AG Kurzfilm | History

Sep

2023

German focus in Drama (Greece)

The Drama International Short Film Festival (September 4-10, 2023) is focusing on German films in 2023. In addition to six German short films in a wide variety of competition sections, Drama will host further events focusing on German short film.

Together with German Films, AG Kurzfilm is supporting the festival's German Focus. Co-Managing Director Jutta Wille will take part in the Short Film Hub Talk on the topic “From Script to Spotlight: Navigating the Development and Festival Circuit of Short Films”.

The AG short film programs “SHORT EXPORT 2023 - Made in Germany” and “Emerging Artists - Contemporary Experimental Films and Video Art from Germany” will also be shown as part of the festival's supporting program.

Sep

2022

AG Kurzfilm celebrates 20th anniversary in Dresden

“With Dresden as the ”secret short film capital“, there would be no better place for the headquarters of the German Short Film Association [...]”, said Saxony's Minister of Culture Barbara Klepsch, who celebrated our 20th anniversary with us on September 13.

Mai

2022

The 20th anniversary year

Seven people from the AG Kurzfilm team in front of the Lichtburg Kino in Oberhausen

As part of the Oberhausen Short Film Festival, the AG Kurzfilm is celebrating 20 years of commitment to German short film. During this anniversary year, the AG will be exploring the topic of “Kurzfilm und Schule” in various event formats and inviting long-standing and new supporters as well as filmmakers and sponsors to receptions.

Jan

2021

Short film catalog only online

For the first time, the short film catalog “German Short Films” will no longer be printed, but published exclusively digitally. The 100 films selected for the catalog will be included in the online catalog, which brings together all the annual catalogs since 2004. The decisive factor is the transfer of the important film markets at the beginning of the year (Clermont-Ferrand and EFM of the Berlinale) to the virtual space. Other events and festivals at which the short film catalog was usually distributed will also not take place as in-person events.

This will continue in subsequent years, as the demand for printed copies has fallen sharply, making it possible to include current films three times a year and saving on printing and layout costs.

The production of DVDs has also been discontinued in 2021.

Okt

2016

Workshop at Molodist in Kyiv

A little man painted on cardboard is photographed with his face cut out.

As part of its long-standing cooperation with the Molodist International Film Festival in Kyiv, the AG Kurzfilm is organizing a three-day workshop for international filmmakers, which will be included in the official Talent Workshop section. Presentation training, pitching and a practical workshop with filmmaker Stephan Müller is offered.

mehr Infos

Okt

2015

Exclusive publication of shortfilm.de

The relaunch of the short film magazine shortfilm.de, which was decided in spring, has been completed. Since the summer, AG Kurzfilm has been the sole publisher of shortfilm.de after a ten-year partnership with the Oberhausen Short Film Festival.

shortfilm.de

Jan

2015

10 years of Soirée Allemande

Soirée Allemande celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2015. To mark the occasion, the Hamburg-based group A WALL IS A SCREEN is projecting a selection of films from 10 years of Soirée Allemande onto various wall surfaces in the city center of Clermont-Ferrand.

Aug

2013

The management changes

Foto von Jutta Wille, Sylke Gottlebe und Jana Cernik

In mid-2013, there is a change of management in the office: after eleven years, Sylke Gottlebe hands over the management of AG Kurzfilm to Jutta Wille and Jana Cernik. Since August 1, 2013, they have formed the new dual leadership as equal managing directors. In addition to project management, Jutta Wille is responsible for organizational and administrative tasks, while Jana Cernik concentrates on film policy and lobbying. The activities of the federal association, which have since expanded considerably, will thus be continued on an ongoing basis.

Jan

2013

Emerging Artists celebrate their premiere

Motiv des ersten Emerging Artists-Programms

Every two years since 2013, AG Kurzfilm and German Films have published Emerging Artists - Experimental Film and Video Art from Germany, a program dedicated to young German experimental film. The first edition of the program celebrates its premiere as part of the Stuttgart Film Winter and on the fringes of the Rotterdam International Film Festival.

Jun

2011

IN THE PALACE – Bulgaria

A woman in a blue dress stands in front of a billboard.

As part of the 9th IN THE PALACE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL in Balchik, a film market is being integrated for the first time, at which the AG Kurzfilm is presenting the German short film scene together with German Films. With its own stand and a well-attended market screening of the Soirée Allemande, the festival offers a promising platform for exchange with Central and Eastern Europe.

Feb

2011

Short film reception at Roter Salon

a hall with many people bathed in red light.

In 2011, the AG Kurzfilm invites for the first time to a short film reception during the Berlinale. On February 14, colleagues will come to the Roter Salon of the Berliner Volksbühne to celebrate short film and exchange ideas. The annual short film reception has since established itself as an important event for the international short film industry.

Nov

2007

First issue of SHORT report

In November 2007, the first issue of the short film magazine SHORT report is published. The magazine contains in-depth analyses of current film policy issues and the development of German short film. A total of six issues are published until 2014. Since then, everything worth knowing about the German short film scene has been published in the online magazine shortfilm.de.

