Festival Memories
2024
Jury
Digby is an award-winning director and co-founder of Baby Lion Media, headquartered in Los Angeles, California. He excels at creating diverse stories in advertising, storytelling and experiential film.
Digby is an award-winning director and excels in crafting diverse narratives across advertising, storytelling, and experiential filmmaking as the co-founder of Baby Lion Media, headquartered in Los Angeles, CA.
Jessen is a well-known German Television editorsrin. With your editorial team produced She has made television films, several cinema co-productions and films in the debut and newcomer genres as well as the episodes of the Crime scenesof the Hessian Broadcasting.
Jessen is a well-known German television editor. With her editorial team, she has produced television films, several cinema co-productions and films in the debut and newcomer genres, as well as episodes of Hessischer Rundfunk's Tatort.
Thoke is a German producer, manager and honorary professor. While working for a well-known German film and television studio, he was involved in the production of the worldwide success "What Women Want" starring Mel Gibson. Thoke later went freelance and produced films that won awards at Cannes, Venice and many festivals worldwide and were nominated for the European Film Awards, the Golden Globe and the Academy Awards. Thoke has served on a number of international film juries and is a member of the jury of the FBW, Germany's oldest film funding organization.
Thoke is a German producer, manager and honorary professor. While working for a well-known German film and television studio, he was involved in the production of the worldwide success "What Women Want" starring Mel Gibson. Thoke later went freelance and produced films that won awards at Cannes, Venice and many festivals worldwide and were nominated for the European Film Awards, the Golden Globe and the Academy Awards. Thoke has served on a number of international film juries and is a member of the jury of the FBW, Germany's oldest film funding organization.
German actress and radio actress.
Movies: Doktor Ballouz, Tatort - Murot und das 1000-jährige Reich, 791 km, Tod in Mombasa, Tatort - Murot und das Paradies, Vena.
German actress and voice over artist.
Films: Doktor Ballouz, Tatort - Murot und das 1000-jährige Reich, 791 km, Tod in Mombasa, Tatort - Murot und das Paradies, Vena.
Bettina Borgfeld is a freelance director and image designer for documentary films for cinema and television. Her films have won numerous awards, including ShotChange (2005), Raising Resistance (2011), and What does the world cost (2018).
Bettina Borgfeld is a freelance director and image designer for documentary films for cinema and television. Her films have won numerous awards, including SchussWechsel (2005), Raising Resistance (2011) and Was kostet die Welt (2018).
Opening film 2024
August 08, 2024
during the opening gala
Congratulations
And the winners 2024 are...
Best Feature Film
Best Short Film
Special Price "Integration"
Laudation by the jury
The documentary His Name is Ray begins with the following words from director Michael Del Monte: "Every day when I drove home I saw the same man begging at a nearby intersection. One day I decided to get out of the car to talk to him."
Del Monte follows heroin addict Ray, who had a family before living on the streets, was a sailor and lost everything because of his addiction, in an unagitated and very haunting way. Ray is a charismatic man who always loses something, who can no longer defend himself. And who ends up dying from his addiction.
The Canadian director Michael Del Monte, who directed the film and also shot the camera, found outstanding images; in a restrained and at the same time very intimate way, he succeeds in showing Ray both mercilessly in his addiction and at the same time building up a great closeness. His Name is Ray will be remembered. The movie changes the way we think. And the view of people who are on the brink.
Laudatio of the Jury
The feature-length documentary His Name is Ray begins with the following words from director Michael Del Monte: "Every time I drove home, I would see the same man panhandling at a nearby intersection. One day I decided to get out of the car and talk to him." The canadic director Michael Del Monte follows Ray, a heroin addict who had a family before living on the streets, was a sailor and lost everything because of his addiction, in an unagitated and very haunting way. Charismatic yet vulnerable, Ray can no longer defend himself, he struggles with the relentless impact of his addiction and ultimately succumbs to its devastating effects.
Michael Del Monte, found outstanding images; in a restrained and at the same time very intimate way, he succeeds in showing Ray both mercilessly in his addiction and at the same time getting close to him. His Name is Ray remains in the memory. The film changes the way we think. And how we look at people who are on the brink.
Laudation by the jury
The short feature film Skewered is about eating, loving and letting live. The English brothers Nick and Noah Rutter and their producer Benjamin Richardson wanted to have some farcical fun and have written a wonderfully twisted story in which the audience is led through different film genres under the direction of Nick Rutter. No sooner do we think we know how the plot is going to play out than we see our viewing habits deceived again - or not. With its formal twists, only one thing remains: expect the unexpected! Superbly told, convincingly acted - a film that deserves a large audience - and the Oberursel Film Festival Short Film Award.
Laudatio of the Jury
The short feature film Skewered is about eating, loving and letting live. The english brothers Nick and Noah Rutter and their Producer Noah Richardson wanted to have some farcical fun and have written a wonderfully twisted story in which the audience is led through different film genres under the direction of Nick Rutter. Just when we think we know how the story is going to unfold, we see expectations challenged - or not. With its formal twists, only one thing remains: expect the unexpected! Superbly told, convincingly acted - a film that deserves a large audience - and the Oberursel Film Festival Short Film Award.
Laudation by the jury
The special prize for the best film in the Integration category goes to The Illegal by Amir Kiani
The first two shots could not be more contrasting. A brutal torture scene in an anonymous prison is followed by a sun-drenched image of a young couple awkwardly attempting a selfie in a park, leaning against a tree. Between these two images, a story unfolds that tells of the absence of good in the world. Somehow exactly about our time. First we go down a few stairs into a dingy basement room. Here, a cynical landlord pockets a lot of money so that a young man can stay in a small room with a young woman. She desperately needs the money for her drugs. We don't know how they know each other. Ahmed is a political refugee facing the death penalty in Iran. He brings the dramatic events at home into the four narrow walls of Canada on his cell phone. He feels terrible, a traitor to his own cause. His landlady is Claire. She has dropped out of university, chews her fingernails and is caught up in a violent cycle of addiction and acquisitive panic.
In tableau-like, minimalist scenes, the film soberly unfolds the non-relationship between these two people who are trapped within themselves and cannot bear the misery of the other. And yet director Amir Kiani manages to portray the two with great affection. In precisely placed, long fades to black, we as viewers play the scenes over and open up other, more hopeful glimpses into the story - only to be disappointed again. Just when despair is omnipresent, the film takes a dramaturgically surprising turn. Shrill and loud, extremely touching and somehow also funny.
The Rotary Club Frankfurt/Main International is delighted to present the Intergration Award of the Oberursel Film Festival to author, director and producer Amir Kiani for his extraordinarily intense realization of the theme of living side by side and together. We wish Amir Kiani much strength for his work and are looking forward to his next films.
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