Butterfly kisses and virtual rainforests

FUNDINGS SHORT FILM A queer love story comes from the Hamburg-based Script Writer and Directors Zohar Dvir: InButterfly Kiss (40,000 euros, Fabian&Fred, Hamburg), Carol is horrified to discover that her friend Ray has turned into a butterfly after an argument about an unexpected marriage proposal. Carol is worried about Ray and has to deal with the question: Leaving or staying? The German-Israeli co-production will have 40 animation days in Hamburg.

The Hamburg-based Directors duo Jenni Tietze and Kathrin Albers tell their story in Keki (30,000 euros, Jenni Tietze, Hamburg) tells the story of Keki, who died in Hamburg in 2010 and survived the Shoa. The two show animations in silhouette, interviews with Keki's companions were recorded for the soundtrack. Jenni Tietze wrote the script.

Andrea and Tom Salt from Ratzeburg work in their DocumentaryGirl at the window (18,000 euros, Tom Salt, Ratzeburg) with archive material from the 1960s. A family father filmed his adolescent daughters for several years with an 8 mm camera. Forty years later, his daughter Monika finds the footage again and wonders what story the fleeting moments of happiness and smiling faces really tell.

FUNDINGS INNOVATIVE In the immersive video installationInHuman - A New World (40,000 euros, InHuman, Hamburg), Hamburg-based artist Joschua Gumpert visualises the creation and destruction of the rainforest together with Directors Jakob Feldhahn and motion designer Jakob Münster. At the climax of the destruction, futuristic figures replant the barren earth and give the audience new hope. The script was written by Sonja Perk.

Fundings totalling 15,000 euros go to WATU VR (Actrio Studio, Leipzig/Potsdam) by Director and Script Writer Michael Geidel, who undertakes an immersive journey along the Brazilian river Rio Doce. Together with indigenous guide Ailton Krenak, he wonders how it is possible to live in harmony with nature. The script was written by Geidel, Krenak and Rani Messias.

The "Kurz + Innovativ" Committee promotes both short films and innovative audiovisual formats, from XR experiences and 360-degree films to immersive video installations.

A detailed overview of all funded projects can be found here.

Insa Wiese, Johanna Jannsen, Friedrich Tiedtke and Nicola Jones made the funding decisions in the short film category on 6 June 2023.

Britta Schewe, Ulrich Schrauth, Ralph Heinsohn and Nicola Jones made the funding decisions in the Innovative Projects area on 6 June 2023.