All issues of SHORT report can be downloaded here.

Sep

2007

Filmkunstmesse (film art fair) Leipzig

Since 2007, AG Kurzfilm has been present at the Filmkunstmesse and, through various activities such as workshops and film presentations, has been working to ensure that short films are once again represented more frequently in cinema programs. A special highlight every year is the supporting film test "Kurz vor Film" (Short before Film) in cooperation with interfilm Berlin and the Kurzfilm Agentur Hamburg, where a selection of short films suitable for supporting film screenings is presented to interested cinema operators.

more info

Okt

2006

1. Long Night of German Shorts (Molodist)

Advertisement with the program announcement with film images in Ukrainian and English.

The MOLODIST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in Kiev is hosting the "Long Night of German Short Films" for the first time, showing up to 30 current German short films of all genres. The program was put together for the festival by AG Kurzfilm in cooperation with German Films and the program organizers in Kiev. This was the start of a long-standing cooperation between the two institutions.

more info

Mai

2006

The first Short Film Lounge in Cannes

As early as 2004, we put out feelers to Cannes and looked for ways to offer German short film a platform there. In 2006, with the support of the BMW Group, we were able to implement a Short Film Lounge for the first time, which has since established itself as a meeting place for the short film scene.

see blog

Mai

2006

The Short Film Study is published

In May 2006 - four years after its founding - AG Kurzfilm presented a study in Oberhausen on the situation of German short film, which put its (framework) conditions at the time to the test.

see blog

Feb

2006

AG Kurzfilm cooperates with Short Film – Live Music

Three musicians with guitar, drums and saxophone respectively on a stage in front of a cinema screen.

On the initiative of the Kino im Kasten Dresden, there was a call at the Dresden Academy of Music for musicians to provide new music for short films. At the first event in February 2006, a total of twelve short films were shown, which received new music live. The collective shortfilmlivemusic emerged from this event, with which a total of seven projects were created in cooperation with the AG Kurzfilm until 2011.

Dez

2005

The first festival calendar is published

In December 2005, the AG Kurzfilm's printed festival calendar was issued for the first time, and has been published annually ever since. In addition to the dates of the member festivals, the dates and deadlines of important international short film festivals or festivals with short film sections also appeared on the calendar, which is designed as a large-format wall calendar in paper form.

see current calendar

Okt

2004

Relaunch of the short film portal shortfilm.de

old lettering of the website shortfilm.de in olive green

shortfilm.de had already existed since 2001 as an independent short film magazine whose Internet presence was launched by the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen.
In 2004, AG Kurzfilm and the Short Film Festival entered into a partnership and acted as joint senders of the portal. The goal was to expand shortfilm.de's offerings. The relaunch took place on October 7, 2004. For the relaunch, a new joint start page was created, as well as the new section "KurzfilmSzene Deutschland".
In addition to the international short film magazine, the portal now offered extensive information and services on the short film scene in Germany. This included current news on short film as well as an extensive service section offering dates and deadlines, addresses and information on film schools, festivals and institutions. Thematic articles, portraits of filmmakers and reports on all aspects of short film rounded out the offerings.

Apr

2004

The AG participates in the German Film Weeks

From 2004 to 2014, AG Kurzfilm curated short film programs and short films as supporting films, which were shown as part of the German Film Weeks (Festivals of German Films) organized by German Films worldwide. At the Festival del Cinema Tedesco in Rome (April 2-6, 2004), several short films were presented as supporting films in this context. Since 2015, the coordination has been taken over by German Films itself.

more info

Jan

2004

First Short Film Catalog published

Cover of the first short film catalog, film images arranged in a circle on an orange background.

From 2004 to 2021, AG Kurzfilm annually published the Short Film Catalog, which presented 100 outstanding German short films each year, making it a valuable information medium for international film and cultural institutions, festivals, distribution and sales companies and others. Since 2022, the catalog selection has been updated three times a year and exclusively online.

All published short film catalogs can be downloaded here.

Feb

2003

The first booth at the EFM of the Berlinale

In 2003, AG Kurzfilm was part of the German Boulevard at the European Film Market of the Berlinale for the first time, where it received a great deal of interest. A total of 60 current short film productions could be viewed on VHS tapes by industry representatives at the AG Kurzfilm booth. Filmmakers informed themselves about presentation and funding opportunities for their projects.

Jan

2003

The first time at Clermont-Ferrand

By participating in the film market of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2003, AG Kurzfilm had its first opportunity to introduce itself to an international audience of professionals.

The main focus was to present an overview of German short film production, to arrange contacts and to offer a comprehensive advisory service. A selection of German short film productions from the last two years was compiled, which could be viewed on VHS viewing tapes on site.

More about our current activities can be found here.

Mai

2002

The AG Kurzfilm is founded

During the 48th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, the AG Kurzfilm was founded to improve the public perception of short film and to act as a contact point for filmmakers, film policy and the industry. The "strengthened position of German short films and their authors, directors and producers abroad" was "a very urgent goal", according to the press release at the time.

Read more in the blog articles by Astrid Kühl, Robin Mallick and Julian Nida-Rümelin.