights Award is bestowed by a school children’s jury consisting of five pupils from 8th grade.

Award recipients since 2001:

*2001: "Ali Zaoua", Frankreich/Belgien/Marokko 2000, Regie: Nabil Ayouch
*2002: "Runaway", Großbritanien 2002, Regie: Kim Longinotto und Ziba Mir-Hosseini
*2003: "Child Soldiers", Australien/Großbritannien 2002, Regie: Alan Lindsay
*2004: "Paloma de Papel", Peru 2004, Regie: Fabrizio Aquilar
*2005: "Schidkröten können fliegen", Iran/Irak 2004, Regie: Bahman Ghobadi
*2006: "Living Rights: Roy & Toti", Niederlande 2005, Regie: Duco Tellegen
*2007: "Mama mir geht es gut", Deutschland 2007, Regie: Alexandra Westmeier

Competition for the Short Film Award

Short films leave a lot of freedom to the filmmakers, but at the same time compel them to articulate their ideas in a very precise manner. The FilmFest supports young talents and closely collaborates with numerous film academies.Short films are also presented as supporting films that correspond with the feature film’s subject matter or provide contrasting statements.

In this section the prize is being awarded by the audience.

Award recipients since 2001:

*2001: "Modern Daydreams", USA 2001, Mitchell Rose
*2002: "Der Schwarzarbeiter", Deutschland 2002, [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BClsel_%C3%96zkan Gülsel Özkan] & Ludger Pfanz
*2003: "Tripper", Deutschland 2003, Kira Schimmelpfennig
*2004: "Meine Eltern", Deutschland 2004, Nele Vollmar
*2005: "Goodbye, Deutschland" 2004, [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hudson Steve Hudson]
*2006: "Vincent", Italien/Deutschland 2005, [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giulio_Ricciarelli Giulio Ricciarelli]
*2007: "Achterbahn", Deutschland 2007, Frank Wegerhoff

Non competitive Section: Europe Unlimited

The FilmFest supports the cultural convergence of the European countries and aims at critically accompanying this process with all its political, economical and social implications. It goes beyond conventional views and deals with specific aspects of the European unification. It is concerned with every day life and problems in Eastern and Western Europe and looks for differences and common interests. It tracks down breaks, approaches faults and detects frontiers. In this area of tension filmmaking takes on the crucial part of mediator between the „old and the new Europeans“.

External links

* [http://www.filmfest-os.de/ Unabhängiges Filmfest Osnabrück, official Website]