PR 22.03.2022: AG Kurzfilm celebrates 20th Anniversary
© AG Kurzfilm
20 Years of AG Kurzfilm!
Anniversary kick-off at the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (April 30 to May 09)
2022 is a very special year for German short film: AG Kurzfilm - German Short Film Association celebrates its 20th anniversary this year! That means 20 years of tireless dedication on behalf of the German short film scene - a successful alliance for the most exciting of all film forms has succeeded.
It all began 20 years ago at the International Short Film Festival in Oberhausen: on May 5, 2002, the German Short Film Association was founded as the nationwide lobby for German short film. The overriding goal was and still is to guarantee the public perception of German short films at home and abroad - a trendsetting union of the short film scene into a powerful alliance!
Short films are always eye-openers, function across generations, challenge and promote a general understanding of art, test aesthetic boundaries, play with narrative forms and are characterized by their joy of experimentation. At the same time, short films can be the entry point for young filmmakers into the world of film. The film policy work of the AG Kurzfilm is therefore also aimed at improving the conditions for short film with regard to production, exploitation and distribution, as well as strengthening the position of short film within the film industry.
Thus, AG Kurzfilm represents German short film on the major international film markets, advises filmmakers and supports their appearances at international film festivals. AG Kurzfilm publishes the annual catalog of the 100 most interesting short films from Germany. Since 2008, the KURZ.FILM.TOUR, the German Short Film Award cinema tour, has been part of AG Kurzfilm's regular repertoire, bringing award-winning short films directly to audiences on behalf of the BKM. Since 2012, AG Kurzfilm has also coordinated the nationwide campaign "Der KURZFILMTAG" (Short Film Day) on Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year, which showcases short film in all its creativity, diversity and joy of experimentation, thus strengthening its perception among the general public.
"With its nearly 50 members today, AG Kurzfilm has managed in a unique way to bring together the most important institutions of the German short film scene in one federal association. With this bundled expertise, it has been possible to successfully develop efficient funding measures, structures and projects to strengthen short film - also thanks to the support of the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and German Films, the main sponsors of AG Kurzfilm.
***
Short film is a guarantor of quality, innovation and diversity. It promotes and challenges complex and sophisticated points of view. Short film will continue to grow in importance in the future; in addition to traditional screening venues, media libraries, social networks and VoD platforms will become increasingly important for the presentation and exploitation of short films. Against this backdrop, we are particularly concerned to focus on the topic of film education and film mediation, also with a view to tomorrow's audience and society - our commitment to the cross-genre art form 'short film' is also a commitment to a reflective approach to moving images and thus to our free and democratic society."
Board of Directors AG Kurzfilm
In the anniversary year 2022, many exciting special events around German short film are planned throughout Germany, both for the industry and for the audience. The anniversary kick-off will already take place on May 04, 2022 at the 68th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen. Concrete information about this will be announced soon.
Today, AG Kurzfilm unites almost 50 member institutions from the film and cinema industry, including film festivals, film and art schools, short film distribution and sales companies, which are connected to short film in various ways and are committed to it. The federal association, based in Dresden, sees itself not only as a comprehensive competence center for German short film, but also as a service center for filmmakers, as well as a point of contact for politics, the film industry, cinemas and film festivals.
The 11 founding members of the newly created umbrella organization were: German Film and Television Academy Berlin, European Media Art Festival Osnabrück, Filmfest Dresden, Filmfest Weiterstadt, International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, interfilm Berlin, Short Film Agency Hamburg., Bamberg Short Film Festival, Regensburg Short Film Week, Short Cuts Cologne and Stuttgart Film Winter.
"Our vision is for short film to be perceived as an independent, innovative, artistic form of film and expression by both the industry and the public, whether created by established or emerging filmmakers," say AG Kurzfilm's two directors, Jutta Wille and Jana Cernik.
