This was 29th Film Festival 2015
Theresa von Eltz won won the audience award "Der Heinrich" with 4 KÖNIGE (four kings). With main actor Clemens Schick she recieved the price money in the amount of 10.000 euros, endowed by Volkswagen Financial services. The winner expressly thanked the main sponsor and stressed the importance of these awards for young film makers.
French director Fred Nicolas won the german-french youth award KINEMA for "Max & Lenny". His movie about two young women's friendship from shabby suburbs had it's german premiere in Brunswick. The young jurors consisting of three Germans and three Frenchmen and Frenchwomen at the age of 17 to 21 especially liked the film's true-to-life portrayal: "Through the contrariness of the sea and the multi story buildings, the space and imprisonment, the city herself becomes a carrier of meaning. At the same time, the film music plays a decisive role: written by the main actress Camélia Pand'or herself, her accusatory rap is Lenny’s only possibility to express her resistance against the systematic injustice. Fred Nicolas has made a realistic film whose end leaves room for hope."
Film composer Marcel Barsotti, to whom the section "Musik & Film" was dedicated, thanked live with a potpurri. With the film concert world premiere of Sönke Wortmanns historical drama "Die Päpstin" he started off the festival together with the Staatsorchester Braunschweig led by Helmut Imig. In a second world premiere the swiss composer presented the silent film concert "Dolphins"by Farhad Yawari from 2000.
The festival's award ceremony was supported by "Akademix", the band of the Deutsche Filmakademie with Helmut Zerlett, Ali Askin, Michael Beckmann, Jochen Schmiddt-Hambrock and Christoph Zirngibl. The event was hosted by Ill-Young Kim.
The festival presented 110 feature films and 160 short films from 50 countries in six days. The feature films consisted of 30 productions german or international premieres. 40 directors personally presented their productions in Brunswick.
Particulary the audience competition for european debut oder second feature films "Der Heinrich" could register many guest: Besides the winners Theresa von Eltz and Fred Nicolas the finish direcotr Mikko Kuparinen with 2 NIGHT TILL MORNING, spain director Zoe Barriatúa with THE HEROES OF EVIL and actor Joseba Usabiaga, one of the main actors of PIKADERO, visited the festival
Furthermore, dircetor Yared Zeleke and producer Johannes Rexin presented EPHRAIM UND DAS LAMM and director Marinus Groothof THE SKY ABOVE US whereas director Simon Blake and producer Farah Omarashah presented STILL. All movies celebrated their german premieres at the festival.Director Esen Isik presented KÖPEK with actress Beren Tuna. They also obtained a film distribution deal: GMfilms will bring the swiss-turkish production into the cinemas.
