May, 2006 - Nr. 5
AN ENDURING POWERHOUSE OF CINEMATIC STORYTELLING:
The WSFF Presents:
Spotlight on GERMANY
GERMANY 1: "Young and Old" - Innis Town Hall, Sunday June 18th at 4:30 p.m.
GERMANY 2: "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" - Innis Town Hall, Sunday June 18th at 7:15 p.m.
GERMANY 3: "Germanimation" - Isabel Bader Theatre, Saturday June 17th at 1:30 p.m.
TORONTO, May 23rd, 2006 - The Canadian Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival (June 13th – 18th) is proud to shine the Spotlight on Germany this year. Twenty-seven contemporary shorts are showcased throughout Spotlight on Germany’s three programmes: YOUNG AND OLD, SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO and GERMANIMATION! An additional 8 German films are featured in competition and other special programmes throughout the Festival.
YOUNG AND OLD brings us touching and satirical tales of the challenges and joys of wide generation gaps. SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO examines the balancing act of trying to find our place in the world. GERMANIMATION! is a stellar collection of adventurous, eclectic and meticulously crafted animated shorts.
"Germany continues to be a force in international filmmaking and the sheer variety and exceptional quality of the German films screening at the Festival demonstrate this beautifully" says Shane Smith, Festival Director.
The three programmes of Spotlight on Germany prove that Germany is still a powerhouse of cinematic storytelling. Highlights include:
GERMANY 1:
GREGOR’s GREATEST INVENTION (GREGORS GRÖSSTE ERFINDUNG) – (Johannes Kiefer, Germany) – Gregor, an ingenious inventor, wonders how he can prevent his increasingly frail grandmother from having to move into a nursing home. Academy Award® Nominee - Best Live Action Short Film.
THE TELL-TALE HEART – (Marc Malze, Germany) – A sumptuously shot telling of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale of murder guilt, and the incessant sound of a dead heart beating.
GERMANY 2:
COLD SKIN (KALTE HAUT) (Sebastian Kutzli, Germany – North American Premiere) – Marion has just been released from prison and she returns home to reunite with her best friend. As she reflects on the events that led to her incarceration, Marion realizes a difficult decision about this friendship needs to be made.
ESCAPE! (ABHAUN!) – (Christoph Wermke, Germany) – The backwaters of East Germany – stagnation, unemployment, rural exodus. But Nico has found a job in West Germany, and is waiting for his bus.
GERMANY 3:
THE RAFT (DAS FLOSS) – (Jan Thüring, Germany) – Two starved and exhausted castaways are lost at sea when a seagull drops a fish in their raft. This is the moment that will reveal their true colours.
ROCKS (DAS RAD) - (Chris Stenner, Heidi Wittlinger, Germany) – Two old rocks sit on a hill with a view into a green valley. Hew and Kew have already seen a great deal in their long lives. But there comes a point when humanity’s ultra-rapid development can shake even a rock’s stoic clam. Academy Award® Nominee 2002 – Best Animated Short.
Now in its 12th year, the Canadian Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival is the premier venue for the exhibition and promotion of short film in North America. Taking place from June 13th to 18th, 2006 the WSFF will present 250 films from more than 30 countries. Offering one of the largest prize packages for short film in the world, top WSFF winners are eligible for both Academy Award® and Genie Award consideration. The WSFF Short Films, BIG IDEAS Symposium offers renowned professional development, while the WSFF Business Centre is home to the largest short film marketplace in North America. For more information please visit:
www.worldwideshortfilmfest.com .One Ticket. Lots of films.
Spotlight on Germany is presented in collaboration with the Goethe Institut and the German Short Film Association.
