Record entry: 2,000 Filmmakers Aiming for ”Golden Horsemen”

Applications deadline for 20. Filmfest Dresden now passed | More than 2,000 short films in total submitted | Diverse range of international activities in advance | As part of “Land of Ideas” initiative, film festival is “Location of the Day” on opening day (15.4.2008)

The application deadline for the 20. Filmfest Dresden is over. Right now, a team of eight short film experts are viewing the potential contributions and compiling the programmes to run between 15. and 20. April in the Metropolis festival cinema. With more than 2,000 submissions for the first time ever, this anniversary festival has reported a record entry. Also for the first time this year, filmmakers from Haiti, Rwanda and Afghanistan have submitted films.

In less than three months, on 15. April 2008, the 20. edition of Filmfest Dresden will kick off. And of course this jubilee will be celebrated in style, with the preparations already running at full pace for this. The team around Festival Director Robin Mallick have already got the required inspiration in Japan, Canada, India, Spain and Italy among others: Filmfest Dresden has been presenting itself in these countries over the past weeks and months. “We've learned quite a lot of exciting stuff about the development of short film in other countries during our various trips abroad, and we've also established a whole range of new contacts. Our plan right now is to reflect all of this in our anniversary festival in April. At the same time, we've managed to increase the degree of recognition Filmfest Dresden enjoys abroad even more,” explained Festival Director Robin Mallick who was present at almost all of these activities. The national highlights which took place in advance of the twentieth festival included the four summertime open-air short film nights in Berlin, Dresden, Bonn and Jena which attracted 6,000 visitors.

Over the almost twenty years of its existence, Filmfest Dresden has acquired an excellent reputation as a European short film Mecca. This year the event will be accorded a very special honour: In the context of the “Germany – Land of Ideas” business location initiative, Filmfest Dresden has been selected as the “Location of the Day” for its opening day, 15. April 2008. About 1,500 companies, institutions and social projects applied to be awarded one of the “Selected Locations 2008”. A 17-person jury then chose for each day of the year a location in which the future is moulded and shaped. Filmfest Dresden is one of the 366 winners (more information available at www.land-der-ideen.de).

More details of the 20. Filmfest Dresden at:
www.filmfest-dresden.de

Tobias Blaurock/Stefan Bast
Press and PR Activities on Behalf of Filmfest Dresden

The Zastrow + Zastrow PR Agency is again in charge of the press and public relations activities for Filmfest Dresden this year. Should you have any questions or requests, Tobias Blaurock and Stefan Bast from the agency are available and happy to provide information and answers, telephone: +49(0)351/899110.

Filmfest Dresden
Since 1989 Filmfest Dresden has been dedicated to short film in all its forms and genres. The event has developed into one of the most important short film festivals in Germany and Europe. Filmfest Dresden screens animation and short fiction films as well as documentaries and experimental work. In its International and National Competitions, prizes worth a total of 60,000 Euros are awarded. Complementing these are a range of theme- and country-based programmes. The organiser of the festival is the non-profit association Filminitiative Dresden e.V.

This release was published on openPR.