Into the end of the world with plastic chairs

How an inconspicuous plastic chair conquered the world: InMonoblock (€105,000, Pier 53 Filmproduktion, Hamburg), Hamburg filmmakers Carsten Rau and Hauke Wendler embark on a humorous search for the best-selling piece of furniture of all time. In six countries on four continents, they tell the story of how the monoblock destroys livelihoods and brings wealth, how it threatens our environment and ultimately also good taste.

It also goes once around the globe inDoomsday Proof by the Hamburg film collective "Das Kind mit der Goldenen Jacke". The project has already been honoured with the ARD documentary film award "Top of the Docs". Directors Julia Neuhaus accompanies several "preppers" in the film who are preparing for the imminent apocalypse worldwide. Because one thing is clear to them: they are ready. They will survive the catastrophe. Like Noah, they will get out of the ark and build a new world. The FFHSH is supporting the production with 50,000 euros.

The drama takes place in the centre of TehranRed Hatchback by Directors Adam Frei (€90,000, Cosmopol Film, Hamburg): Inflation and corruption make the plans of single father Ali almost impossible. Despite his precarious financial situation, he tries everything to make his car-loving child happy. Because his five-year-old son has one big wish: he and his father need a real car - in red and with a hatchback.

A total of six projects will receive production funding totalling 310,000 euros. Of this, 95,000 euros will go to four projects directed by women. These include the short filmPaula (15,000 euros, Blinker Filmproduktion, Cologne) by Director Luise Donschen, whose documentary "Casanovagen" screened at the Berlinale in 2018. Other funded projects include Antonia Traulsen's DocumentaryAll of us the village (30,000 euros, Koberstein Film, Berlin) and Faraz Shariat's queer coming-of-age dramaWE (20,000 euros, La Mosca Bianca, Hamburg).

Directors Klaus Maeck and Tanja Schwerdorf have been awarded funding for project development. Their docu-fictionDr Wau's chaos film (Interzone Pictures, Hamburg) is being supported with 20,000 euros. HFBK graduate Pablo Narezo Guzmán receives a grant for the development of his DocumentaryEverything is far from here 13,000 euros in total.

Within the framework of the German-Turkish Co-Production Development Fund, the filmsSnow and the Bear by Selcen Ergun (18,000 euros, Riva Filmproduktion, Hamburg) andNew Dawn Fades by Gürcan Keltek (7,000 euros, The Storybay, Hamburg).

For the script of the experimental filmHuman Flowers of Flesh, The Petals have traps (fuenferfilm, Hamburg), the "Drift" Director and HFBK graduate Helena Wittmann will receive 15,000 euros. Distribution funding totalling 20,000 euros will go to three projects and around 9,000 euros in screening funding will go to three Hamburg film theatres. The detailed overview of all funded projects isavailable here.

The funding decisions were made on Tuesday, 24 October 2018 by Birgit Glombitza, Timo Großpietsch, Katrin Klamroth, Maria Köpf, Arne Sommer and Andres Veiel.