All further information about AG Kurzfilm can be found on the website at www.ag-kurzfilm.de. News about the projects and about the ongoing work will also be published via the social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.
Anniversary kick-off at the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (April 30 to May 09)
2022 is a very special year for German short film: AG Kurzfilm - German Short Film Association celebrates its 20th anniversary this year! That means 20 years of tireless dedication on behalf of the German short film scene - a successful alliance for the most exciting of all film forms has succeeded.
It all began 20 years ago at the International Short Film Festival in Oberhausen: on May 5, 2002, the German Short Film Association was founded as the nationwide lobby for German short film. The overriding goal was and still is to guarantee the public perception of German short films at home and abroad - a trendsetting union of the short film scene into a powerful alliance!
Short films are always eye-openers, function across generations, challenge and promote a general understanding of art, test aesthetic boundaries, play with narrative forms and are characterized by their joy of experimentation. At the same time, short films can be the entry point for young filmmakers into the world of film. The film policy work of the AG Kurzfilm is therefore also aimed at improving the conditions for short film with regard to production, exploitation and distribution, as well as strengthening the position of short film within the film industry.
Thus, AG Kurzfilm represents German short film on the major international film markets, advises filmmakers and supports their appearances at international film festivals. AG Kurzfilm publishes the annual catalog of the 100 most interesting short films from Germany. Since 2008, the KURZ.FILM.TOUR, the German Short Film Award cinema tour, has been part of AG Kurzfilm's regular repertoire, bringing award-winning short films directly to audiences on behalf of the BKM. Since 2012, AG Kurzfilm has also coordinated the nationwide campaign "Der KURZFILMTAG" (Short Film Day) on Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year, which showcases short film in all its creativity, diversity and joy of experimentation, thus strengthening its perception among the general public.
"With its nearly 50 members today, AG Kurzfilm has managed in a unique way to bring together the most important institutions of the German short film scene in one federal association. With this bundled expertise, it has been possible to successfully develop efficient funding measures, structures and projects to strengthen short film - also thanks to the support of the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and German Films, the main sponsors of AG Kurzfilm.
***
Short film is a guarantor of quality, innovation and diversity. It promotes and challenges complex and sophisticated points of view. Short film will continue to grow in importance in the future; in addition to traditional screening venues, media libraries, social networks and VoD platforms will become increasingly important for the presentation and exploitation of short films. Against this backdrop, we are particularly concerned to focus on the topic of film education and film mediation, also with a view to tomorrow's audience and society - our commitment to the cross-genre art form 'short film' is also a commitment to a reflective approach to moving images and thus to our free and democratic society."
Board of Directors AG Kurzfilm
In the anniversary year 2022, many exciting special events around German short film are planned throughout Germany, both for the industry and for the audience. The anniversary kick-off will already take place on May 04, 2022 at the 68th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen. Concrete information about this will be announced soon.
Today, AG Kurzfilm unites almost 50 member institutions from the film and cinema industry, including film festivals, film and art schools, short film distribution and sales companies, which are connected to short film in various ways and are committed to it. The federal association, based in Dresden, sees itself not only as a comprehensive competence center for German short film, but also as a service center for filmmakers, as well as a point of contact for politics, the film industry, cinemas and film festivals.
The 11 founding members of the newly created umbrella organization were: German Film and Television Academy Berlin, European Media Art Festival Osnabrück, Filmfest Dresden, Filmfest Weiterstadt, International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, interfilm Berlin, Short Film Agency Hamburg., Bamberg Short Film Festival, Regensburg Short Film Week, Short Cuts Cologne and Stuttgart Film Winter.
"Our vision is for short film to be perceived as an independent, innovative, artistic form of film and expression by both the industry and the public, whether created by established or emerging filmmakers," say AG Kurzfilm's two directors, Jutta Wille and Jana Cernik.
All further information about AG Kurzfilm can be found on the website at www.ag-kurzfilm.de. News about the projects and about the ongoing work will also be published via the social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.