Boldly Unorthodox Short Films

    Once again, the 55th Hof International Film Festival will provide a stage for many short films.

    A total of 51 short and medium-length features, documentaries and animated films with a maximum duration of 50 minutes will be presented at the festival. The spectrum ranges from the 4-minute short BANANENINSEL by Caroline Schwarz in the opening program to the 49-minute film FIRST TIME [THE TIME FOR ALL BUT SUNSET - VIOLET] by Nicolaas Schmidt, which received a Special Mention in Locarno.

    Many of these films focus on relationships and tense situations: in the family, in love, between strangers, rich and poor, young and old, but also between past and future, civilization and nature, life and death, bureaucracy and reality. The works deal with people who are trapped in their roles or want to break out, and others who are searching for and find their identity, like KOPFBAHNHOF 11:11 by David Hugo Schmitz and Maximilian Mundt; or they present pleas for more respect in dealing with each other or for dreaming. Of course, the COVID-19 crisis has also inspired some filmmakers thematically. And the motto of the Swiss documentary DING by Pascale Egli and Aurelio Ghirardelli applies to almost all of our shorts:

    “The world is more beautiful when you share it.”

    Many young talents, who have often already developed a signature of their own, are presenting their first films in Hof – playing with forms, formats and genres. They not only come from German film schools such as Berlin, Babelsberg, Munich, Ludwigsburg, Cologne, Hamburg, but also from near and far abroad.

    The filmmakers come from a broad variety of backgrounds: some have already celebrated successful film premieres abroad, such as Aaron Geva and Mickey Triest, whose film BRACHA 2020 was awarded the Israeli film prize "Ophir". But this year, the list of short films is also supplemented by some directors returning to Hof, including Sophie Linnenbaum with her new documentary NORMAL STUFF THAT PEOPLE DO and Christopher Schwarz with his new feature CIVILIZATION. In addition, Paul Poet's Schlingensief documentary ATTABAMBI SCHEISSMICHAN shows previously unreleased footage with Schlingensief, Peter Kern and Udo Kier. Furthermore, actress Anke Sevenich is celebrating a debut behind the camera with her film KLABAUTERMANN. We are excited about this year's new discoveries and look forward to the start of some successful careers. One striking example of such success has been Golden Palm winner Julia Ducournau ("Titane"), who presented her first short film "Junior" at the Hof International Film Festival in 2011.

    Press can apply for accreditation via the link https://vp.eventival.com/hof/55hoferfilmtage.

    Best regards from
    Ana Radica & and the Hof Film Festival team

    Published on: October 21, 2021

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