To mark the 60th anniversary of the Hof International Film Festival, the |8|16|35| series invites audiences on a special journey through film and festival history. In a unique cinematic setting, we will screen five defining works that once premiered at the Hof International Film Festival – on 8, 16 or 35 mm, just as they were originally intended and made to be seen: completely authentic, completely real, and personally presented by the filmmakers who, at the time of their premieres, were often only at the beginning of their careers.
As part of the anniversary highlights, Caroline Link, Sönke Wortmann, Monika Treut and Axel Ranisch will be present in person. Ranisch will present a film by Rosa von Praunheim. Another screening will pay tribute to Tony Gatlif, who passed away only recently.
This special programme offers an opportunity to look back together on films and experiences that have left their mark – and, in doing so, to carry their stories and legacy forward. Entirely in keeping with the spirit of experiencing cinema together, in its most tangible, analogue form.
What was once the technical standard for every film screening has today become a rare and special occurrence. Curating analogue prints is like embarking on a truffle hunt through archives around the world – making each of the following five screenings a truly unique cinematic experience:
IM WINTER EIN JAHR by Caroline Link – 42nd IHF, 2008
The film is based on the novel Aftermath by Scott Campbell and tells the story of a mother (played by Corinna Harfouch) who asks a painter (Josef Bierbichler) to create a portrait of her deceased children in an attempt to come to terms with the loss of her son.
FOTOFINISH by Sönke Wortmann – 20th IHF, 1986
The black-and-white short film tells the story of Jupp, a heavily indebted man who comes up with an unusual idea to make a great deal of money with a spectacular photograph. He plans a spectacular accident at Munich's Olympic Tower and turns to an explosives expert for help.
DIE JUNGFRAUENMASCHINE by Monika Treut – 22nd IHF, 1988
The experimental feature film follows Dorothee Müller, a young journalist from Hamburg who has grown tired of her pushy lover, Heinz. She sets out in search of answers to the question of whether romantic love is merely a “women's disease”. Among the locations of her research are the practice of a pleasure-loving hormone researcher and the monkey house at the zoo.
MEINE MÜTTER – SPURENSUCHE IN RIGA by Rosa von Praunheim – 41st IHF, 2007
In this deeply personal work, Rosa von Praunheim explores his own life story. At the age of 58, he learned from his then 94-year-old mother, Gertrud Mischwitzky, that he had been adopted during the Second World War at a children's home in occupied Riga. The film documents his subsequent search for his biological mother in Latvia. Rosa von Praunheim died in December 2025. For Hof Classics, director Axel Ranisch, a self-proclaimed “Rosakind” (“child of Rosa”), has selected this documentary and will personally introduce the screening.
TRANSYLVANIA by Tony Gatlif – 40th IHF, 2006
The pregnant Italian woman Zingarina travels to Transylvania, full of hope, in search of the father of her child, the musician Milan, who has been deported from Italy. When Zingarina finally tracks Milan down, he coldly rejects her and makes it clear that he has simply left her. Lonely and desperate, she wanders through Romania, where she meets Tchangalo, a loner who, like her, cherishes his independence and knows no boundaries.The screening takes on a special significance following the death of Tony Gatlif, who passed away only a few weeks ago.