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FESTIVALS / AWARDS Germany

Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness comes out on top at the 2022 Filmkunstmesse

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- A slew of recently premiered international film productions have been presented to German distributors and programmers at the Leipzig-based event

Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness comes out on top at the 2022 Filmkunstmesse
The winners of the 2022 Filmkunstmesse (© AG Kino/Gilde eV)

A brand-new edition of the Filmkunstmesse (19-23 September) has just taken place in Leipzig and gathered together German film industry professionals who came to familiarise themselves with the films that will be available for theatrical release in the next few months. Around 1,000 cinema programmers, festival curators, distributors and journalists had the opportunity to watch up to 80 films represented by several distribution companies, which have already been premiered at international festivals such as Cannes. The rendezvous was organised by AG Kino.

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AG Kino, which is one of the main representative bodies of the German film industry, hosted not only the film screenings, but also a programme packed with panels and workshops. One of them was titled “Cinema Vision 2030”, and it focused on the vital topic of the future of cinema. The participants discussed a series of measures that would help improve audience numbers in cinemas. In particular, they focused on how to attract young audiences.

As is the case every year, the Filmkunstmesse had several prizes to give out. In the international section, the main Award for Best Film went to Triangle of Sadness [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ruben Östlund
interview: Ruben Östlund
film profile
]
by Ruben Östlund. The comedy, which also won the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year, thoroughly convinced the jury. German actress Sunnyi Melles, who plays an important character in the movie, and producer Philippe Bober (Rimini [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ulrich Seidl
film profile
]
) from London-based outfit Coproduction Office came to Leipzig to receive the award. The film will be distributed in Germany by Alamode.

The other prizes went to films produced in Germany. The Award for Best National Film went to Mittagsstunde by Lars Jessen (Small-Town Punks [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
). The film tells the story of a man who goes back to his home town to take care of his parents and who realises that nothing is as he remembers it any more. The protagonist is played by acclaimed German actor Charly Hübner (Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andreas Dresen
interview: Meltem Kaptan
film profile
]
). The film is distributed by Majestic.

Two movies were handed the Award for Best Documentary, ex aequo – namely, Bettina [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lutz Pehnert
film profile
]
by Lutz Pehnert (Partisan [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), a portrait of singer-songwriter Bettina Wegner, distributed by Salzgeber; and The Forest Maker [+see also:
interview: Volker Schlöndorff
film profile
]
by Volker Schlöndorff (Return to Montauk [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
), about agronomist Tony Rinaudo, distributed by Weltkino.

The winner of Best Film in the Junges Kino (lit. “Young Cinema”) section was We Might as Well Be Dead [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Natalia Sinelnikova
film profile
]
, the first feature by Natalia Sinelnikova. The German-Romanian production, which premiered at this year's Berlinale, is distributed by Ekystent. Tales of Franz by Johannes Schmid, produced by Nikolaus Geyrhalter and distributed by Constantin Film and Wild Bunch Distribution Germany, was picked as Best Children’s Film in the same category. Finally, one of the most important prizes was the Audience Award, which went to The Ordinaries [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sophie Linnenbaum
film profile
]
by Sophie Linnenbaum, which is distributed by notsold and Port-Au-Prince.

Here is the complete list of award winners at the Filmkunstmesse Leipzig:

Best International Film
Triangle of Sadness [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ruben Östlund
interview: Ruben Östlund
film profile
]
– Ruben Östlund (Sweden/Germany/France/Turkey)

Best National Film
Mittagsstunde – Lars Jessen (Germany)

Best Documentary Film (ex aequo)
The Forest Maker [+see also:
interview: Volker Schlöndorff
film profile
]
– Volker Schlöndorff (Germany)
Bettina [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lutz Pehnert
film profile
]
– Lutz Pehnert (Germany)

Best Film - “Junges Kino”
We Might as Well Be Dead [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Natalia Sinelnikova
film profile
]
- Natalia Sinelnikova (Germany/Romania)

Best Children’s Film
Tales of Franz - Johannes Schmid (Austria/Germany)

Audience Award – Feature Film
The Ordinaries [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sophie Linnenbaum
film profile
]
– Sophie Linnenbaum (Germany)

Audience Award – Short Film
WALL #4 - Lucas Camps (Netherlands)

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