7. international award
„Movies & Stills 2008“
06.11.2009.-26.02.2010
1. Prize in the category Movies
(an amount of € 3.000,--)
and
awarded in the category Stills
Sangheon Lee, New York for the work "Vacation" 2008
watch the video
jury comment
The atmospheric movie titled "Vacation," by the Korean-born artist Sangheon Lee, was awarded the 1st prize.
The jury especially responded to the movie's inherent poetry, which is maintained throughout by a sense of
quiet and concentration. The artist used several applications, including Maya, After Effects, and Photoshop, in order to realize this project, and took over 600 pictures that served as a base layer for the animation process on the computer. For the artist, it was especially important that his movie would not have a computer-generated, or mechanical, look. He thus animated almost all of the scenes with the use of a computer but by hand, in a so-called frame by frame process.
Conceptually, Sangheon Lee's movie was inspired by J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, and Albert Camus' The Stranger. The artist tells us that the inevitable loss of innocence is one of the challenges of growing older. Yet the movie's shifting focus, the use of light in the creation of the mood, and the composition within each frame suggest multiple meanings and the possibility of alternate interpretations. The suggested suicide and the larger than life plant can be understood as symbolic, or as reality. Less ambiguous are the ailing atmosphere and the character's mental disposition. It rains continuously and the camera, which never quite stands still, seems to aimlessly drift in the water. The quiet in the apartment, the dirty kitchen, and the grey sky are all marked by an unmistakable sadness.
Because of its expressiveness, technical know-how, and attention to detail, the jury was captivated by Sangheon Lee's movie. "Vacation" is the artist's thesis project with which he graduated in May with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Department of Digital Arts at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.
2. Prize in the category Movies (amount of € 2.000,--)
Oliver Held, Köln for the work "Spring" 2007
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jury comment
The artist Oliver Held lives and works in Cologne and has been awarded the 2nd prize for his movie "Spring," which, too, has previously been recognized at a number of film festivals. In a playful application of different media, the artist created an alternate world through the freezing of time in 3D media and so generated the depiction of childlike impressions. When the 9-year old boy jumps off the springboard, the viewer inescapably partakes in the excitement. Thus, the movie remains relevant to older audiences because, in adulthood, peer pressure is experienced similarly and the adult viewer can identify with the boy when he takes a peek beyond the board, into the abyss. The artist did not, as so often is the case, apply 3D media in order to create a perfect, hyper-real world but to newly interpret human experiences in a humorous way. Oliver Held studied at the Kunstakademie, Münster and did postgraduate work on the subject of film and television at the KHM in Cologne. Since 2000, he has held the position of lecturer at the University Siegen. His works have been recognized with scholarships and honors and he has participated in over 80 film festivals, including at the International Kurzfilmfestival Berlin, Filmfestival Cannes, Chicago Children's Festival and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
3. Prize in the category Movies (amount of € 1.000,--)
and
3. Prize in the category Stills (amount of € 500,--)
Thorsten Fleisch, Berlin
for the work "Energie!" 2007
watch the video
jury comment
The jury awarded the 3rd prize in the movies category to Thorsten Fleisch for his project "Energie!," he created approx. 100 photograms for by discharging lightning onto photo paper. During the post-production process, he identified a suitable sequence for the images. The quickly changing images contain a world that looks familiar and that, according to the artist, tells a story "older than the world." This story is expressively conveyed through vibrant and occasionally delicate patterns. The abrupt changes from image to image appear definitive, perhaps even irreversible, and the altering patterns seem to want to unite the past with the future. Thorsten Fleisch was born in Koblenz. His art works include film, video, and computer animation. He studied art history, musicology, and media theory in Marburg and Avant Garde film at the Städelschule in Frankfurt. The artist has already exhibited his works internationally and has received numerous awards. His innovative movie "Energie!" has previously received several honors and also appealed to this jury.
1. Prize in the category Stills (amount of € 500,--)
Luba Drozd
for her stills from the movie " Synth" 2007
and
category Movies - "Special Selection"
watch the video
jury comment
The artist Luba Drozd was born in Ukraine and lives today in Brooklyn, New York. She submitted an image from her movie "Synth," which the jury unanimously awarded the 1st prize in the stills category. For her animated movie, the artist imagined an environment that is informed by metamorphosis. Her project was first conceptualized using pencil and paper and subsequently brought to live using 3D software. The jury particularly responded to the artist's interpretation of organic structures and filigree interconnections. With an expressive color palette of warm and cool hues, the artist put further emphasis on contrasts in forms and structures. Thus far, Luba Drozd has exhibited her works at film festivals in the US. Two years ago, she graduated with the Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Department of Digital Arts at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. At present, she works as a freelancer in broadcast design.
2. Prize in the category Stills (amount of € 500,--)
Dennis Beckstein, Patrick Kayser,
Manuel Ritter, Marian Sander, Hannover
for the stills from the movie "Catwalk" 2007
jury comment
In den Stills des liebevoll animierten Films "Catwalk" spaziert eine alte Dame durch eine In the lovingly animated movie "Catwalk," an old lady walks through a humorous cartoon city made of paper. Strange things happen as the lady strolls down the street and the viewer may intuit that these events are caused by a cat which the old lady carries with her. Even as stills, these images embody movement as their style and the hand-drawn lines are full of energy. The artists arranged 2D elements in a three-dimensional world in such a way that the result has depth and seems inviting. Behind the playful facades of buildings we find not only a charming story but a clever design and, more importantly, talent. Created at the Fachhochschule in Hannover, the jury awarded the still images submitted by the artists with the 2nd prize.
Reinhard Hölker, Marburg
Category Movies - "Special Selection"
Still from the Movie "Schatten" 2007
Max Albrecht, Lucian Patermann, Weimar
Awarded in the category Stills and Category Movies - "Special Selection"
for the work "Take a luke into the dark" 2008
Matthias Fritsch, Karlsruhe
Category Movies - "Special Selection"
Still from the movie "Wasserfall Panorama" 2007
Abel Ruiz Vazquez, Stuttgart
Category Movies and Stills "Honorary Mention"
Still from the movie "The Children´s Tree" 2008
Joachim Brandenberg, Wiesbaden
Awarded in the Category Stills
Still from the movie "Der Jäger und der Bär" 2007
Matthias Fritsch, Karlsruhe
Awarded in the category Stills
Still from the movie "Rehe", Werkgruppe "Wildwechsel" 2008
Anja Hartmann, Kristian Labusga,
Stephan Schäfholz, Stuttgart
Awarded in the category Stills
Still from the movie "Morula" 2007
Agnes Meyer-Brandis, Köln
Awarded in the category Stills
Still from the movie "Pause" 2007
Erik Rasmussen, New York
Awarded in the category Stills
Still from the movie "Infinite Range" 2007
All descriptions refer to the date of the actual exhibition
