Celebration Event - The Filmkunstfest MV kicks off with 14 world debuts.
The 33rd Filmkunstfest Mecklenburg-Vorpommern kicked off in Schwerin on Tuesday night. Over 110 movies are set to be showcased, featuring 14 world premieres and 15 German premieres across four competitions and six side sections until Sunday. On the inaugural night, the film "The Quiet Maid" by Spanish director Miguel Faus was screened. The story revolves around a maid working in a lavish mansion on the Costa Brava.
Five awards with a total value of 50,000 euros will be presented, including the "Flying Ox" for the top feature film. Ten German, Austrian, and Swiss productions are in contention for this prestigious award. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is recognized as a hub for new German-language movies.
At the opening ceremony, Manuela Schwesig, Minister President of SPD, hailed the Filmkunstfest as one of the biggest public festivals in East Germany. Prior to the event, she had a meeting with Pascual Navarro, the Spanish ambassador to Germany, for a discussion.
Schwerin is bustling with an active film industry and cinematic landscape, noted Schwesig during the festival's Capitol theatre. For the past two years, MV-Filmförderung has combined festival, film, and cinema funding under a single roof. "We aim to tell stories from and in MV. At the same time, we wish to be an attractive film destination for German and international producers. Our focus is on nurturing budding talent and fostering international collaborations." Cinemas will benefit from a funding initiative.
Celebrity attendees from the German film industry will add glamour to Schwerin during the festival. Notable guests include director Volker Schlöndorff, slated to receive the festival's honorary prize, the "Golden Ox." Milan Peschel is part of the feature film jury. Notable filmmaker Andreas Dresen is registered as well, with his new movie "In Love, Yours Hilde" competing. This film chronicles the resistance group "Rote Kapelle" during the Nazi regime.
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Source: www.stern.de
