Short Film Competition Program II

Look For The Silver Lining (D 2020 – R: Maximilian Conway)
Just In Case (D 2021 – R: Insa Meyer, Celine Ahlbrecht & Alina Saltheim)
Salidas (D 2021 – R: Michael Fetter Nathansky)
Ver her | Stay (FRO 2021 – R: Maria Winther Olsen)
Just a Guy (D 2020 – R: Shoko Hara)
Sprötch | Squish (BEL 2020 – R: Xavier Seron)

LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING

Germany 2020 – 29:09 min – Director: Maximilian Conway

A former jazz singer loses her job at the supermarket and faces eviction. She starts working at the late-night shop and finds herself in an affair with the eviction officer. He is infatuated with her singing and keeps reminding her to not give up hope. However, when duty calls, his infatuation quickly seems to fade.

Biography Maximilian Conway

Maximilian Conway was born and raised in Styria, Austria. In 2012, he completed a Bachelor of Science in Architecture at Graz University of Technology, which he later complemented with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Directing at Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF Film University. He will soon begin his master’s degree in film directing at the Film Academy in Vienna.

Filmography

2020 Look For The Silver Lining
2019 Tommi & Wolf
2017 Mr. Uppercut – How to Be a Champion

© Janis Brod

(Contact: Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF, distribution@filmuniversitaet.de)

JUST IN CASE

Germany 2021 – 2:24 min – Director: Insa Meyer, Celine Ahlbrecht & Alina Saltheim

A factory built entirely from packaging waste gives all its skill and love for the perfect piece of cheese – with fatal consequences. A lovingly handmade animation from collected leftover materials and packaging. No actors, no dialogue, no VFX, pure production design.

Biography Alina Saltheim, Insa Meyer & Céline Ahlbrecht

Alina Saltheim, Insa Meyer and Céline Ahlbrecht were born between 1994 and 1996 and study object and spatial design at the University of Applied Sciences Dortmund. Early in their studies, the three discovered their passion for scenography and set design and participated in the equipment of over twenty student and external film productions. Since 2019 they have been working freelance as scenographers for film and television, escape rooms and theater productions.

Filmography

2020 Kroymann
2020 Haus Kummerveldt
2019 Trag dich – Tim Bendzko

© Adam Garczorz

(Contact: justincasespot@gmail.com)

SALIDAS

Germany 2021 – 10:17 min – Director: Michael Fetter Nathansky

A majestic dance film that tells the story of a mortician who accompanies dead people into their afterlife using the tools of Spanish flamenco dance. The film creates an associative fusion of Northern and Southern Europe, movement and stillness, and farewell and eternity.

Biography Michael Fetter Nathansky

Michael Fetter Nathansky was born in Cologne in 1993. He has been studying directing at the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF since 2013. His bachelor’s degree film Gabi won the German Short Film Award in 2017. His feature-length film Sag du es mir premiered at the Festival des Deutschen Films Ludwigshafen in 2019, where it won the main prize. In the same year, Michael was nominated for the First Steps Award with the film.

Filmografie

2020 Salidas
2019 Sag du es mir
2017 Gabi

© Sophie Linnenbaum

(Contact: mail@contandofilms.com)

VER HER / STAY

Faroe Islands 2021 – 21:07 min – Director: Maria Winther Olsen

A story about two people going their separate ways. A story about connecting while departing. About loneliness in togetherness. A love story about sharing, taking, losing, wanting and not wanting one another.

Biography Maria Winter Olsen

Maria Winther Olsen has been working with the medium of film for many years. She has just been accepted at the Danish Film School to train as a documentary director.

Filmography

2021 Stay
2019 HAS#TAG
2018 Nina

© Toka Film

(Contact: maria@tokafilm.com)

JUST A GUY

Germany 2020 – 15:00 min – Director: Shoko Hara

Three women share glimpses of their affection, attraction and relationship with Richard Ramirez: a serial killer and rapist sentenced to deaths in the 1980s. Through their perspective we revisit exchanged letters and emotions that are as obsessive as they are hauntingly familiar.

Biography Shoko Hara

Shoko Hara was born in Japan in 1988. In 2012, she completed her bachelor’s degree in media design at DHBW Ravensburg. With her preference for analog and experimental work, she studied Motion Design at the Filmakademie BW until 2016. She currently lectures motion graphics and works as an animation director for commercials and music videos.

Filmography

2020 Just A Guy
2016 What They Believe
2012 Abita

© Michael Colella

(Contact: festival@ag-animationsfilm.de)

SPRÖTCH / SQUISH

Belgium 2020 – 20:45 min- Director: Xavier Seron

While his husband is away on business, Tom has to look after their 5-year-old son Sam. With his mind completely on his novel fragment, he forgets Sam’s guitar lessons. In a hurry, Tom parks the car out of the garage. It squeaks. Tom has overlooked something … A deep black comedy full of absurdities.

Biography Xavier Seron

After his law studies, Xavier went to the Institut des Arts de Diffusion (Belgium). He made several short films with Méryl Fortunat-Rossi and won numerous awards, including the New Voices/New Visions Award at the Palm Springs Festival, the Best Director Award in Odessa and the Magritte Awards for Best Screenplay.

Filmography

2020 Squish
2019 Too Belgian For You
2017 The Plumber

(Contact: xseron@yahoo.fr)