40th FILMSCHOOLFEST MUNICH is openend

Sunday, 11/14/2021

The anniversary edition of FILMSCHOOLFEST MUNICH was formally opened by the City of Munich’s cultural affairs officer, Anton Biebl, on November 14, 2021. Festival director Diana Iljine, welcomed the national and international students. During the opening ceremony, the Climate Clips Award was presented.

Cultural affairs officer Anton Biebl opened the 40th FILMSCHOOLFEST MUNICH in the AudimaxX auditorium of the HFF on the evening of November 14, 2021. “The FILMSCHOOLFEST has been an important platform for film students for four decades now,” he said. “Especially during this pandemic, it is vital to maintain a dialogue among international artists, not least for the sake of broadening our own horizons and counteracting nationalistic tendencies.”

The international students, who had traveled here from all over the world, were warmly welcomed by festival director Diana Iljine: “This festival is about making contact and exchanging ideas. You will find inspiration and may even get an offer or two. Take advantage of this opportunity.”

Bettina Reitz, the president of the host university, congratulated the festival on reaching a milestone: “When hitting 40, some of us think of midlife crisis. Not so with the FILMSCHOOLFEST MUNICH. The festival knows how important it is as a meeting place for young filmmakers from all over the world. It knows what impact it has had on generations of filmmakers at the start of their careers. And now, that you are in your forties dear FILMSCHOOLFEST MUNICH, I am positive that you will also take the coming years in your stride, so that we can again celebrate a further milestone in 10 years’ time.”

During the event, the Climate Clips Award was also presented. The Nagelschneider Foundation selected the best Climate Clips of the year for the 14th time in 2021. The main prize of 5,000 euros went to “Fight Fast Fashion” by Miriam Welcker and Lili Zwirner (RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Germany). The 2nd prize of 3,000 euros went to “Zizuma” by Colombian director Sergio Alejandro N. Suárez (Universidad Nacional de Colombia). Italian directors Giulia Betti and Alice Gambara (Civica Scuola die Cinema Lucchino Visconti) were honored with the third prize and 1,000 euros in prize money for “Earth”. On Friday, a Climate Day will be held as part of the festival’s supporting program. The motto is “Climate protection now, but done right — shaping the decade of action together”.

The first films to be shown at the festival came from the host university. Three short films by HFF students gave a taste of what the coming week will bring. The documentary “As Armas a meu Adufe” by Markus Schindler takes us to traditional Portugal, “Sort of Grown Up” by Marlena Molitor follows young women on their path of self-discovery, and “Nicht zu nah!” by Luis Sütter looks at two strangers who have no choice but to get closer to each other despite the coronavirus pandemic.

From Monday, November 15 to Friday, November 19, the ten programs of films in competition will be screened in the HFF AudimaxX at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., respectively. On Saturday, November 20, the festival jury, which this year is comprised of Mara Wesenauer, Loïc Hobi, Angélique Kourounis, Roberto Cueto, and Olga Caspers, will announce its decision. This and other juries will be awarding a total of 10 prizes worth 36,500 euros. The audience can also vote online for their favorite film.