25/10/2006

The 40th Hof International Film Festival, which will host 100 films until Sunday, opened yesterday with the screening of Schwere Jungs (lit. "Tough Guys") by Marcus H. Rosenmüller.

The director's second feature (after Wer früher stirbt, ist länger tot, lit. "The Sooner You Die, The Longer You'll Be Dead"), produced byOlga Film in co-production with Constantin Film and the GFP Funds, is the story of two bobsleigh champions on the German ski slopes who are preparing for the 1952 Oslo Olympic Games.

For its 40th anniversary, the event – created by festival director Heinz Badewitz and some friends and which in 1967 lasted only one morning – will screen at least 12 of the best films presented at its previous editions.

Shrouded in a veil of mystery until yesterday, the highly varied programme has a clear focus on recent European films, from Nanni Moretti's The Caiman [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean Labadie
interview: Nanni Moretti
film profile] (see Focus) and Dominik Graf's latest title, Eine Stadt wird erpresst (lit. "A City is Blackmailed") to Don't Worry, I'm Fine [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Philippe Lioret, Khadak [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jessica Woodworth
interview: Jessica Woodworth
film profile] by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth (see Venice article ) and Lights in the Dusk [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Aki Kaurismäki.

Hof is a non-competitive festival, but it does give some promotional awards aimed at young German cinema talent (this year marks the inauguration of a New Generation Award), as well as the Best Film Award from the City of Hof. Previous prize-winners at Hof include Doris Dörrie, Wim Wenders and Christoph Schlingensief.

(Translated from French)