31/05/2006

While the 8th Mo&Friese Children's Short Film Festival (May 28-June 4) is already in full swing in Hamburg, the 22nd Short Film Festival (May 31-June 5) also kicks off in the city today, offering a pleasant and complementary combination of festivals.

The Mo & Friese Festival, directed by Agnes Nuber, was founded to give 4-14 year-olds an opportunity to learn about short films. In addition to several workshops, including one for visually impaired children, this festival has two competition sections presided over by two juries – one made up of 4-6 year-olds and the other of 9-12 year-olds – who select the winners of the Mo and Friese Awards, respectively.

The big brother of this fun event began in 1985, under the name "No Budget Festival". Since then, the Hamburg Short Film Festival has increased in popularity. To date it has attracted no less than 14,000 visitors yearly.

The films selected are presented in different sections, six of which are competitive: "International competition", which to date has aroused the interest of 2,000 candidates, its prizes include five jury awards and one audience award; the renowned "NoBudget competition" that focuses on both originality and subjectivity, its prizes include a jury award and an audience award; "Made in Germany", its prize also includes an audience award; "Made in Hamburg"; "Three-Minute Quickie", whose theme this year is "shaking/trembling"; "Mo & Friese"; "A Wall is a Screen", which consists of screening films on the city’s walls; "Against the categories" and "Festival Club".

(Translated from French)